Pennies on the Dollar

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but how much are our words worth? If you look at our culture today, one might estimate, not much. We live in a world of fine print. Whether it is near microscopic at the bottom of a contract or a blazing blur of words at the tale end of a TV commercial, we have subjected ourselves to a world where legal counsel is a must if we wish to keep from losing our shirts to unscrupulous scam artists. It is like this because phrases like, "my word is my bond" are no longer standards of business integrity but rather they are the exception. I would venture to guess that most of you, like myself, have been on the receiving end of a shady deal or disappointment in the area of a broken promise. However it wasn't always like this. Many folks in my grandfather's generation lived with the belief that if you shook hands on it, it was a done deal and both parties would honor it. A person's word was worth its weight in gold.

Back during Joseph's times, they went even further to honor their word. Jacob (aka Israel) and his eleven sons have moved to Egypt to be with Joseph during the great famine. Jacob is aged and wants to clear up a few things with his son: "When the time for Israel to die drew near, he called his son Joseph and said to him, "Please, if I have found favor in your sight, place now your hand under my thigh and deal with me in kindness and faithfulness. Please do not bury me in Egypt, but when I lie down with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place." And he said, "I will do as you have said." He said, "Swear to me " So he swore to him Then Israel bowed in worship at the head of the bed." (Genesis 47:29-31)

I don't know about you but sticking my hand under someone's thigh is a little strange to me. But culturally it was similar to our shaking of hands. Joseph gave his word to Jacob, and fulfilled in Genesis 50. Later this same tradition is carried on with Joseph's bones, but this time it was different. He told his brothers to carry his bones back to Canaan, but apparently, the oath they took was binding on their descendants because they didn't fulfill this oath until hundreds of years later after they were released from Egyptian slavery.

What kind of weight do our vows hold? Whether we shake hands on it or put our hand under the thigh of the one we pledge to, it means nothing if there is no intention of making good on our promise. Here's what Jesus says on the matter, "Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. "But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no'; anything beyond these is of evil. (Matthew 5:36-37) Now all of us have moments where something changes or we overcommit ourselves, I know I do. But are we doing everything in our power to do what we committed to? Put your money where your mouth is, or are your words worth pennies on the dollar from when they were spoken.