- Jan 25, 2023
- 5 min read
“Again, you have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not make false vows, but you shall fulfill your vows to the Lord [as a religious duty].’ But I say to you, do not make an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God; or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you are not able to make a single hair white or black. But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’ [a firm yes or no]; anything more than that comes from the evil one.
Matthew 5:33-37 AMP
My word is to be enough. When I say yes or no, I need to mean what I say and that underscores that I speak with authority. And the authority of which I speak flows from the Truth revealed by mirroring the Way of the Lord.
I hear children swearing on their mommas, adults swearing on their lives, and all sorts of oaths to affirm my trust in their words. BUT I don’t trust them even with the sworn oaths. I trust in the Lord and those that keep the Truth.
“Again, your ancestors were taught, ‘Never swear an oath that you don’t intend to keep, [That is, don’t perjure yourself. but keep your vows to the Lord God.’ 5:33 See Lev. 19:12; Isa. 66:1]. However, I say to you, don’t bind yourself by taking an oath at all. Don’t swear by heaven, for heaven is where God’s throne is placed [In the days of Jesus and in the Middle Eastern cultural setting of Israel, taking oaths and swearing by something greater than oneself was a common practice. Jesus’ words trump culture and our bondage to doing things according to the expected norms of society. He instructs us to be faithful and true with our words]. Don’t swear an oath by the earth, because it is the rug under God’s feet, [As translated from the Aramaic. The Greek is “his footstool”] and not by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the Great King [See Ps. 48:2]. And why would you swear by your own head, because it’s not in your power to turn a single hair white or black? But just let your words ring true [Our words must be fulfilled by actions. All four things Jesus mentioned were considered sacred to the Jewish people—heaven, earth, Jerusalem, and a person’s head. But Jesus teaches us that words of truth make our lives sacred. See James 5:12]. A simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ will suffice. Anything beyond this springs from a deceiver.
Matthew 5:33-37 TPT
It is quite common enough to swear things in Western culture to prove that these things are true. BUT God wants us to not be like the world. God wants us to live within the world as His Ambassadors. And that means doing things differently. That means not conforming to the ways of the world while still living here bearing His image.
'You shall not swear [an oath] falsely by My name, so as to profane the name of your God; I am the Lord . '
Leviticus 19:12 AMP
The commandment is an old one. It dates back to the wandering of the Israelites. And it is still a commandment that Christ takes time to refocus and explain during His ministry.
“Above all we must be those who never need to verify our speech as truthful by swearing by the heavens or the earth or any other oath. But instead we must be so full of integrity that our “Yes” or “No” is convincing enough and we do not stumble into hypocrisy.”
James (Jacob) 5:12 TPT
Because my word is all about my integrity. Being able to say what I mean and mean what I say separates me from a world of lies. And in a world full of lies, the most revolutionary thing is speaking the Truth. Not my truth or your truth or the world’s truth, BUT speaking His Truth.
“Againe, ye haue heard that it was sayd to them of old time, Thou shalt not forsweare thy selfe, but shalt performe thine othes to the Lord. But I say vnto you, Sweare not at all, neither by heauen, for it is the throne of God: Nor yet by the earth: for it is his footestoole: neither by Hierusalem: for it is the citie of the great King. Neither shalt thou sweare by thine head, because thou canst not make one heare white or blacke. But let your communication be Yea, yea: Nay, nay. For whatsoeuer is more then these, commeth of euill.”
Matthew 5:33-37 GNV
Trying to do more than merely speak the Truth will lead me down a path to evil. I will start to believe my own oaths hold power or that the things I am swearing by actually have some sort of control over the truth. Nothing has more control than my word spoken in alignment with His Truth. Nothing has more authority than the Will of the Lord.
“Again you have heard what was said to those of long ago: You shall not swear by My Name falsely, but you shall return to Yehovah [Messiah Pre-Incarnate] your oath. But I say to you not to swear uselessly in any matter, neither by Heaven because it is the throne of The Mighty One, nor by Earth because it is the footstool of His feet, nor by Yerushalayim [abode of peace] because it is the city of The Mighty One. nor by your head for you are not able to make one hair white or black. But let your words be ‘yes yes’ or ‘no no’. Everything in addition to this is evil”.
Matthew 5:33-37 NMV
How do I speak with authority and integrity? I speak with authority and integrity when I speak the Truth. So I need to know the Truth. And that involves getting into the Word and getting to know the Word. I need to know the sound of His voice. Getting familiar with Truth helps reveal when lies are present.
When you know God’s voice and His Truth, you can much more readily discern when someone is trying to influence lies into your life. And one thing that I was lacking in my life, even with decades of being around church, was an understanding of God’s Word. I took it for granted that whatever I was hearing in church was enough. And I can testify that it was not. And I can not emphasize enough the importance of reading and studying the Word on your own.
“Again, you have heard that our fathers were told, ‘Do not break your oath,’ and ‘Keep your vows to Adonai .’ But I tell you not to swear at all — not ‘by heaven,’ because it is God’s throne; And don’t swear by your head, because you can’t make a single hair white or black. not ‘by the earth,’ because it is his footstool; and not ‘by Yerushalayim,’ because it is the city of the Great King. Just let your ‘Yes’ be a simple ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ a simple ‘No’; anything more than this has its origin in evil.”
Mattityahu (Mat) 5:33-37
Church is great, group Bible study is awesome, BUT individual responsibility to God is the most important. And that means taking time to study and read and pray with Him alone.
I pray today that I spend more time in His Truth so that I can speak with integrity and authority in all things. I pray that as I read and learn more that my words will be a reflection of what He wants me to say.
I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!