“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. Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands? For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity. But fear God.”
Ecclesiastes 5:4–7

Solomon warns against making careless vows. Some people make a vow to God in an attempt to bargain with Him: “If You do this, I promise to do that.” Solomon warns against this type of approach to God, reminding us that if we make a vow to God, we must keep it. He equates making promises to God and then failing to fulfill them with foolishness.

Vows are about future actions, and the future is something over which you and I have very little control. Vows are to be considered sacred and solemn because they involve heavenly realities, and we should be careful not to make them lightly. Some people use vows to gain the trust of others in order to take advantage of them, and some even attempt to do this with the Lord.

Solomon warns us about the danger of breaking a vow, and James adds, “But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No,’ lest you fall into judgment” (James 5:12).

One of the dangers of making vows is that our circumstances may change, making it difficult to keep such a promise. There are also vows that are open-ended and may become a trap that ensnares us, as we see in Judges 11:29–40, Matthew 14:6–12, and Acts 23:20–24.

Ananias and Sapphira lied to God and experienced His judgment when they made a vow under false pretenses (Acts 5:1–11). It would have been better if they had never made the vow at all. They could have given only part of the proceeds from their land, but instead they wanted to create a false impression before others. They desired to appear more spiritual in order to gain greater esteem within the church. This act of hypocrisy cost them their very lives.

God does not require us to make vows. In the Old Testament, vows were offered as a voluntary expression of one’s devotion to God (Num. 30; Deut. 23:21–23; Acts 18:18). But, in the words of Solomon, the Lord says to each of us, “My son, give me your heart” (Prov. 23:26).

Anchor For Today:
The Lord desires surrendered lives lived for Him, not empty promises. (2 Cor. 8:12; 9:7)