Jacob’s Vow

by John Sklenar

In Genesis 28:20-22 it says “Then Jacob made a vow, saying “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father’s house, then the Lord will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.””

Jacob made a vow.  He made it conditional.  He said he would give God a tenth of all he receives if God watches over him and gives him food and clothes and safety.

How did it turn out?  Jacob thrived and God blessed him, and Jacob kept his part of the bargain.

Jacob became the father of a nation; the nation of Israel, which was the apple of God’s eye.  His first love.  This has huge implications for us.

If things aren’t going well for you, meditate on what Jacob did.  Dare you to make a vow with your creator?

In the 90’s, Virlee and I made this vow to God.  We would tithe no matter what, expecting Him to bless us.  I was a bit selfish in doing so.  We had just become committed to the Lord, and decided to dismantle our “empire” and shed nearly $500,000 of debt.

Our Lord keeps his promises.  At times it was tough to tithe, but we did anyway.  The Lord taught us that he is a “just in time” God.  He always keeps his end of the bargain.

Sometimes, with the Lord, 100% minus 10% equals more than 100%.

Proverbs 3:9-10; King Solomon, the wisest man ever said, “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops, then your barns will be filled to overflowing and your vats will brim over with new wine.”

So…if you give the Lord the first 10% of all you receive, you will end up with more than you started with.  As a CPA, the math doesn’t work for me.  (100% minus 10% equals more than 100%?)  As a citizen of the Kingdom, I know all things are possible when the Creator is involved in my life.