“The Vow Of Prayer” Num. 21:2

“And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.” Num. 21:2

Why? Because King Arad the Canaanite fought against Israel and took some of their men prisoners. So, he had some ‘P.O.W.’s’ and Israel had a policy like the Marines today, “Leave no man behind!” However, our country left over 2,500 M.I.A.’s and P.O.W.’s in Vietnam and I have a list of everyone of their names and where they are from. But Israel made a vow to God for those “P.O.W.’s” and God honored it in v.3, “And the LORD hearkened (shema – listened intently) to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities, (kha-ram, to mutilate, exterminate, completely destroy) and He called the name of the place Hormah (destruction or waste).” WOW! God doesn’t look to kindly on those who take His people captive whether they are principalities, powers, things present or things to come; things human, or things demonic; things in heaven, things on earth, or things below the earth. Those that belong to God are God’s so I wouldn’t mess with Israel if you know what’s good for you or His church! Amen? So, listen up, “B.D.S.” Movement!

Now concerning this ‘Vow’ (na-dar) for a ‘Vow’ (neh-der) or votive offering. You see, they made a “Vow for a Vow!” Did you catch that? If you read over this to fast without your concordance or lexicon you will miss the difference in spelling of the two different words for ‘Vow.’ So, don’t miss the forest for the trees. Who are they talking to, GOD! So, they are ‘Vowing’ a ‘Vow‘ to God in prayer saying, “God if you will do this for us, we will do this for You!” Have you ever made a ‘Vow’ to God in prayer like this before, of course you have! We all have! Well if you made a vow to God it was in prayer. Now a promise is not a ‘Vow’ it’s just a promise, “I promise you I’ll be there on Friday.” A pledge is not a ‘Vow,’ “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America…” people say that to become citizens and then we see them burning them in our streets. Swearing is not a ‘Vow,’ “I swear I never cheated on my taxes,” really Joe! The word “VOW” comes from the Latin word, “Votum – to vote” to caste your ballot; it’s a solemn affirmation or assertion to God or to your marriage partner; to declare emphatically, earnestly and solemnly, like your marriage vows. “I declare before God and these witnesses to love and to cherish, till death do us part!” They have taken the words, “I covenant before God and these witnesses” out of the marriage vows today, why? They are too binding, too permanent, too committed, too permanent and too restrictive, really. I think God meant, ‘One wife for life’ sorry, if that offends you but He said He hates the putting away, Mal. 2:16, but it happens.

The wisest man that ever lived, other than Jesus once told us we need to be careful with our vows, with and before God; Solomon said, “Better is it that thou should not vow, than that thou should vow and not pay.” Ecc. 5:5. Why? There again as I said in Num.20:16, God’s angels are listening to our prayers and either they carry them to God or carry the answers back to us or are involved in answering them in some way; but either way we need to guard our lips, “Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin neither say thou before the angel that it was an error. Wherefore, should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands? ” Ecc. 5:6.  The context is our vows to God.  Now I know that, “there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus.” 1 Tim. 2:5; and I know that Christ ever lives to make intercession for us, Heb. 7:25, but I also know that the angels are involved in our prayer life to God in some way.  Now, are they carrying our prayers up to God, or carrying the answers down to us or are they involved in the answers? I don’t know, but I do know one is standing right next to me right now and he is here to minister to me for God because I am an heir of salvation. Heb. 1:14; And I do know their were angels in our Church Sunday watching the service, and you and me and the pastor; 1 Cor. 11; Rev. 2&3.

The first time we find the word vow or the phrase “vowed a vow” (na-dar, neh-der) is in Gen. 28:20 with Jacob fleeing from Esau for his life and he stops in Bethel (the house of God) and the stone he used for a pillow, he made a pillar out of it and “vowed a vow” to God and promised to give Him a tithe of all he received if God would protect him and bring him back to his father’s house in peace.  Tithing 700 years before the Law, and where did he learn it from?  Abraham his grandfather, and where did Abraham learn it from, Melchizedek in Gen. 14:20 and from Noah who was still alive while Abraham was alive and Shem outlived Abraham, check out the genealogies.

However, here we have the “law of first mention” or the ‘Science of Etymology;’ which ever you prefer.  The word vow, vowed, vowedst, vowest, and voweth is used over 90 times in the Bible.  It is only found twice in the Newer Testament, Acts 18:18; and 21:28.  So, Jacob has a dream in the night of a ladder going from earth to heaven, with the angels of God ascending and descending on it, and the LORD stood above it and said, “I am the LORD God of Abraham, thy Father, and the God of Isaac; the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed (singular).” Gen. 28:12-13.  Then Jacob set up a pillar, poured oil on it and “vowed a vow” (na-dar, neh-der) to the LORD God of Abraham his grandfather and Isaac, his father, but He really won’t become Jacob’s personal God until the river of “The Face of God” in Gen.32:30 when he wrestles with “the angel of the LORD” and He dislocates his hip and Jacob the supplanter becomes Israel the ‘Prince with God.’  Both names are applied to the nation characteristically, Jacob is the name for the natural descendants; Israel is the name for the Spiritual descendants.  “The LORD sent a word into Jacob and it hath lighted/fallen (na-fal) upon Israel.”  (see Rom. 11:26) “For they are not all Israel, who are Israel.” Rom. 9:6.

So, Jacob ‘vows a vow‘ to God and we have to carry this concept out, throughout the Scriptures and always remember to Whom we are making this vow.  In John 1:43-51 when Jesus calls Phillip and he goes to get Nathanael, Nathanael questions if any good thing can come out of Nazareth, and Phillip says, ‘Come and see.’  Then Jesus told him, He saw him sitting under a fig tree meditating and Nathanael was impressed but that wasn’t enough.  Jesus goes on in v.51 to tell him what he was meditating on under that fig tree, Gen. 28:12, “Jacob’s Ladder” and the angels ascending and descending upon the Son of God.  How did Jesus know that, because He is Omniscient, (All-Knowing) John 2:24-25,”He not only knows all men….He knows what is in men.”  That means He knows what you are thinking right now, as you read this!  It’s time to think about any vows you have made to man and to God and to rectify them in light of Ecc. 5:1-6. Amen?  Till next time, I’ll see you “…Between The Lines…”

“The Vow Of Prayer To The LORD” Num. 21:2