God our Father and our Saviour

Numbers 30:3-8 (KJV)
If a woman also vow a vow unto the Lord , and bind herself by a bond, being in her father's house in her youth; [4] And her father hear her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and her father shall hold his peace at her: then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand. [5] But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth; not any of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand: and the Lord shall forgive her, because her father disallowed her. [6] And if she had at all an husband, when she vowed, or uttered ought out of her lips, wherewith she bound her soul; [7] And her husband heard it , and held his peace at her in the day that he heard it : then her vows shall stand, and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand. [8] But if her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it ; then he shall make her vow which she vowed, and that which she uttered with her lips, wherewith she bound her soul, of none effect: and the Lord shall forgive her.

Lord shall forgive her. It is clear here that it is sin to go back on any vow or oath that has been made, a sin that needs God's forgiveness. We ought to take heed, and watch our tongue, for the Lord will hold us accountable for any promises or oaths we have later make void. To say a thing, yet later say "I didn't mean it", is a great offense to God, for God would never do such a thing. God's word has gone forth, through Moses, prophets and through Jesus and His apostles, and it shall not return, but it shall perfectly accomplish the purpose for which He has spoken:
Isaiah 55:10-11 (KJV)
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: [11] So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

If we are to bear God's image, let us above all make our words as God's: purposeful and life-giving. Let us make our speech trustworthy to the hearer, as God's word is trustworthy. God hates unfulfilled oaths so much for this very reason, that it grows a culture of unbelief in those who have experienced it. God desires faith, but if we do not speak truthfully and faithfully, we grow in our hearer the weeds of doubt. Those who have been deceived think of God's holy word as unreliable as man's. Hence God calls our unfaithful words a clear SIN. And all forgiveness of sin is never free, but requires payment. Let us remember that Christ died even for our broken vows and oaths and all the looseness of our speech. Let us mourn for our own wickedness of our tongue that killed our Saviour. Let us not think that sin of the speech is a small sin. It is actually one of the most evil sins, the root of defilement:
Matthew 15:11 (KJV)
Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

In this law, we see that God allowed provision of forgiveness to the woman, who is either still in her father's house, or married. The man, the father or the husband, has the authority to make void a vow that she has spoken on the day he heard it. There is no such provision of forgiveness for a man, but only to a woman. Women has less authority, but hence they have less responsibility. God understands that the woman is a spiritually weaker vessel, and provides her more provision for forgiveness. Even with the case of Adam and Eve, we can see it was Eve that was deceived first, but it is through the sin of Adam sin and death entered into the world. Eve was Adam's responsibility. Husbands who are married have the responsibility to take care of their wives, and Fathers their daughters, to pray for the forgiveness and cleansing of their sins, and to teach them the right way of God.

There is, however, a deeper meaning to this law. The woman signifies the Church, the bride of Jesus Christ. The Christian is one Spirit with Christ. And because the believer united with Christ, he is also a child of God through Christ. So Christians have God as his Father and also his Husband. This is how we Christians are able to be forgiven of the wrong vows that we have spoken. God makes our words void, and disallows the curses that we sometimes pronounce over ourselves to our own destruction. It does not come to pass, for God, who is our Father and our Saviour, makes our foolish speeches void. If God sometimes lets our vows to be allowed, then it is that we may watch our mouths and learn to "swear not at all", as Christ taught us.
It is not only the sins concerning vows, but any sin we Christians commit, we can be sure our Father and Saviour disallows to be imputed against us. Because upon Christ was imputed all our sins, God makes all our offenses void. God watches over us, and every time we fall, God is able to nullify our offenses, on the basis on what Christ has done for us. God is able to wipe the slate clean, because Christ bore our iniquities.

However, outside this relationship and covenant with God as the Father and the Husband our souls, we would never have this provision of forgiveness. Every foolish vows or promises we made will stand, with every broken ones coming back with vengeance upon our souls, for we have glorified not God. None of our sins could be cancelled or made void. For read the next verse:
Numbers 30:9 (KJV)
But every vow of a widow, and of her that is divorced, wherewith they have bound their souls, shall stand against her.
A widow or a divorcee had no privilege of forgiveness, for she had left her father's house, and had no husband. She has no man over her to be responsible for her sins. Same is it not for the unbeliever? His soul is not united with Christ, but considers Him only a dead man on the cross. God is dead to him, therefore he is like a widowed wife with no help. Those, like Judas, who have forsaken the Lord in apostasy after a knowledge of Him, are like a woman who have divorced themselves from the relationship with her husband. These cannot expect Christ to take responsibility for their sins. Therefore, unbelievers and the betrayers of Jesus need to fend for themselves on the Day of Judgment. Unlike Christians, they shall have no Advocate whom they have trusted to defend their case with His own blood. As they spent their lives independent from Christ, Christ shall not be their help at all on that Day.

Let us give thanks to God who imputes not our sin against us, but imputes His righteousness to us instead. Let us be glad that we are as a woman who has both a Father and Husband to look after our sins. We are not like widows or divorced wives who have no strong Rock of a Husband to depend on. We are strong when we are weak, and dependent on Christ, the Saviour of the body. Let us thank Christ, who bore all our foolishness on His own body, that we may be forgiven of our sins. Let us worship Him who watches over the mistakes of our mouths and makes void all cursed bonds that we bring upon our bonds. Let us not abuse this grace, lest God holds His peace at our vows, and what we have said comes upon us. Let us watch our mouths, that we swear not neither by heaven, or by my own head, for that is self confidence and righteousness. Let us thank Him, by whose blood has made sin to be of "none effect", against us, dying the death we ought to have died. See how He made sin and death void for us by His own death and resurrection:
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 (KJV)
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? [56] The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. [57] But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Hallelujah to Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God.