When the Vow Breaks

 


Divorce and the Bible, part 3

 

Introduction

In the world of television and cinema, you quite often see a bride and groom exchange wedding vows; promises to one another as they enter their marriage. There are also standard wedding vows that a preacher will have both the man and woman repeat.

Regardless of the type of vows used in the wedding ceremony, they are promises, before God, to both the husband and the wife. When a divorce takes place, it tells God that you didn’t mean what you said during those vows. We’ll look at breaking vows in this article.

 

Definition of “Vow”

From the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary, 2. A solemn promise; as the vows of unchangeable love and fidelity. In a moral and religious sense, vows are promises to God, as they appeal to God to witness their sincerity, and the violation of them is a most heinous offense.

From I.S.B.E., A vow was as binding as an oath and therefore to be kept to the letter; and it was not to be lightly made (Prov. 20:25).

 

A Bible Example of a Vow

One of the earliest recorded vows was given by Jacob in Genesis 28:18-22, Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God. And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God's house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.” He made a promise to God and used the stone, with the oil poured on it, as a symbol of his vow.

 

The Marriage Vow

When a man and woman get married, they enter a covenant. That covenant includes the intention and promise that the marriage be permanent as Jesus states in Matthew 19:6, “So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

The vow, that is given during a wedding ceremony is, “until death do us part” and not “until someone better comes along”. To enter into a marriage vow, with the intention of not staying in it, makes you a liar. The bible states that all liars will have their part in the second death (Revelation 21:8).

Those who are covenant breakers have been categorized by God in Romans 1:28-31 and the end result is found in verse 32, who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

 

Conclusion

When a vow is made, it is to be taken seriously. We are bound by these vows as stated in Ecclesiastes 5:4-5, When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed- Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.

The marriage vow ends after the death of a spouse (Romans 7:2). Remember, marriage is an invention of God and divorce is an invention of man (Malachi 2:16).

 

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