Random facts about the Feast of Tabernacles: 70 plus 1 bulls would be sacrificed, 14 plus 1 rams, 98 plus 7 male lambs, and 7 goats. I don't know why, but when I read the passage I wanted to know this.
Women and vows. I think a lot of modern day readers would have been indignant at the exceptions given to a woman and her vows. The man vows before the Lord, and he is responsible for his vows, no questions asked. A woman makes a vow, and her father or husband is able to cancel it out. Today, we would think that would be male chauvinism. But on reading the passage, I came away with a very different impression.
First off, a vow before the Lord is very, very serious thing. Just ask Jephthah (Judges 11). If a man made a vow, he was subject to keep it, no matter the consequences. Period. A woman, however, is to submit to her father while she lives in his house or her husband. At this time, there was really no other state. The Bible teaches us throughout that we as women should be willing to submit male authority: this is the way God has set it up. If you disagree with me, I'm sorry, but check it out: it's there, and it's not a cultural thing, as it spans thousands of years of culture. We could get into a long discussion on it, but let's worry about it when we come across one of those passages. For now, we know that especially in Israel under the Law, a woman should submit. So, what happens if she makes a vow, rash or very sincere and reasoned, and then her father or husband forbid her to carry it out? What then? She has made a vow: there is no getting out of vows. This passage provides for her: the Lord will release her. In order that she not make the problem worse by going against her father or her husband, the Lord will no longer hold her responsible as long as her husband [or father] speaks his mind the day he hears about it. (Now, if he hears about it, stews about it, and then speaks about, too bad so sad. The Law is clear: he must speak when he hears of it.) She herself will not be held responsible for her not fulfilling her vow. However, did you notice 30:15? It speaks to that stewing bit, if he decides to speak after he has heard about it: if he then nullifies her vow, after essentially establishing it, okaying it by not speaking against it, he will bear the responsibility of her breaking the vow. She is not released, and she is not responsible: he is for his own actions. It seems to me a good thing: it allows a woman to fulfill her role in propriety and piety while not holding her responsible for a decision she may not have been allowed to help make. I think here is an example of God providing, not limiting.
Tomorrow's Reading: Numbers 31:1-54
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