Often, during times of great distress and danger, we pray and make promises to the Lord that, if he would save us out of our present predicament, we would then do something for him (cp. Jonah 1:14-16). Vows are solemn oaths, which we make to the Lord, when we become keenly aware of our complete dependence upon his power to deliver us from danger (Psalm 66:13-14), or when facing a great and powerful enemy (Numbers 21:1-3). Vows are also made, when we are so distraught over our own shame, that we plead with the Lord to take it away, and we will glorify him by returning to him the very gift that took away our shame (cp. 1Samuel 1:10-11, 21-28).
When the Lord appeared to Abraham, Abraham expressed his faith by leaving his home, his kindred and his family and went to a land that wasn’t specified by God, only that the Lord told him to do it (Genesis 12:1-4). When the Lord appeared to Isaac, Isaac was on his way to Egypt, but the Lord told him, rather dwell in the land of the Philistines, where the famine was still felt. Isaac expressed his faith by obeying the Lord’s command (Genesis 26:1-6). As for Jacob, the Lord appeared to him and blessed him with the blessing of Abraham, and he was so astonished with what the Lord had done, that he said, if the Lord promised that his Presence, and his protection and this land, where he stood, would be given to him and his descendants, then the God of Abraham and Isaac would be Jacob’s God, as well. Prior to this confirmation this was something, which Jacob seemed to be in doubt, because he was at that very time leaving the Land of Promise. Yet, now, to his astonishment God was also his God!
Therefore, Jacob made a vow to the Lord that he would certainly give the Lord a tenth of everything that was given him, thus acknowledging in his tithe that all belongs to the Lord. He was grateful to the Lord for the dream, which he had dreamt, because it gave him confidence in this time of great distress. He was not only leaving the Land of Promise, which may have placed the blessing of Abraham in question in Jacob’s heart, but he was also leaving his family to go to a land that was unfamiliar to him, and to relatives that may not welcome him. Nevertheless, the Lord comforted Jacob, so Jacob vowed a vow of gratitude, expressing his utter dependence upon the Lord’s promise to be with him, and protect him and bring him again into the presence of his father, Isaac (Genesis 28:20-22).
Moreover, the fact, the Lord’s blessing mentioned that he would bring Jacob’s descendants into the land and give it to them as a possession, witnesses to the faith of Jacob’s vow. Although he was leaving the Land of Promise, which he never did possess to begin with, Jacob’s vow was offered as an expression of his faith. In other words, Jacob’s offering of a tenth of all the Lord put in his possession would be done in gratitude for what the Lord promised to do for Jacob’s descendants. Therefore, Jacob’s tithe was not, as some sermons I’ve heard, expressing Jacob’s own selfishness and doubt by implying, his tenth would be given to the Lord only, if Jacob never came to want, or his life was never placed in danger, or if the Lord would bring him back to the Promised Land. No! Jacob’s vow was a vow of faith, which was evidence that he believed the Lord, vis-à-vis that, what the Lord promised to do for Jacob’s children, would, indeed, be done!
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