Today’s devotion was Matthew 5:33-37.
33 “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.’
34 “But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,
35 or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING.
36 “Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.
37 “But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.” Matthew 5:33-37.
This is a puzzling and specific Scripture passage on a minor point. I did not have any ideas on how to comment on it prior to my research. I was tempted to not write on it. But, I decided to read what Calvin had to say concerning it. Here is the link to it –
What I thought was most interesting were the following quotes:
“For God condemned in the law not only acts of perjury, but lightness in swearing, which lessens the reverence for his name. The man who perjures himself is not the only person who takes the name of God in vain, (Exodus 20:7.) He does so, who idly and contemptuously pronounces the name of God on trivial occasions, or in ordinary conversation. While the law condemns every kind of profanation of the name of God the Jews imagined, that the guilt of it lay entirely in acts of perjury. Christ reproves this gross error of supposing that they might, without danger, abuse the name of God, provided they did not swear falsely.”
“we ought to refrain from allowing ourselves the liberty of unnecessary swearing: for, when there are just reasons to demand it, the law not only permits, but expressly commands us to swear. Christ, therefore, meant nothing more than this, that all oaths are unlawful, which in any way abuse and profane the sacred name of God, for which they ought to have had the effect of producing a deeper reverence.”
“37. But your speech shall be, Yes, yes; No, no.
Christ now prescribes, in the second place, a remedy; which is, that men act towards each other sincerely and honestly: for then simplicity of speech will have quite as much weight as an oath has among those who are not sincere. Now, this is certainly the best way of correcting faults, to point out the sources from which they spring. Whence comes the great propensity to swearing, but from the great falsehood, the numerous impositions, the unsteady and light conduct, so that hardly any thing is believed? … “Yes, yes; No, no.” This repetition means, that we ought to abide by our words, so that all may be convinced of our honesty.“
In summary, not only is perjury condemned by the Law, the Law also condemns the “lightness in swearing” by which we take God’s name in vain. We should act towards each other sincerely and honestly so that all may be convinced of our honesty, without the perceived need and propensity to swear. Swearing should be reserved for those very rare and important occasions that the law requires it, such as in a court of law.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 