To Fulfill Forgotten Vows!

Fulfillment comes as a by-product of our love for God. And that satisfaction is better than we ever imagined. God can make the pieces of this world's puzzle fit together; he helps us view the world from a new perspective.
-Erwin W. Lutzer (1941- )

Let's begin our message today with a reading of Genesis 35:1-7. There we find God telling Jacob to go to Bethel where he is to build an altar. Why did God command this? Nearly thirty years earlier, Jacob had made a vow but he seems to have forgotten about it, and God is now calling him to fulfill it.

There are several lessons that can be learned from this passage, which can easily be applied to our service as Christians. Before I point these lessons out, perhaps a little more historical background might be helpful.

As was mentioned above, thirty years earlier, Jacob had made a vow. It was made as he was fleeing the wrath of Esau (for Jacob had stolen Esau's blessing from their father Isaac). Leaving Beersheba, he headed toward Haran. On the way, he stopped at what is now called Bethel (Genesis 28:10-15).

There he had a dream, in which he saw what we commonly call "Jacob's Ladder" (angels ascending and descending on a ladder between heaven and earth). In this dream, God promises to be with him and safely return him to his home.

The dream prompted Jacob to perform several things, they were: declare his vow (Genesis 28:16-22) to make the LORD his God if God carries out His promise; sanctify the stone upon which his head had rested and which he has set up as a pillar; and to give God a tenth of all that God will give him.

For the next twenty years, Jacob lived in Haran. As God promised, He was with Jacob. As a result, he prospered both in family, and in gaining wealth (Genesis 29-30). Upon Jacob's return, God kept him safe from both Laban, who was pursuing him (Genesis 31), and from Esau, who was coming to meet him (Genesis 32-33).

By the time of our text (Genesis 35), Jacob had been living in Canaan for ten years. By then, he had settled near the city of Shechem (Genesis 33:18), but he had not bothered to go back to Bethel, where the Lord had appeared to him and where he had made his vow.

So it appears that Jacob had forgotten his vow, and for this reason God commands him to return to Bethel (Genesis 35:1). What lessons or principles of truth can we learn from this? Why don't we take a look at the following examples...

First, God expects us to keep the vows we make. He does not take vows lightly, and neither should we (cf. Ecclesiastes 5:2-5). Therefore, let's be sure to keep any covenant or vow that we make with God. For example, the "vow" we made when we became Christians; i.e., to turn from sin, and to follow Christ with all our heart. Be honest here. Are we faithfully keeping this "vow"?

Second, we are prone to forget our vows when God has fulfilled his side of them. We saw where God fulfilled His side, but Jacob had not. This "forgetfulness" seems to occur most often when vows are made in times of trouble. But such vows are just as binding as those made upon careful reflection!

Third, we are prone to forget our vows when things are going well. In the case of Jacob, he had a nice family; he had become extremely wealthy; and he had even settled down in his home country.

The same is often true of many Christians. Many obey the gospel at times in their lives when they are troubled (sound familiar?). But later, especially if they enjoy financial security, they forget their commitment to God and Christ. However, consider God's warning to Israel against forgetfulness after they entered the "promised land" (Deuteronomy 8:11-20).

Fourth, we are prone to forget our vows when we have allowed ourselves to be influenced by the world. Note that Jacob's family had accepted the foreign gods of the people around them (cf. Genesis 35:2). In similar fashion, many people do not live up to the vow they made when they became Christians - cf. 2 Timothy 4:10 (Demas).

Need some examples? Many teen-age Christians are zealous about their new found faith at first. But when influenced by their peers, popular music, etc., they often lose interest in spiritual matters. Adults start out the same way, then are influenced by the materialism and immorality of our society. However, this is no excuse for "forgotten vows"!

Fifth, if we have forgotten our vows, we need to go back to the beginning. We noticed that Jacob was told to go back to Bethel. In a similar way, Jesus told the church at Ephesus to go back to the beginning (Revelation 2:4-5). They had left their "first love," were told to "remember...from where you have fallen," and to "repent and do the first works." For Christians who have left their "first love," they too need to "do the first works" (the fundamentals, such as Bible study, prayer, etc.)

Finally, when we fulfill our forgotten vows, there are renewed blessings! When Jacob fulfilled his vow, God appeared to him and renewed the promises that had been made to Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 35:9-15). And, so it can be with us!

It may be that we have forgotten the original commitment we made when we first obeyed the gospel of Christ. But if we will just return to Christ, in full repentance and prayer, and fulfill our vow of service and devotion to Him. All the spiritual blessings that He has to offer can be ours again! (cf. 1 John 1:9).

To sum up, are you a Christian, but not living the dedicated and committed life that God expects? Then, like Jacob, you have forgotten your vow and you need to come back to the Lord in full repentance. What are you waiting for? The blessings of heaven await you if you do! And, my friends, if you are not yet a Christian, these same blessings can be yours if you will only accept the gospel of Jesus Christ (cf. Mark 16:15-16).

Scripture: Genesis 35:1-7

Prayer:

Lord, I am willing to stand for You. Guide me, I pray! Amen

May God bless you always,

Brandi