It’s a trap!
Proverbs 20:25 - Although we may try to buy or lie our way out of promises that we can’t keep, it’s smarter to just not make those commitments in the first place.
Image of a Victor® mousetrap, via Victor Pest Control.
“It is a trap to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider one’s vows.”
Proverbs 20:25 NIV
Have you ever been in a situation where you promise God something in prayer, only to later regret that you made that promise? Here’s a bit of Old Testament wisdom to consider.
It’s usually something like this — “God, if you get me out of this jam I’m in, I promise that I’ll never lie/curse/cheat/steal/[insert favorite sin here] again and I will go to church every Sunday.” That’s dedicating “something rashly.” British Old Testament scholar Derek Kidner said that “To pronounce a thing sacred is to dedicate it. Here, then, is an impulsive man, pledging more than he seriously intends.”1
This same problem was brought up in Ecclesiastes 5:4-7:
“When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands?”
Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 NIV
All who honor God carefully consider any vows they make to Him, go about fulfilling those promises, and think of their broken dedications to God as sins that they need to confess and repent of.
Yet all too often we promise something to God and then finally think about it later! If we had prayerfully considered the situation ahead of making any vows, God’s wisdom and guidance could have revealed a solution that avoided leading us into sin.
We sinful humans also have a propensity for making promises to others that we never fulfill, which leads us into another sin — lying (also known as “bearing false witness against a neighbor”).
Image via Emmaus Road Ministries International.
When Proverbs was written, dedications had a somewhat different meaning — it could be dedicating your firstborn son to serving God in the temple, dedicating the first harvest as a sacrifice to Him, or bringing a perfect lamb or goat to the temple for sacrifice. Almost all of Leviticus 27 deals with how one could get out of making a vow by substituting payments of silver shekels.
Although we may try to buy or lie our way out of promises that we can’t keep, it’s smarter to just not make those commitments in the first place. If we do make a rash vow, face up to it, confess it, and try not to do it again. Remember that Jesus, our perfect Savior, kept His commitment to God through His sacrifice.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Father in Heaven, help me to be intentional in commitments I make to You and others so that I keep my promises and make only vows that align with Your direction for my life. Through the wisdom found in Your Word, teach me to think through my promises before I make them, and to follow through on any vow I make to You or others. Keep me from the trap of making rash dedications, and guide me in making wise decisions. I pray this in Jesus’ name, AMEN.
Scripture quotations taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica US, Inc.®. Used by permission.
Kidner, Derek "Proverbs: An Introduction and Commentary" (Kidner Classic Commentaries) (Nottingham, England: InterVarsity Press, 1964)-