## Forgotten Vows

## Genesis 35:1-7

God tells Jacob to go to Bethel and to build an altar. Why did God command this?

· Nearly thirty years earlier, Jacob had made a vow.

· But he seems to have forgotten about it, and God is now calling him to fulfill it.

· There are several lessons that can be gleaned from this "forgotten vow of Jacob".

I. Historical background.

A. 30 earlier, Jacob had made a vow.

1. It was made as he was fleeing the wrath of Esau (for Jacob had stolen Esau's blessing from their father Isaac)

2. Leaving Beersheba, he headed toward Haran.

3. On the way, he stopped at what is now called Bethel. cf Ge. 28:10-15

a. There he had a dream, in which he saw what we commonly call "Jacob's Ladder" (angels ascending and descending on a ladder between heaven and earth)

b. In this dream, God promises to be with him and safely return him to his home.

4. The dream prompted Jacob to make his vow. cf Ge 28:16-22

a. To make the LORD his God if God carries out His promise.

b. To sanctify the stone upon which his head had rested and which he has set up as a pillar.

c. To give God a tenth of all that God will give him.

B. For the next twenty years, Jacob dwells in Haran.

1. As God promised, He was with Jacob.

2. Jacob prospered both in family, and in gaining wealth. cf Ge. 29-30

3. Upon Jacob's return, God kept him safe...

a. From Laban, who was pursuing him. Ge 31

b. From Esau, who was coming to meet him. Ge. 32-33

C. By the time we come to our text, Jacob had been living in Canaan for ten years.

1. He had settled near the city of Shechem. cf Ge 33:18

2. But he had not bothered to go back to Bethel, where the Lord had appeared to him and where he had made his vow.

3. So it appears that Jacob had forgotten his vow, and for this reason God commands him to return to Bethel. v1

II. The Application.

A. God expects us to keep the vows we make.

1. He does not take vows lightly, and neither should we. cf Ec. 5:2-5

2. So let's be sure to keep any covenant or vow that we make with God.

B. We are prone to forget our vows when God has fulfilled His side of them.

1. We saw where God fulfilled His side, but Jacob had not.

2. This "forgetfulness" seems to occur most often when vows are made in times of trouble.

a. Like those made in a foxhole.

b. Or those made in an airplane. during extreme air turbulence or mechanical problems.

c. Or those made in an effort to solve marital problems.

3. But such vows are just as binding as those made upon careful reflection!

C. We are prone to forget our vows when things are going well.

1. In the case of Jacob...

a. He had a nice family

b. He had become extremely wealthy

c. He had settled down in his home country

2. The same is often true of many Christians...

a. Many obey the gospel at times in their lives when they are troubled

b. But later, especially if they enjoy financial security, they forget their commitment to God and Christ

3. But consider God's warning to Israel against forgetfulness after they entered the "promised land" cf Deu 8:11-20

D. We are prone to forget our vows when we have allowed ourselves to be influenced by the world.

1. Note that Jacob's family had accepted the foreign gods of the people around them - cf. Gen 35:2

2. In similar fashion, many people do not live up to the vow they made when they became Christians. cf 2 Ti 4:10 (Demas)

a. Many new Christians

1) Zealous at first

2) But when influenced by others ... they often lose interest in spiritual matters

3) This is true of both adults and young people.

b. But again, this is no excuse for "forgotten vows"

E. If we have forgotten our vows, we need to go back to the beginning.

1. We noticed that Jacob was told to go back to Bethel.

2. In a similar way, Jesus told the church at Ephesus to go back to the beginning. cf Re 2:4-5

a. They had left their "first love"

b. They were told to "remember...from where you have fallen"

c. And to "repent and do the first works"

3. For Christians who have left their "first love", they too need to "do the first works" (the fundamentals, such as Bible study, prayer, etc.)

F. When we fulfill our forgotten vows, there are renewed blessings!

1. When Jacob fulfilled his vow, God appeared to him and renewed the promises that had been made to Abraham and Isaac. cf Ge 35:9-15

2. So it can be with us!

a. It may be that we have forgotten the original commitment we made when we first obeyed the gospel of Christ.

b. But if we will just return to Christ...

1) In repentance and confession

2) All the spiritual blessings that He has to offer can be ours again! - cf. 1 Jn 1:9

3) He will forgive and restore us to proper fellowship with Him.

Do we have any forgotten vows?

If so we need to come back to the Lord in full repentance. The blessings of heaven await you if you do! If you are not yet a Christian, these same blessings can be yours if you will only accept the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ.