132_The value of a promise
Lev 27:1-3 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, If anyone makes a special vow to the Lord involving the valuation of persons, 3 then the valuation of a male from twenty years old up to sixty years old shall be fifty shekels[a] of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.
30 “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord. 31 If a man wishes to redeem some of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it. 32 And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman’s staff, shall be holy to the Lord. 33 One shall not differentiate between good or bad, neither shall he make a substitute for it; and if he does substitute for it, then both it and the substitute shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.”
It was a warm summer evening in the quaint chapel of a small countryside village. A young couple stood at the altar and exchanged vows. “For better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health…” The words rolled off their lips, promises made not just to each other, but before God and witnesses. Without hesitation, they expressed their determination to live in love, hope, and perseverance.
Fast forward ten years. Life had thrown its curveballs. Yet they remembered the vow every day. That memory carried weight, gave strength, and steadied their feet through life’s storms.
Sincere promises have power to mould character and change lives. Today we live in a culture where promises are often made in haste and forgotten with ease. Vows are treated like tissue paper—convenient, disposable, and not something to take seriously. But Scripture reveals, especially in Leviticus 27, that vows are sacred. How we treat them reveals a lot about the state of our hearts.
Leviticus 27 is the final chapter of this book. Hitherto filled with intricate laws, detailed sacrifices, and holy instructions given at Mount Sinai, Leviticus ends with a chapter dealing with voluntary vows. It addresses those moments when someone, moved by gratitude, desperation, or deep reverence, chooses to offer something to God—not because they must, but because they want to.
A vow, as presented here, is a solemn promise made to God—often involving the dedication of a person, animal, property, or some possession. It was a way of saying, “Lord, if you will help me, I will honor you in return.” Or, “God, because you have blessed me, I want to give this back to you.”
Jacob, fleeing his home, was alone and afraid as he slept that night in the wilderness. He awoke after seeing a vision of a ladder with the Lord standing at the top. The Lord affirmed that he would bless Jacob and bring him back safely home. Naming the place Bethel, the house of God, Jacob vowed, “If God will be with me… then the Lord shall be my God, and of all that you give me I will give a tenth to you.” (Genesis 28:20–22).
Hannah, in the temple, was weeping bitterly because of her rival’s taunts at her barrenness. She promised the Lord that if he would give her a son, she would give him to the Lord. (1 Samuel 1:10–11). Jonah, trapped inside the belly of a fish, vowed to God from the depths of despair (Jonah 2:9), as did the storm-tossed pagan sailors on the ship from which Jonah was cast into the sea. (Jonah 1:16).
Leviticus 27 details the valuation of such vows and how the dedicated offering could be redeemed. Almost all vows were redeemed, except for sacrificial animals. A poor man would have to pay a redemption amount in keeping with his poverty, as determined by the priest. God’s mercy and fairness shine through even in these technical instructions.
Vows have been a part of religious devotion for ages, and Leviticus 27 regulates but does not mandate them. “If a man vows…” says verse 2—if. Not when, not must, but if. It’s a choice. Such giving was voluntary, but once the intention is expressed, it was binding.
This brings us to the heart of the matter: God takes our words seriously. Psalm 50:14–15 reminds us, “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High. And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” God doesn’t need our offerings, but we need to be thankful and to fulfil what our lips have spoken when we were in trouble. We need to glorify God for his deliverance.
The Bible warns us repeatedly against making rash promises. Proverbs 20:25 says, “It is a snare to say rashly, ‘It is holy!’ and to reflect only after making vows.” Ecclesiastes 5:4–7 warns: “When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it… It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay… Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands?”
While vows could be redeemed, they could not be broken. There was no escaping the fact: what we promise to God, we must take seriously. A vow must be an act of reverence. It acknowledges that we cannot manipulate God by making vows, only to ignore them once the crisis is past. For it is to the Almighty that we vow.
No vow could be made on things that already belonged to God, such as the tithe, the firstborn, or anything devoted to destruction. A vow is giving to God apart from what is already his. In doing so, we offer thanks and acknowledge His hand in our deliverance and blessing.
It may be that we often make silent promises to God. “Lord, if you get me out of this mess, I’ll serve you with my life.” “God, if you heal my child, I’ll be more faithful.” “Jesus, if you help me through this financial crisis, I’ll start tithing regularly.” Do we fulfil them faithfully? God is calling us to be people of our word—people who reflect His own unchanging nature. He is the God who never breaks His promises. He is faithful even when we are faithless. Psalm 15 says that the one who dwells in God’s holy hill “swears to his own hurt and does not change.” In other words, people who know
God keep their word, even when it costs them.
If we have made vows to God and forgotten them later, let us remember and renew our integrity before him. Maybe it was a commitment to serve, to give, to forgive, or to live differently. God hasn’t forgotten. He’s not waiting to punish us—but He is waiting for us to keep our vows.
Let’s not put pressure on others to make hasty vows in emotional moments either. Let us encourage faithfulness, but let vows come from the heart, not from hype. Vows and promises are not about impressing God. They are responses of a grateful heart, aligning itself with God’s goodness. They are commitments born of love, not of guilt or duty.
Let’s be people who mean what we say, and who say what we mean, with each other and with God. Let our lives echo the faithfulness of the God we serve. God bless.