WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
MARCH 22, 2025
TOPIC: THE SACRIFICE OF FOOLS
BY T. O. BANSO
“Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil” (Ecclesiastes 5:1 New King James Version).
The Bible talks about different kinds of sacrifice. These include the Passover sacrifice of the LORD or the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover, the burnt sacrifice, the sacrifice of peace offering, the sacrifice of thanksgiving, the sacrifice of praise, and the sacrifice of the wicked. There is another one: the sacrifice of fools.
Ecclesiastes 5:1 says, “Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil” (New King James Version). Note the phrase “the sacrifice of fools.” This is the only place in the entire Bible where this phrase is used.
The Revised Standard Version renders Ecclesiastes 5:1 this way: “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God; to draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know that they are doing evil.” Note the last portion of this verse: “For they do not know that they are doing evil.” Ignorance is dangerous (Hosea 4:6). “Guard your steps and focus on what you are doing as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the [careless or irreverent] sacrifice of fools; for they are too ignorant to know they are doing evil” (Ecclesiastes 5:1 Amplified Bible). Note the phrase “for they are too ignorant to know they are doing evil.” They were offering the careless or irreverent sacrifice of fools yet they were ignorant that they were doing evil. It is not enough to draw near to God; you must not give the sacrifice of fools in His presence.
The New Century Version uses the phrase “foolish sacrifices” instead of “the sacrifice of fools.” “Be careful when you go to worship at the Temple. It is better to listen than to offer foolish sacrifices without even knowing you are doing wrong” (Ecclesiastes 5:1 New Century Version).
God does not accept every sacrifice. The Bible makes this very clear. Both Abel and Cain offered sacrifices to the LORD, but He respected Abel and his offering; He didn’t respect Cain and his offering (Genesis 4:4-5).
God is discriminatory about the sacrifice or offering He accepts. He told the Israelites the things He declared as clean to be offered to Him as sacrifice and the unclean things. He is not hungry for sacrifice. It is, therefore, important to offer an acceptable sacrifice to Him.
The LORD says in Psalm 50:12-15, “If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is Mine, and all its fullness. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer to God thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High. Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me” (New King James Version).
In Malachi 1, God complains about the sacrifice the Israelites brought to Him, which He said even their governor would not accept. He said they were despising His name by bringing contemptible and polluted offerings (verses 6-8). “‘Who is there even among you who would shut the doors, So that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain? I have no pleasure in you,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘Nor will I accept an offering from your hands. For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; in every place incense shall be offered to My name, and a pure offering; for My name shall be great among the nations,’ says the Lord of hosts” (verses 10-11 New King James Version). From this scripture, it is clear that their sacrifice was in vain because they were unacceptable to God.
In Philippians 4:18, the Apostle Paul describes the gifts the Philippians sent to him as a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. Under the New Covenant, we don’t offer animal sacrifice, as it was under the Old Covenant, but we still offer sacrifice in the form of prayer, praises, and thanksgiving, including offering material things to God. But these things are not as important as first listening to God and obeying Him. To obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams (1 Samuel 15:22).
What is the sacrifice of fools? Ecclesiastes 5:2 says, “Do not be hasty with your mouth [speaking careless words or vows] or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter before God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few” (Amplified Bible). The sacrifice of fools is hasty speech – speaking careless words or vows.
Ecclesiastes 5:2-3, in the New King James Version, says, “Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes through much activity, and a fool’s voice is known by his many words” (New King James Version).
Speaking before you think or speaking hastily and carelessly either in praying or making vows is offering the sacrifice of fools to God. The Contemporary English Version renders Ecclesiastes 5:2 thus: “Don’t talk before you think or make promises to God without thinking them through. God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so don’t talk too much.” Don’t be impulsive to make a speech before God. Proverbs 13:16 says, “Wise people think before they act; fools don’t—and even brag about their foolishness” (Proverbs 13:16 New Living Translation).
You don’t need to make a vow before God will answer your prayer. But it is the sacrifice of fools to hastily make a vow and regret after or be unwilling to fulfil it. Nobody forced you to make the vow. Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 says, “When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; for He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed— better not to vow than to vow and not pay” (New King James Version). To make a vow and fail or delay to fulfil it is a sin. Don’t sin with your mouth by making the sacrifice of fools. “Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands?” (Verse 6 New King James Version).
Instead of listening to God first, some people ask God for the wrong things or make careless vows. When the LORD called Samuel, he answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears” (1 Samuel 3:10). And the LORD gave him a message. But instead of listening to God, some people tell Him: “Listen, Lord, for Your servant speaks.” We need to do more listening to God and obeying Him than talking and making requests in prayer. We must avoid or stop offering the sacrifice of fools.
Because some people will not read the Bible, attend Bible study sessions, or listen to messages/sermons but only like praying, their prayers are not biblical. They are sincerely praying but they’re sincerely wrong. God will not violate His Word and answer unscriptural prayers. Those who are guilty of these often wonder why they don’t get answers. “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:3 New King James Version).
Prayers that are not according to God’s will have no guarantee of answers from God. This is one of the reasons for unanswered prayers. Don’t offer the sacrifice of fools. “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15 New King James Version).
If you are guilty of offering the sacrifice of fools, stop it. Be reverent before God. Listen to God more than you talk to Him. Have a teachable spirit and an obedient heart. Obey the Word of God. Don’t speak careless words or vows. Be careful.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. Take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner, and cannot save yourself, and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You must join a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Holy Spirit, help me to be reverent in the presence of God. Guide me against offering the sacrifice of fools. Help me to listen in the presence of God more than I talk. I shall not speak hastily or make rash vows in Jesus’ name. I shall not delay in paying or fail to pay my vows to the Lord.
(For about 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
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