With the advent of 2015 A.D. the matter of New Year's Resolutions is hanging in the air.
Many people choose to use this convention as an opportunity to
re-commit to a cause they've struggled with, or to bolster their
resolve to improve in a certain area.
Too many fail to live up to the promises they've made...
So, should we make New Year's Resolutions?
Should we make promises at all?
The Old Covenant response:
Deuteronomy 6:13 and 10:20 there's a command for the Israelite's to swear by
God. The Law would suggest that it was okay for them to swear, so
long as they swore by God's name and were being truthful( Leviticus
19:12). Numbers 30:2 cements this by declaring that a man 'shall not
break his word.'
So, in the Old Testament God clearly considers oaths and promises
a serious matter. While I believe He condemns all forms of deceit,
God seems to take special care to create laws surrounding promises
made and vows committed(eg, Numbers 30 follows into more detailed
rulings about annulments for married and unmarried women).
If he had this standard for the Jews, I think it's reasonable to assume that applies to us too. We're talking about giving our word, after
all; not diet, clothing or anything obscure.
The New Covenant amendment:
Jesus, however, goes above and beyond this standard, during his
'Sermon On the Mount'(Matthew 5).
In verses 33 to 37 Jesus outlines that we shouldn't merely be
honest and devoted when we make promises, but that we shouldn't swear
by anything.
If you swear by God's throne in Heaven, or by the Earth, or
even just Jerusalem then you're presuming too much, is what I believe He's implying. "Don't swear an oath by your head"
suggests we shouldn't even swear on our own life, given we can't
change the colour of the hair on our head(contextually speaking,
given the lack of hair dye in Jesus' time).
So, Jesus implies we can't swear by anything that belongs to God's
kingdom, whether Heaven, Earth, or Jerusalem. We also can't swear on
our person. That doesn't really leave much, which is the point; in
verse 34 he states 'don't swear an oath at all'. This is all
reinforcing that declaration.
What Jesus advises, instead of making promises, is simply that we
live by "Yes" and "No." Perhaps the lesson here
is that our words should be honest enough without needing to
emphasise them with vain promises. If you're honesty isn't already
assumed when you say something, then how does a promise help? If your
resolve to do something is already there, then why do you need to
make a vow to prove it? Are you trying to corner yourself into taking
action?
Jesus even goes as far to say that anything beyond "yes" and "no" is from evil(or 'the Evil One'). That seems to suggest making a
promise is a trap. If we can't assure any part of our own future then
making a promise certainly has the potential to become deception,
even if we meant to keep our word when we made the promise. This
passage is reiterated in James 5:12, which just serves to enforce seriousness of
oath-making. Nobody questions whether deceit is sinful, so why should we prepared to risk it when Jesus clearly taught caution in this matter?
Is There a Broader Understanding?
Is that all then? Jesus has spoken, so surely we must obey.
Perhaps I should promise right now to never promise anything ever
again. My ironic sense of humour aside, I'm not sure we're out of the
woods just yet. Beyond this point I'm not certain I have all the
right answers, but I will endeavor to cover things comprehensively
and the best I am able(I'm not making any promises, though).
I have the impression that there must be more to it than simply 'all promises are
wrong'. Otherwise, what Jesus was saying could suggest spouses
shouldn't swear themselves to each other and that witnesses should
refuse to swear by the Bible in court, because it contradicts the
very book they're asked to swear by. In fact, when questioned by the
high priest Jesus seems to respond to the priest calling Him 'under
oath by the living God'(Matthew 26:63), whereas he had previously
'remained silent'.
If you're reaching the point where you are questioning whether
Jesus was actually talking about all promises then you're probably
not the only one. While I am generally of the opinion that we should
never doubt the words of our Lord and Saviour, what I'm aiming for here is
a deeper understanding; not to question whether Jesus really meant
what he said. It's a matter of definitions and differentiation, not
disobedience or doubt.
When Is A Promise Not A Promise?
What I'm questioning here is the possibility that there is
something similar to an oath, that is not quite the same as a
promise, but could potentially be confused for either.
