In this Psalm the writer says, “Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them.” According to the Bible, making vows to God is serious business. God expects us to fulfill them, and there are consequences if we don’t. Therefore, we must think carefully before making a vow to the Lord.
People usually make vows to God when they are in deep distress about something. They may be in a dire predicament fearing for their life. During such cases they may promise the Lord that they will do something or live in a certain way, if God will save them from death and destruction.
I suspect that many such vows were made during wartime. I also suspect that after God saves people in such cases, the person soon forgets the vow they made to God. The Bible indicates that hardships may occur due to broken vows.
Israel broke their vow to live according to God’s laws and rules. As a result, Israel was severely punished. They were removed from the land God promised them. They have been persecuted for many centuries since then. We should ponder Israel’s fate if we ever consider making a vow to God.
