Proverbs 20:25 - Meaning and Application

Two things especially offend God, and people often get trapped by them. They bring guilt, and in the end they also bring trouble and ruin.

The first is sacrilege, which means treating holy things as if they were ordinary and using them for ourselves. The proverb calls this “devouring” sacred things. Anything set apart for God’s service, for the support of worship, or for help to the poor, should be carefully kept for that purpose. Those who take it directly or indirectly, or who spoil the purpose for which it was given, will have much to answer for. “Will a man rob God in tithes and offerings?” (Malachi 3:8). In the same way, people may devour what is holy when they rush through worship duties, such as prayer and preaching, only wanting to be done with them.

The second is breaking vows. It becomes a snare when a person has made promises to God and then starts looking for ways around them. It is also a snare to invent excuses to avoid keeping what was vowed. If the matter was unclear and the words were careless, that was the person’s own fault. He should have spoken with more care and thought, because later doubts can trouble a tender conscience (Ecclesiastes 5:6). Once we have opened our mouth to the Lord, it is too late to think about turning back (Acts 5:4).