Vows (Proverbs 20:25)

Vows, or promises, are a serious thing. Especially when we vow something to the Lord.

"It is a snare to a man to utter a vow [of consecration] rashly, and not until afterward inquire [whether he can fulfill it]." Proverbs 20:25, Amplified

As a young man, I cannot tell you how many fasts I have broken. I set aside my needs for the Lord, then later in the day, I just could not complete the vow that I had made. It was foolish of me to make those vows to fast. But, as the years have passed, I have become older and wiser in the Lord. There was a day, however, that I did fulfill my vow, and let me tell you, I was so blessed.

There is a great example of this in the Old Testament. Though the vow was made rashly, the man still fulfilled it. There was a man by the name of Jephtha who was a judge in the land of Israel. The Israelites were up against the Ammonites and he told the Lord, "If you will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands, then it will be that whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering." (Judges 11:30-31, NKJV) When Jephtha returned home in victory, this is what happened. "When Jephtha came to his house at Mizpah, there was his daughter, coming out to meet him with timbrels and dancing; and she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter. And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he tore his clothes, and said, 'Alas my daughter! You have brought me very low! You are among those who trouble me! For I have given my word to the Lord, and I cannot go back on it!'" (Judges 11:34-34, NKJV)

Did this Israelite actually perform a human sacrifice. I do believe so. The language of the verses seems to suggest it. Plus Jephtha had a pagan background and there was a spirit of rebellion in the land of Israel during the time of the Judges. Was his vow rash? Yes. Could he have worded it differently? Yes. I also want to point out that there is no indication that this vow was commissioned by the Lord. The Lord has never asked anyone to perform a human sacrifice, except Abraham, in which account He stayed his hand. Human sacrifice is a purely pagan practice.

When it comes to vows, we need to firstly, choose our words wisely. Secondly, we need to make sure that we can fulfill whatever it is that we have vowed to do. In everyday life, we make these kind of vows. We borrow money from friends and promise to pay them back, and we do. We buy a car or a house and we sign a contract promising to pay back the loan, and we do. Why should it be any different with the Lord?