Matthew 5:33-37

DAY 36

Date: 1-26-25

OATHS

* Everything with an asterisk and is italicized and purple is my own added words and thoughts and are not part of the actual verse or quote. 

Scripture Matthew 5:33-37

Pray

Thought Game:

Imagine your child going to school, and being taught how to use clever, sneaky  and very questionable tactics to get around actually telling the straight-forward and honest truth; being taught how to tactfully and “technically” get around the rules. 

How would you feel?  

Read scripture: Matthew 5:33-37

Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ 34 But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. (NIV 1984)

DEFINITION of OATH:

A solemn usually formal calling upon God or a god to witness to the truth of what one says or to witness that one sincerely intends to do what one says. (Merriam-Webster)

Q:

Why would anyone make an oath?

Q:

What is the implication of making an oath?

Q:

What is the implication of NOT making an oath? (There could be two opposite implications.)

A LITTLE CONTEXT: (Jesus’ audience – people of the first century – knew this. But remember – people are like sheep! They often-times dutifully follow their leaders – even when sometimes they shouldn’t!)

In Jesus’ day, people commonly made oaths, or vows. Although God’s law took these vows very seriously, many of the religious leaders had invented legal maneuvers to get around keeping their oaths. (Life Application Bible Commentary New Testament)

The religious leaders had designed an elaborate system indicating how binding an oath was depending on how the oath had been made. (Life Application Bible Commentary New Testament)

People need oaths only when telling lies is a possibility. (Life Application Bible Commentary New Testament)

INDUCTIVE BIBLE STUDY METHOD

Observation. Interpretation. Application.

Simply stated, it works by asking yourself three questions as you study read and God’s Word:

1. What does it say? (Observation) Or – what does it NOT say?
   1. (Visual Theology Guide to the Bible) OBSERVE BY NOTICING WORDING GRAMMAR TONE
   2. OBSERVE BY QUESTIONING
2. What does it mean? (Interpretation) Or – what does it NOT mean?
3. How does this apply to me? (Application)

Let’s go thru today’s passage using the Inductive Method:

Observation – What does it say?

1. You heard: Do not beak oaths (your word); but keep them.
2.  BUT, Jesus says, do not even take an oath (or swear on oath)
3. Simply let you yes be yes, and your no, no.

Interpretation – What does it mean?

Our book says, “(Holman Commentary) A biblical vow or oath in the Old Testament was an optional, (* just as in last week’s lesson we learned that divorce is option, not commanded) above-and-beyond promise of an offering to God. Vows were never required, as were the basic tithes (Deut. 23:22). But once made, a vow was to be kept.

So – if you do make one (even though not required), KEEP IT!

All throughout the Sermon on the Mount Jesus is concerned with right thinking, from a HEART that is right with God, and that leads to right living.

Jesus cares about people and relationship.

But Jesus, who is the epitome and embodiment of all wisdom says, don’t even make an oath. Rather, be a person of your word. If you are a person who is known for keeping his or her word, you don’t have to swear.

The implication of swearing an oath is that for the times that you don’t swear an oath, you may not be telling the truth. In other words, if they don’t take an oath, how do you know they are still telling the truth. The only real and valid exception to this logic is Jesus, who, unlike us, is unable to not tell the truth always, simply because He is God, and God cannot lie. Unfortunately, man can, and does, lie. 

The answer to this dilemma is to simply purpose in your heart to always tell the truth, which is the meaning of “let your yes be yes, and your no, no.”

Don’t “dance around the truth.” Don’t try to be clever by “technically” not lying, but not really telling the truth either. That is called “suppressing the truth in unrighteousness.”

You can’t fool God. 

Abraham Lincoln supposedly once said, “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time”

Don’t even try to fool anybody ever. It is just not nice. 

As our book says, (Holman Commentary) “A promise must not be complicated, legalized, or reduced to technicalities.“

What do you think this means?

Promises that are complicated, legalized or reduced to technicalities, as our book says, are usually just ways to trick, fool, outwit or deceive someone. This is NOT pleasing or acceptable to God and can cause great harm to relationships. 

We really need to honor God in our relationships with one another, especially by NOT taking advantage of others through cleverness or trickery.

Again, God cannot be fooled, and will judge all such deceptive behavior. 

Our book says, (Holman Commentary) “A broken vow was subject to God’s punishment.”

This is true even, and especially, if done through trickery or through “technicalities. 

You cannot ever suppress the truth in unrighteousness and think you will get away with it. 

Romans 1:18 (NASB) 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

The principle from God is this:

ALWAYS CONSIDER THE OTHER PERSONS INTERESTS AND WELL BEING. THIS IS WHAT HONORS GOD AS WELL AS OUR FELLOW MAN. 

This is known as “The Golden Rule” as found in Matthew 7:12.
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” (NIV 1984)

This also fulfills the Greatest Commandment:
(NIV) 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Application – How do I apply it to my life?

Am I always being honest with people? Or do I sometimes play “word games?”

If so, stop it and let your yes be yes, and your no, no.

Don’t try to wiggle out of obligations on a “technicality.”

Be trustworthy in everything.

Be a person of integrity. This will bring honor and glory to God. 

OVERVIEW of PASSAGE

(Life Application Bible Commentary New Testament) Each time Jesus used the pattern “You have heard it said . . . but I say to you,” he was presenting a traditional standard upon which to base a higher one. Rather than let people off the hook, he set the hook deeper. Jesus spoke about oaths in order to point out that they were not the main problem—integrity was. Oaths are no substitute for personal integrity. A liar’s vow expresses a worthless promise. But when a person of integrity says yes or no, that person’s simple word can be trusted. Make integrity your standard.

The MAIN POINT

APPLICATION

RELEVANT VERSES

LEVITICUS 19:12
(NIV) Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD. 

Numbers 30:2
(NIV) 2 When a man makes a vow to the LORD or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.

Deuteronomy 5:11
(NIV) You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

Deuteronomy 6:13
(NIV) 13 Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. 14 Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you;

Deuteronomy 23:21-23
(NIV) 21 If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the LORD your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. 22 But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty. 23 Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the LORD your God with your own mouth.

James 5:12
(NIV) 12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.

Proverbs 10:19

(NIV 1984) 19 When words are many, sin is not absent,

but he who holds his tongue is wise.

QUOTES 

If we cannot be believed on our word, we are surely not to be trusted on our oath.

C. H. Spurgeon

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Notes:

* Everything with an asterisk is my own added words and thoughts and are not part of the actual verse or quote.