We should appreciate the situation in which Hannah finds herself. When you make a vow, you ask for something you do not have. It is similar to a trade agreement: if the Lord gives you X, you promise to give him Y. Now, it is easy to make big promises when sacrifice is far in the future. We all do that. But when the moment of action draws near, things become difficult. Hannah has been granted the son that she longed for, and most certainly she was very fond of him. He is healthy, he laughs, he plays, he calls her name when he needs help. The period of weaning in those days typically lasted three or four years, so there is a close bond between mother and child. Moreover, there are some doubts about Eli and his wife. There is no discipline in his family. His two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, have no regard for the Lord. What kind of an influence will they exert on Samuel? What will he learn from their family? Those are the fears and questions circulating in Hannah’s mind. But the Lord is God and a vow is a vow, so when the time comes, young Samuel joins his mom and dad on a journey to the tabernacle.

Having considered the story of Hannah and Elkanah, one command that we ought to especially think about is the command to keep our vows. The command to keep the promises we make to the Lord and others. A command to be a people who do what we say we will do. In the words of Jesus from Matthew, to let our yes be yes and our no be no (Matthew 5:37).

There are lots of occasions where we are called on to make vows, like when we get married or when we publicly confess our faith and become members in a church. We make a vow when we bring our children for baptism; that is a public commitment to raise our children in the fear of the Lord. Outside Christian circles, there are also vows, for example, when we complete a tax return or apply for official documentation. You have to sign and say that the details you have provided are true and accurate to the best of your knowledge.

Suffice to say, vows can be found throughout our world, and they are necessary because of our sinful natures. Because of our sinful natures, we want to sidestep our promises and commitments when they become difficult. We want to leave a marriage when it requires repentance and forgiveness. If we are going to work together with our fellow human beings, we need a mechanism by which we can hold people accountable. And that is where vows come in. They bind us to our words; they make it difficult for us to go back on a promise.

As those who belong to the Lord must be known for keeping their vows. Psalm 15 teaches us that the one who would dwell in God’s presence is the one who keeps his oath even when it hurts. That is something we have seen in Hannah. She brings Samuel to Eli even though it breaks her heart. She made a promise to the Lord; she must keep that promise. We also see this in Jesus. The Son made a commitment to the Father: in the covenant of redemption, he promised to come and redeem those who were chosen before the foundation of the world; he vowed to live the perfect life in their place and die the death which they deserve. He kept that promise even though it meant facing the burden of God’s wrath, knowing nothing but God’s anger in the place of goodness and love.

Knowing what God has done for us in Christ, knowing that he is in complete control of this world, and knowing that there will be a great reversal on the day of Christ’s return, let us live in submission to God’s will now. Let us keep our oaths even when it hurts. Let us be careful with our words knowing we must fulfill the promises we make to God and one another. In short, let us make sure that our yes is yes and our no is no.