Since the beginning of the human race, making a promise to one another is one of the most serious things we do in life. We make a vow or pledge to each other we will take an action or give an assurance that something will happen. And yet, how many times do we make a promise to someone, perhaps a friend, and we don’t follow through? A promise not kept causes frustration to that someone, especially if he or she were counting on us to come through on what we said we would do. We make them feel unimportant. They try not to hear our reasons as excuses, but that is what they hear. Sometimes, they become angry with themselves for trusting us. In a worst-case scenario, one single act of a promise broken is all it takes to end a relationship. Then, a great sense of guilt overcomes us. All to say, everyone suffers when promises are broken. It happens on a larger scale, too. Nations negotiate peace or economic trade with other nations in good faith. They promise to each other they will do this, and not do that, but it doesn’t take long for one or both of them to break what they said they would do. What you end up with is an erosion of trust between nations. Making promises, large or small, is easy. Anyone knows how to do that. It is doing what you promised that is hard.
In Ecclesiastes 5, Solomon has something to say about making promises too, but it is not about making promises to each other. It is about making promises to God. Solomon addresses how we should make promises to God, for sure. But he was not exactly talking about people who make promises to God, but fail to make good on their promises. He was talking about something quite different altogether. Take a closer look.
Before you arrive this Sunday, please read ahead Ecclesiastes 5:1–7. Solomon is at the temple of God. He is making his observations. He is in his thinking. He is taking notes and learning from his notes many lessons just by watching people. What might be some of those things we should look out for in ourselves when we approach God? What might be some of the things we have been doing wrong, and we didn’t even know them? Most of all, how might we make promises to God in a way that honors him?
Come, and let’s study and worship together. See you Sunday!
Your Friend,
Alvin