Making Promises

"For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, And did not remember the covenant of brotherhood."
- Amos 1:9

Tyre was home to the Phoenicians who lived on the coastline. Tyre had a treaty. They had a covenant made with King David. When the Temple was to be built, David was not allowed to build it. It was constructed by his son Solomon (1 Chronicles 28:3-6). Rather than have a hand in making it, David drew up the architectural plans. He was responsible for gathering all the supplies and materials.

Through the friendship of Hiram, the King of Tyre, and King David, an agreement was made. Tyre would import the cedar and cypress logs for the use of the Temple. This treaty was solidified between Solomon and Hiram (1 Kings 5:12). They had a covenant and friendship. So, why this judgment on Tyre? It was “because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, And did not remember the covenant of brotherhood” (Amos 1:9). Tyre broke the covenant with David. Although it was years and years later, the people did not remember their pledge. As a result, their word held no value.

Our word is important. It is a covenant, a promise, and a vow. This is why we should never make decisions hastily. We need to think about them. Have you ever made a promise to God? “God, I promise I will do this if you do that?” We need to be careful what we say. God may hold us to those promises. We need to let our “yes be yes and no be no” (Matthew 5:37). We need to be children of integrity.

Our words do mean something. Maybe a lot of people’s words do not mean anything. But if you are a Christian, your word is everything. Even God puts His Word above His name (Psalm 138:2). That says something about words. They can hold weight and carry value. Let us make sure we choose our words carefully. Our word should be our bond.

“When a man says to me, 'I'd swear on a stack of Bibles a mile high,' that is the fellow I do not believe because I think the lie he's telling is a mile high."
- J. Vernon McGee