Vows

Vows are voluntary expressions of
devotion usually fulfilled after some
condition had been met. Vows in the
Old Testament usually were
confidential. A common formula for
vows was the "if..then.." phrase.
The one making the religious vow
proposed that if God did something
(such as give protection or victory),
then he or she in return would make
some act of devotion. Not all vows,
however, were conditional. Some,
such as the Nazirite vow (Numbers 6)
were made out of devotion to God
with no request placed upon God.
Whether conditional or not, the
emphasis in the Bible is on keeping
the vow.
The Bible says when you make a vow
it is serious to God. We may forget
about it, but God surely doesn't. A
vow unfulfilled is worse than a vow
never made. King Solomon wrote in
Ecclesiastes 5:4-5, "When thou vowest
a vow unto God, defer not to pay it;
for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay
that which thou hast vowed. Better is
it that thou shouldest not vow, than
that thou shouldest vow and not pay."
"When thou shalt vow a vow unto the
LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to
pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely
require it of thee; and it would be sin
in thee." (Deuteronomy 23:21).
Therefore, we will be blessed if we
keep our vows but cursed if we are
not obedient to our oaths because
disobedience is sin (Jeremiah 11;
Deuteronomy 11; Ezekiel 17:19-20).