“It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy and afterward to reconsider his vows” (Proverbs 20:25).
A wise man is slow to speak (James 1:19), especially when making a vow to God. The words of Ecclesiastes 5:2-5 are sobering: “Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore, let your words be few. For a dream comes through much activity, and a fool’s voice is known by his many words. When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; for He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed—Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.”
Jephthah (Jud. 11:29-40) and King Saul (1 Sam. 14:24-45) are infamous Old Testament examples of the enormous snare of making rash vows. Their heartache is indelibly etched into history. The prudent will learn from their folly.
Whether spoken in a vow or not, you are accountable to God for every word you speak (Mat. 12:37). The authority of Christ is to govern everything you do in word or deed (Col. 3:17). Like the heart (Prov. 4:24), the tongue must be watched over with all diligence (James 3:1-12).
