Catching the Little Foxes that Spoil
Posted on Feb 21, 2010 at 7:23 pm under Preaching.
Song of Songs 2: (selected verses)
Continued from chapter 1: The bride to-be continues the dialogue with her groom to be:
1 I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.
2 As a lily among brambles, so is my love among the young women.
4 He brought me to the banqueting house[a place of love], and his banner over me was love
7 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the does of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases. [It is clear that the couple is already in love, but they must allow their love to proceed at its proper pace, which includes waiting until the right time to consummate it.]
10 My beloved speaks and says to me:“Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away,
11 for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. [In spiritual or relationship winter certain evils are frozen up]
12 The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away. [Springtime is at hand, and with it come fresh, fragrant fruit and flowers, along with the cooing of the turtledove—stimulating all of the lovers’ senses. Springtime is often celebrated as a time for lovers.][But in the spring the little foxes come to spoil the vineyards]
15 Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.”[ The foxes represent some hindrances that are threatening to spoil their relationship.]
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for fox is (pronounced) shoo-awl; it means burrower, from the fox trait of living in dug-out burrows. In the New Testament, the Greek word for fox is (pronounced) al-oh-pakes and means cunning.
LITTLE FOXES, not big foxes spoil the vines.
It is the little foxes that can wiggle through the smallest hole into the vineyard. It is the little sins that creep in unawares –
In any relationship, dating or married, the “little foxes” are the danger.
Someone has said, “If you watch your pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves.” If we will watch for the little sins, the big ones will take care of themselves.
“Little Foxes” Of Sin by Sylvia Gunter
Many Christians, including Christian couples, tolerate a lifestyle of compromise with “little sins.” We call them mistakes, weaknesses, character flaws, “just the way we are,” and dozens of other rationalizations.
When we confess the same sin over and over, it is an evidence of remorse (feeling sorry) without repentance. True repentance is the heart change of seeing the sin as God sees it, hating it as He hates it, and forsaking it because we love our heavenly Father.
Honestly ask the Spirit of God to show you your sins.
After you have repented of the sins, ask Jesus to bring the power of the cross into your life to redeem you from the stronghold that the sin habit has on your life. Jesus is the power for the liberty of a holy life.
When the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.[John 8:36]
Remember, our context today is relationships, but these could include other situations as well.
The little foxes that spoil the vines are numerous. These foxes are the yielding of ourselves to sin and the vines they spoil are the outgrowth of our relationships and Christian lives.
Ecclesiastes 10:1 (New Living Translation) says, “Dead flies will cause even a bottle of perfume to stink! An ounce of foolishness can outweigh a pound of wisdom and honor.” There are little things in our life that can cause disastrous effects upon our relationship futures.
What are these foxes? How do they spoil our lives? Let us see how what the little foxes in the vineyards of our daily lives can become destructive forces that not only keep us from growing closer to God but will divide us from one another.
Strongholds in our lives: These summarize each of the related sins.
ANGER (dishonoring God’s love and forgiveness)
bitterness
resentment
unforgiveness
revenge
hurts
keeping accounts
impatience
PRIDE (dishonoring His grace)
cold heart
critical spirit
judging
jealousy
murmuring and complaining
no servant spirit
offending others
being opinionated beyond grace
stubbornness
SELF (dishonoring His Lordship)
selfishness, self-centeredness
self-pity
self-justification
defending my rights
being a spiritually spoiled child
unkindness
unloving attitudes or actions
insensitivity
impatience
NO FEAR OF GOD (dishonoring His holiness)
disobedience
tolerance of evil
idols in the heart: family, time, self, job, leisure, comfort, etc
busyness
laziness, idleness, undisciplined life
not heeding discipline by God
people-pleasing more than God-pleasing
no concern for the lost
misuse of the tongue- These foxes do their dirty work through the tongues of accusation and assassination.
gossip
pet sins
CONTROL (dishonoring His sovereignty)
expectations that are not God-given
an entitlement mindset
demanding rights
independent spirit
manipulation
perfectionism
LUST (dishonoring His righteousness)
coveting a person sexually
sexual indulgence
love for things of this world
divided heart: eternal values vs. world’s values
gluttony
addiction
LYING (dishonoring His truth)
falseness, pretense
deception
untruth
UNBELIEF (dishonoring His word)
discouragement-[This fox paid visits to Jonah under his gourd vine and Elijah under the juniper tree.]
fear
guilt
living by feelings
no joy
depression
hopelessness
tension
anxiety
worry
Satan surely has gained more victories among relationships through seemingly small things than the great. How he must laugh to see ministers and laymen alike chasing the “lions” and “dragons” away from around us while the little foxes, unobserved and almost unhindered, spoil their vineyards. How often have we majored in minors! Life’s little worries are the worst. But Satan attacks most often as a little fox[unseen], not as a roaring lion[seen] seeking whom he may devour.
It takes very little time and effort on his part to make a Christian feel overwhelmed.
The enemy will often use random people to irritate and upset you.
But Satan’s favorite tools to use against you are those closest to you. Your spouse. Your family. Your church. Your friends. A stranger can only hurt you to a limited extent. But someone who is close to you can deliver a mortal blow. Because you trust them.
The “little foxes” merely prepare the way for the final wound. The spouse, weakened and wounded, is an easy target for such an attack.
We must kill off these sly little foxes (our carnal leanings) if we would attain God’s best for our lives, no matter whomever and wherever we may be in our Christian lives.
How:
*Forgive and move on. Go about your Father’s business.
*Choose to love instead of hate. Remember that love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8
*Laugh! A merry heart doeth good! It is medicine to the soul and health to the bones. Prov 17:22
*Spend time in the Word together. The Word of God (The Bible) is the ultimate weapon against the enemy. And you WILL overcome the enemy only through the Word of God.
The Great Barrier Reef stretches some 1,800 miles from New Guinea to Australia. Tour guides regularly take visitors to view the reef.
On one tour, the guide was asked an interesting question. “I notice that the lagoon side of the reef looks pale and lifeless, while the ocean side is vibrant and colorful,” a traveler observed. “Why is this?”
The guide gave an interesting answer: “The coral around the lagoon side is in still water, with no challenge for its survival. It dies early. The coral on the ocean side is constantly being tested by wind, waves, storms—surges of power. It has to fight for survival every day of its life. As it is challenged and tested it changes and adapts. It grows healthy. It grows strong. And it reproduces.” Then he added this telling note: “That’s the way it is with every living organism.”
That’s how it is with relationships. Challenged and tested, we come alive! Like coral pounded by the sea, we grow. Physical demands can cause us to grow stronger. Mental and emotional stress can produce tough-mindedness and resiliency. Spiritual testing can produce strength of character and faithfulness.