James 5:12 (Oaths)

October 15, 2021 (Friday)

 

James seems to add twists to his teaching. Occasionally they feel non sequitur (disconnected).  James 5:12 is such an example, “But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.” [NLT]

 

This has led many believers to reject taking an oath (vow, promise) under any circumstances. For instance, they will not take an oath in court, pledge allegiance to the flag (or government or country or leader). These people do have a point. However, there are times and places of oaths. For instance, marriage.

 

I think the key issue is, does this oath contradict Scripture, expose us to sin (and condemnation), and interfere with the desires of our King?

 

If we look at the process and consequences of taking an oath throughout the Bible, we see some sobering things. In Deuteronomy 23:21 – 23 we read, “If you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from vowing, you will not be guilty of sin. You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth.” [ESV] Essentially the idea is to do what you say you will do. This does not require an oath (vow).

 

Jesus advised, “But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all …” [Matthew 5:34a ESV] In fact, James echoes Jesus words, “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.” [Matthew 5:37 ESV] So, in the taking of an oath we disobey our King Jesus. When we take an oath/vow contrary to the will of God, it is evil.

 

Let’s look at an example. “Jephthah made a solemn promise to the Lord: “If you will decisively hand over the Ammonites to me, then whatever comes out the doors of my house to meet me when I return victorious from the Ammonites will be given over to the Lord. I will sacrifice it as an entirely burned offering.” [Judges 11:30 – 31 CEB] It turns out that he won the victory. God had already promised the victory. The oath was completely unnecessary to the outcome of the battle.

 

And now for the infamous, “rest of the story.” It’s a tragedy, “But when Jephthah came to his house in Mizpah, it was his daughter who came out … For I opened my mouth to the Lord, and I can’t take it back.” [Judges 11:34a, 35c CEB] She asks for two months to “weep for my virginity” (see Judges 11:37) with her friends, “And at the end of two months, she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow that he had made.” [Judges 11:39a ESV]

 

Here is the thing. God detests human sacrifice (see Leviticus 20:1 – 5, Jeremiah 7:31, 19:5, 32:35, etc). In fact, He prevented Abraham from sacrificing his son. There may be a loop hole in the Law that spared the daughter’s life. In Leviticus 27:2 – 8 there is a provision to redeem the life of those vowed. In this case, it would have been 30 shekels of silver. Others have suggested that the daughter, like Samuel, entered Temple service… never to marry.

 

I suspect the story is left ambiguous as a cautionary tale about making rash oaths. If we do not fulfill our vows (like marriage) it is sin and God takes it personally. Jesus and James’ advice, stick to yes and no.

 

“When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.” [Proverbs 10:19 BSB]