Be not rash with thy mouth

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 1-6

Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. 2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

Solomon is warning us to remember to whom we are talking when we worship. Familiarity with our relationship with Jesus is a good thing and he does call us friends, however, he is still God Almighty. We should address him with reverence and respect.

The sacrifice of fools is to utter too much. It is to be running off at the mouth and speaking in a manner not conducive to one who is addressing our Creator. Instead we should let our words be few. Certainly, Solomon has in mind here the making of vows before God. A fool would rashly utter vows that he or she was not capable of fulfilling. Jesus tells us not to make vows at all.

The Bible is not telling us here to pray less. On the contrary, we all should probably pray more. The Bible is here telling us to think before we speak. This is always wise before God and men. Remember that Jesus has invited us to come boldly to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). He has also given us the indwelling Holy Spirit that births within us the spirit of prayer.

Galatians 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

We can boldly approach the Creator of the universe as his sons and cry out to him and call him 'Abba'. He wants us to come and pour out our hearts before him in prayer. We must remember that he deserves reverence and not come to him in a demanding way or offering the sacrifice of fools. Come to him as a wise son of God and praise him. Come to him any time and ask for the things you need. Come to him and intercede on behalf of others.

In Christ,
Rody