Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words. When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear.
Many times when the people of God would come to the Temple to worship God, they would make a vow to Him, a promise of some type. Often in our times of worship we do the same thing. Solomon is warning the people here that they should not be so quick to make these promises to God. He says that we should go to God to listen more and speak less. This sometimes makes us uncomfortable. We are not people who like to be quiet and listen, but when we come to worship God, it is better many times to simply listen to Him. We often come to God with our list of things we want from Him and our promises to Him, but sometimes we need to come to Him and just listen to His voice. In verse 2 he tells us that God is Heaven and we are on earth. Because of this, our words should be few. We are coming into God’s presence to meet with Him. And since He is God in Heaven and we are people on earth, we should be quiet and let Him do the talking.
Solomon then tells us that when we do make a vow to God, that we should not hesitate in fulfilling it. When we make promises to God, we should be quick to keep those promises. In verse 4 he says that God has no pleasure in fools. He describes a fool as a person who makes promises without keeping them and who comes to God and never listens. If we desire to please God, we should listen more and talk less. When we do make a vow or a promise to God, we should be quick to fulfill it. We should do all that we can to keep that promise. He finishes this passage by saying that we should stand in awe of God. He says that using many words with God can be meaningless. It is okay to come to worship God and not say much, just listen and stand in awe of Him. He is the One who is in Heaven. He is the God of all creation. We can sit there silently, reverently, and in awe of the Lord God Almighty. The maker of Heaven, the sustainer of the earth, and the giver of life eternal. He is our God, our King, and our salvation. We can simply worship Him by silently standing in awe of our Lord.
- When you come to God’s house do you come to talk to God or to listen to Him?
- When you make a promise to God are you quick to fulfill it?
- When you think about God do you stand in awe of Him?
Today, spend some time with God in prayer, but don’t say a word. Sit there quietly, listening to Him, standing in awe of who He is.
A Pastor's Thoughts 