Your Daily Slice

Shevat 19

On Giving Your Word

“A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’  And he answering, said, ‘I do not wish to,’ but afterwards he repented and went.  And having come to the second, he said similarly. And he answering, said, ‘I go, master,’ but he did not go.  Which of the two did the desire of the father?”  (Mat 21:28-31 ISR)

I remember my (natural) Dad telling me many times, “You are only as good as the word you give.”  As a young child growing up, I never really understood the principle he was trying to teach me, but the twists and turns of my life would often bring his words to mind.  For example, years ago, people were often able to borrow large sums of money simply on a “hand-shake”, because a man’s word was considered his bond, and could be trusted.  If a man, or woman, said they would do something, you knew that it would be so: they had given you their word.  Sad to say, this principle seems to have vanished.

However, what does our Elohim say?  Basically, when we give our word, we are coming into agreement, or covenant with another individual, that we will do what we have said.  First and foremost, a covenant is a commitment, a responsibility, a pledge.  Therefore, when we, in passing, make a comment to a friend of “I’ll be here at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow”, and then don’t show up (or call), we have, in essence, broken covenant with them.  Or perhaps we made the promise of “I will pay the full amount on payday, which is next Friday”, and then conveniently forgot to do so.  This too, is breaking covenant, something that Elohim would never do with us (Ps 89:34).

We are called to walk in righteousness and integrity in all areas of our lives.  Because of the One we belong to, the words of our mouths are just as binding as any contract written and notarized on paper.  By our words we will be justified, and by our words we will stand condemned (Mat 12:37); we need to show the world we can be doers of our own words, not hearers only …

“From the fruit of the mouth a man eats the good, But the desire of the treacherous is for violence.  He who watches over his mouth guards his being, But he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.”  (Pro 13:2-3 ISR)

“Again, you heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to יהוה.’  But I say to you, do not swear at all, neither by the heaven, because it is Elohim’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Yerushalayim, for it is the city of the great Sovereign; nor swear by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black.  But let your word ‘Yea’ be ‘Yea,’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ And what goes beyond these is from the wicked one.”  (Mat 5:33-37 ISR)

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