Setting – Making promises to God
Content – I love how Solomon starts this chapter (v. 1 NLT), “As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut! Don't be a fool who doesn't realize that mindless offerings to God are evil.” Basically stated, come into God’s house with reverence.
Solomon gives instruction on promises (v. 2 NLT) “And don't make rash promises to God, for he is in heaven, and you are only here on earth. So let your words be few.” And if you make a promise to God (v. 4b NLT) “don't delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him.” In fact, (v. 5 NLT) “It is better to say nothing than to promise something that you don't follow through on.” If you do say something and don’t follow though (v. 6a NLT) “In such cases, your mouth is making you sin.”
Application – Don’t make promises to God that you don’t intend to keep. Let’s turn the table on this idea and say that God made a promise that he opted not to keep. For example, He decided that He wanted to flood the earth again and renege on that promise? And since we are to be like God, we should only make promises that we plan on fully keeping.
Content – I love how Solomon starts this chapter (v. 1 NLT), “As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut! Don't be a fool who doesn't realize that mindless offerings to God are evil.” Basically stated, come into God’s house with reverence.
Solomon gives instruction on promises (v. 2 NLT) “And don't make rash promises to God, for he is in heaven, and you are only here on earth. So let your words be few.” And if you make a promise to God (v. 4b NLT) “don't delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him.” In fact, (v. 5 NLT) “It is better to say nothing than to promise something that you don't follow through on.” If you do say something and don’t follow though (v. 6a NLT) “In such cases, your mouth is making you sin.”
Application – Don’t make promises to God that you don’t intend to keep. Let’s turn the table on this idea and say that God made a promise that he opted not to keep. For example, He decided that He wanted to flood the earth again and renege on that promise? And since we are to be like God, we should only make promises that we plan on fully keeping.
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