“You have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth.”
It’s an interesting conundrum that can occur with this verse. Solomon is talking about making a commitment and then figuring out how to follow through and get it done as quickly as possible once you realize you’ve made a bad decision or regret what you’ve committed to. This has happened to me on occasion in my own life. I’ve committed to something and then, at some point, wished I had not. There is always a tension between following through on that commitment or simply letting it go. Our word and our integrity have to mean something. Solomon is saying to fulfill that commitment as quickly as possible. He is not saying to run from it. I read a story the other day about a slave who approached his master about buying his freedom. The master agreed, and they settled on a price. The slave was set free to go elsewhere, earn a living, and make payments toward that commitment. Not long afterward, Abraham Lincoln freed all the slaves. With about $3,000 still owed—a very large sum of money in those days—the former slave technically no longer had any obligation to continue making payments. Yet he did. When he met with his former owner and handed him the remaining balance, the man told him, “You no longer have to pay this.” The former slave simply responded, “I gave my word.” Today, keep your word, even when you don’t have to. #BeTheEdge
#When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.” Numbers 30:2 NIV
