Numbers 30

the Promised Land. On the first day of the fifth month of that fortieth year (33:38), Moses, Aaron, and Eleazar went somewhere on Mount Hor because it was now time for Aaron to die. Moses would say good-bye to a beloved brother and Eleazar to a revered father. Aaron was 123 years old (33:38–39).

However, Aaron’s death didn’t interrupt the ministry of the priesthood, for Eleazar took his place. As John Wesley used to say, “God buries His workmen but His work goes on.” In fulfillment of the law (Ex. 29:29–30), Moses took the holy garments from his brother, Aaron, and put them on Eleazar. He probably anointed him as well for the new office. When Moses and Eleazar returned to the camp without Aaron, and the people saw Eleazar dressed in the robes of the high priest, they knew that Aaron’s life had ended. They mourned for Aaron for thirty days, which takes us now into the sixth month.

Eleazar was the third son of Aaron (Num. 3:2); the first two, Nadab and Abihu, were slain by the Lord for defiling the tabernacle with false fire (Lev. 10). Before becoming high priest, he was the chief leader of the Levites for caring for the tabernacle (Num. 3:32; 4:16). He would assist Moses in taking the census of the new generation (26:1–3) as well as in commissioning Joshua to succeed Moses (27:18–23). When Israel had conquered the land, Eleazar helped Joshua assign each tribe its inheritance (34:17; Josh. 14:1; 19:15).

Moses has experienced two family funerals, two confrontations with critics in the camp, and a personal failure at Kadesh, yet he picks up his rod and goes right back to work. Victorious Christian service, like the victorious Christian life, is a series of new beginnings. No matter what mistakes we’ve made, it’s always too soon to quit.

For forty years, Israel had been moving from place to place, a nomadic people traveling to their

Promised Land. Soon they would enter and conquer that land and establish their own nation, and for this responsibility they had to be prepared. The final chapters of Numbers, along with the book of Deuteronomy, record the Lord’s instructions through Moses, given to prepare the people for this challenging new experience. For Israel to become a holy nation to the glory of God, they had to accept and apply the basic principles Moses enunciated, and these principles still work in communities and nations today.

In Leviticus 27 Moses had touched on the subject of vows in terms of dedicating people and possessions to the Lord, but here he deals with personal vows and how they are affected by relationships. The chapter makes it clear that the home is basic to the nation, that there must be authority and subordination in the home, and that truth is what binds society together.

There is a difference between “vows” and “oaths,” but both were to be considered inviolate. The vow was a promise to do a certain thing for the Lord, while the oath was a promise not to do a certain thing. Any man who made a vow or took an oath had to keep his word, because what he said was “unto the Lord.” When people forget that God hears what they say, then they’re tempted to deceive, and lies cause the fabric of society to rip apart. (See Deut. 23:21; Ps. 76:11; Eccl. 5:1–7.)

When the men made promises to God, they had to keep their promises and nobody could annul them, but what about the women? Moses deals with the vows of single women at home (Num. 30:3–8), women formerly married (v. 9), and married women (vv. 10–15). The basic principle is that if the woman was under the authority of her father or husband, the father or husband had to approve the vow. He also had the power to cancel the vow.

The single young woman at home (vv. 3–8). If the father hears the vow and says nothing, the vow must stand and the young lady must fulfill it. Not only is there power in words, but there’s also power in silence; in this case, silence means consent. But if the father announces that he disapproves of the vow, then the vow is canceled. If later she becomes engaged to be married and her fiancé knows about the vow and says nothing, then the vow stands, even after they marry, but if he doesn’t approve, the vow is annulled even if her father approved it. The Lord would then release her from the obligations related to that vow.

The widow and the divorcee (v. 9). The Lord assumes that these women are experienced and mature and can make wise decisions, although age and experience aren’t always a guarantee of wisdom. If they make promises to the Lord, these promises must be fulfilled. Moses doesn’t explain what would happen if they married again. Since no special qualifications are given, we assume that their vows couldn’t be canceled even by their new husbands.

The married woman (vv. 10–16). If the husband hears the vow and says nothing, the vow becomes binding, for silence means consent. If he openly disagrees with the vow and forbids it, the vow is annulled. However, if he should change his mind after consenting, then he (not the wife) must pay the penalty for causing her to abandon her sacred vow, and this meant bringing a sin offering to the Lord (Lev. 5:4).

Written into this ruling are some important truths, not the least of which is the power of speech. To make a promise is to obligate oneself to the Lord, whether people realize this or not. The foundations of society today are eroding because of unkept promises, whether they be official contracts, marriage vows, political pledges, or words spoken on the witness stand. We expect the Lord to keep His promises, and He expects us to keep ours. Truth is the cement that holds society together.

A second truth is the importance of authority and subordination in society and in the home. While all people are created equal before God and the law, there are still levels of authority and responsibility that must be respected (Eph. 5:18—6:9). The unmarried maiden in her father’s home is subject to her father’s will, and the married woman is subject to her husband’s will. Before making vows, the maiden should consult her father and the wife her husband, and the engaged maiden should speak with her betrothed. Relationships bring responsibilities, and to rush into unwise commitments is to incur penalties that can be costly. (See Proverbs 20: and Ecclesiastes 5:1–6.)