No, it's not just a bad riddle; what I'm referring to is a
'covenant'. I don't think it's unreasonable to assert that a covenant involves giving your word, as does a 'promise'. However, I also think it's important to clarify there are a couple of distinct differences between them.
Before comparing them, I'd like to point out that a covenant is most certainly an acceptable practice, given God formed a Covenant with Abraham(Genesis 15:18) which was detailed by Moses and lasted across many generations of Israelites, and Jesus has welcomed us into a new covenant by His shed blood(Matthew 26:28). These two Covenants form the two parts of the Bible; the New Testament(Covenant) and the Old Testament(Covenant). There's also the small matter marriage, which I think is quite rightly considered a covenant.
There are different covenant's made at different's times and contexts, which can make it seem a confusing topic(the Greek word used, for example, can also refer to the leaving of a will). I am, however, going to focus on what I think is the most basic and universal definition of a Covenant; it's defining factor. Simply put, a covenant is a contract or agreement made between two parties.
In order for there to be a mutual agreement we form conditions, which when broken invalidate the responsibility of the other party.
In this the Old Testament gives numerous cases of where the Israelites failed to abide by God's Law, which was there side of the agreement they had as being God's chosen people. During such times they would end up handed over to their enemies, or in famine, and were eventually dispossessed of their land completely. God is gracious, so He always renews this covenant in due time, but every time the Israelite's violate their obligation of the Law there are consequences; dire consequences. In a business deal, if someone fails to provide their side of a deal they lose the deal. In marriage, if a spouse is abusive this results in a loss of respect and possibly relationship, of their wife or husband.
That conditional nature makes all the difference. If you fail to meet the conditions of a covenant the consequences are agreed upon and implied. A vow varies in that is an absolute without a stated consequence; "I will" or "I promise to" but not followed by an agreed upon modifier. Even if we add a consequence that's not really our place; unless we're making an agreement with another person we should be making ourselves accountable to God and His Word alone. In this, as anything, we should endeavor to act in His true wisdom, not human wisdom.
Creating and following Covenants:
So, I believe I've concluded there's a reasonable precedent in God's Word for forming meaningful and honest covenants/contracts with people and God Himself. Although, let's not fool ourselves into making a covenant with our self. That is the same as a promise. If you feel there's an area of your life that might benefit from this approach I would recommend taking it to God and considering carefully why you think a covenant is needed. If God responds, or has brought it up Himself, I believe such a covenant is founded, but we should be careful to discern this.
If there's something troubling in your life, or holding you back, you may need accountability of some sort. In that case it may help to form a different covenant; not one with God, who is already completely aware of your shortcomings, but with a mentor or fellow disciple whom you trust.
Furthermore, there are certainly people we shouldn't form covenants with. If someone isn't trustworthy don't become 'yoked' with them. Exodus 34:12 speaks of the Israelites making any Covenants with the tribes occupying the land of Canaan, which God has promised will be deliver to them. If they had, it would have become a "snare" to them. So let's be discerning about who we make covenants with and be sure to pray about such cases.
Concessions of Conscience
While I don't believe we should make idle(or idol) promises, such as New Year's Resolutions, as Jesus gave a pretty staunch teaching about this, there may be some of you reading this who already have. I encourage you to keep your word; not to give in to anything that would stand in your way or let the fact that the promise itself may not have been the best idea prevent you from fulfilling it none-the-less.
I'd also like point out that the nature of Covenant's don't make them less of a commitment or our word and devotion. It means they are 'give and take' and that lends to an implicit accountability, so we should always endeavor to act in truth and good conscience. We should not to use the direct ramifications as a distraction from the sin of breaking your given commitment but as a reminder that this is wrong.
There's always grace and forgiveness, so if your word is broken I would suggest the appropriate response is to repent and try again until you fulfil the promise completely.
PS: This is my first blog post because I started writing it to publish it somewhere else, before it became too long. I will explain a bit more about the name of the Blog and write a relevant article in my next post. I thought about saving this for after then, but given the relevance of New Year's is already waning I decided against it.
