OBLIGATION OF A VOW
Ecclesiastes 5:1-7
INTRO: Have you ever wondered what God expected of you when you came
to His house to worship Him? Have you ever wondered about those vows that
you made to God some years ago and never kept?
Solomon, in the book of Ecclesiastes, sets forth what God expects of us in our service to him, and we want to spend a few minutes examining his thoughts.
I. REVERENCE IN GOD’S HOUSE.
A. Keep thy foot.
1. Not keep it back.
2. Not go slowly.
3. But look where you tread, least you take a false step.
B. Take heed of our service.
1. Fools think they are doing God a service.
2. Men may be doing evil even while they profess to be doing
good.
3. Wicked minds cannot choose but sin even in the acts of devo
tion.
C. Be ready to hear God.
1. Diligently attend to the word preached.
2. It is not enough to just watch.
3. We must comply with the will of God.
4. Hearing is often substituted for doing.
D. Three classes of offenders.
1. Those who worship simply from custom.
2. Those who worship with a pre-occupied mind.
3. Those who in the act of worship are not completely possessed
with a solemn purpose (the concentration of thought and feel
ing).
II. COMMUNING WITH GOD.
A. Be not rash with thy mouth.
1. What we pray must come from the heart.
2. Never let our tongue outrun our thoughts.
3. Thoughts are words to God.
4. As the mouth cannot be rash the heart must not be hasty.
B. Be sparing in your words.
1. Be reverent and deliberate in prayer.
2. Be humble before God. He is in Heaven.
4. Let your words be few, well chosen.
a. This doesn’t condemn long prayers.
b. Jesus prayed all night, and taught us to pray continually.
c. But it condemns careless, praying.
III. MAKING A VOW TO GOD.
A. Honesty with God.
1. A vow is a bond upon the soul, pay it.
2. The longer it is put off the more difficult to pay.
3. If we fail to pay it, we play the fool with God. We try to
trick Him.
4. Never to vow is an omission, but to vow and fail is lying to
God.
5. We must be careful never to vow anything that might be sinful.
6. John the Baptist lost his head over a rash sinful vow.
B. Stand in awe of God.
