(Al Sandlin)

It is as important to know what to say as what not to say. Three times in Proverbs and twice in Ecclesiastes the wise man said, "Do not say..." The implication these five times is that speaking something obligates one to his word. You have heard it said, "A man's word is his bond." That principle goes without saying in the Bible. Listen to what God said to Zechariah in chapter 8:16-17. "These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbor; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: and let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbor; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD."

This was reiterated in the New Testament in Ephesians 4:25. "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another." All of us like to believe that when someone says something that there is no reason to question it because we believe it to be the truth. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. If it was true that all people spoke the truth all the time, the five admonitions in the wisdom literature would be useless: God's declaration through the pen of Zechariah would've been for naught; Paul's exhortation to speaking truth would have been superfluous. But, we do not live under a rock and so we know that not all people speak all truth all the time.

"Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it,’ When you have it with you" (Proverbs 3:28). The setting here is that of a neighbor who has come to collect on some promise you've made. We can safely deduce from the context that it is something of a tangible nature, be it money or goods of some sort. It is something in your possession over which you have control. It may be payment for work which he has done; it may be food, clothing, or some other life sustaining asset which you have promised the neighbor. The instruction is, "Don't put him off; you made the promise, so honor your word!"

First of all, since it is something tangible, you might not have it tomorrow. Some calamity could strike and take it away before your neighbor can return to claim that which is rightfully his.

Secondly, look at the position you have put your neighbor in — groveling for that to which he is entitled by your own word. How demeaning! Just suppose God dealt with us as we deal with our neighbors? How much fun would that be?

Thirdly, taking the position of postponing payment then impugns your integrity. Your word is no longer dependable. Who wants to deal with a person whose word cannot be trusted?

Space will not allow development of the question posed to Jesus by a lawyer, "Who is my neighbor?" (Luke 10:29). Just consider the response of Jesus to the question. It was not the priest nor Levite but the hated Samaritan who extended a hand of aid to the one in need. It is not far-fetched to even consider that one's spouse and children would fit just as well as the neighbor in Proverbs 3:28. Let's be very careful about making promises — God expects us to make them good!

"Do not say, ‘I will repay evil’; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you" (Proverbs 20:22). Someone has done us wrong. It could be something as benign as name calling or as hideous as robbery, rape, or murder. It is not our prerogative to strap on a six-shooter and go gunning for the perpetrator. It is the Christian's lot to "...love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men" (Luke 6:35).

Christian, that's the command of our Master. The instruction in Romans 12:19-21 is this: "Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,’ says the Lord. ‘BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS UPON HIS HEAD.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Someone says, "But, preacher, ..." My friend, that's what God said in the Old Testament and more than once in the New Testament. We are not at liberty to pick and choose the verses we want to obey. That's the law from heaven and we must obey it. You see, when we start meting out vengeance, we are practicing in God's domain which He said He will administer. Rest assured His administration of vengeance will be far more just and equitable than you or I could ever hope to dispense. Just to emphasize the necessity of that response to a wrong suffered, wisdom speaks this in Proverbs 24:29. "Do not say, ‘Thus I shall do to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.’"

Let me hasten to say, however, that I do not understand that we are to avoid preventing a misdeed from happening. Jesus said in Matthew 24:23, "But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into." Paul avoided many situations in which his life could have been snuffed out. We thus conclude that we must try to protect ourselves but should that fail we then are not to go on the offensive to even the score. God will take care of that for us.

"When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it, for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Do not let your speech cause you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands?" (Ecclesiastes. 5:4-6). We live under the New Testament but we cannot find the passage therein which tells us God has changed His mind concerning vows. A vow represents a commitment on the part of one who makes it.

We can read of the foolish vow of Jephthah in Judges 11:29-40. There was no obligation on his part to even make the vow. However, he made a foolish vow and in so doing was obligated to keep it! Let's make specific application of this text to the marriage vows spoken "...in the presence of God and these witnesses." Whether vowing in matrimony or in a court of law, it is imperative that we live up to our commitments.

Then, finally from Ecclesiastes 7:10, "Do not say, ‘Why is it that the former days were better than these?’ For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this." It's a waste of valuable time to become intoxicated with yesterday. It is gone and cannot be reclaimed. The so-called "good old days" were fraught with their own frustrations and challenges. The human mind forgets the misery and despair of yesteryear. How easily it summons the bright side of years gone by! Discontentment is usually the father of such statements as quoted by the wise man in this passage. We must deal with today.

The past is an invaluable teacher and those lessons must be remembered. Those who refuse to learn from the past are destined to repeat the errors of it. In their wilderness days, the Israelites said, "We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic, but now our appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna" (Numbers 11:5-6). They forgot about the laborious task of brick making and the bondage they were under.

It is, however, futile to dwell upon the past. Let's take to heart these admonitions and be very careful how we walk before our God. The wise man learned it — so must we!