Beware of rash promises

Posted on June 10, 2026, 10:44 a.m. by The Gospel Study Centre

A rash promise is a commitment made out of forethought. Merriem-Webster.com Dictionary describe ‘rash’ as recklessness that is inconsistent with good sense. It is inconsistent because it is a promise made based on external pressure, undue haste or prompted by complex of emotion. Rash promises are in most cases prompted by unverified testimony of someone else, while some are made in reaction to another set of rash promises. It is a common knowledge that not all promises made by brethren in response to call for support or donation to accomplish certain tasks in the house of God get fulfilled at the end of the day. The lack of fulfilment of such promises may not be deliberate but as a result of the fact that the promises were made in recklessness that is inconsistent with good sense. A rash promise. The Bible says, “It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy, and afterward to reconsider his vows.” (Prov.20:25) When one makes a vow, it is a law that one imposes on oneself and the law is binding. It is disrespectful to God for one to reconsider one’s vow before Him. It means one is being rash in his devotion, and it is a situation that can lead one into spiritual ruin. It is advised that one walks prudently in the house of God and draw near to hear from Him rather than to give the sacrifice of fools. Sacrifice of fools is an insincere religious commitment to God. Insincere in the sense that there is no capacity to keep the vow. The rash promise of Jephthah appears to be triggered by complex of emotion occasioned by the fact that this is someone who was earlier sent out of his father’s house and denied inheritance of his father but now made the head and commander of the same people. (Judges. 11:9-11) The bible says, “And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, and said, “If you will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands, then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, shall surely by the Lord’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.” (Judges.11:30, 31) The tragedy of Jephthah sacrificing his daughter, the only child, who was first to come out of the doors of his house to meet him symbolises the end of Jephthah’s lineage because the daughter would never marry or have children. (Judges. 11:37, 38) Making promise before God is good because it is a way to set spiritual goals for oneself in order to bring glory to God. However, when one is in the presence of God, his heart should be receptive to God’s instruction so that he does not perform religious rites created after his own desires. Rash promise brings one into sin because it is mockery to God when a vow to Him is not kept. We should ensure that a vow made in the presence of the representative of God must be kept without delay. We must not mock God or do that which would cause Him to be angry but rather behave in a way to make Him our friend and not to irritate Him. The Bible says, “Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.” (Ecclesiastes. 5:5) Evangelism Tell someone today, Jesus loves him or her, and that Jesus is still saving those who earnestly seek Him. Rev. Shobayo Kayode The Gospel Study Centre