Beware of Little Foxes – Song of Solomon 2:15

The Groom exhorts the bride to be vigilant and to guard against the threat of little foxes. A powerful lesson to believers on the need to be spiritually vigilant lest we allow little sins to creep into our lives and damage our fruitfulness and testimony for the Lord.

The Song of Solomon can said to be the second part of John 4:14 “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst.”

Review of last lesson: The Groom pursues his bride (Vs. 14)

• Her Title – ‘dove’ (14a)
• Her Position (14b)
  1. Safety & Security
  2. Shade & Shelter
• Her Appeal (14c)
  1. Her face is beautiful – He desires to see it
  2. Her voice is sweet – He desires to hear it

The Danger of little foxes – “the foxes, the little foxes”

1. “the vines” – symbolise the believer’s fruitfulness and fellowship with Christ. ‘our’ – both the Groom & bride share ownership of the vines
2. “tender grapes” = blossoms
3. “little foxes” = pose a threat to the vitality of the vineyard
   1. Foxes were numerous in Judea. Samson caught 300! (Judges 15:4)
   2. The fox’s nature: sly, subtle, cunning, concealed, predator
   3. Christ likened king Herod to a fox (Luke 12:32)
   4. What the little foxes represent?
      1. The small, seemingly insignificant sins that creep into our lives, almost unnoticed – un-biblical thought patterns, emotional habits & strongholds (anger, taking up offenses, control) The sins of the self-life like self-love, self-promotion & self-defence
      2. The things that may not be in and of themselves evil, but have the potential to cause destruction if spiritual vigilance and discernment is not exercised (i.e. the weights in the Christian life)
      3. Ecclesiastes 10:1 “Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.”
      4. Hudson Taylor: “The enemies may be small, but the mischief done great. A little spray of blossom, so tiny as to be scarcely perceived, is easily spoiled, but thereby the fruitfulness of a whole branch may be for ever destroyed. And how numerous the little foxes are! Little compromises with the world; disobedience to the still small voice in little things; little indulgences of the flesh to the neglect of duty; little strokes of policy; doing evil in little things that good may come; and the beauty and the fruitfulness of the vine are sacrificed.”

The Damage of little foxes – “that spoil the vines”

1. “spoil the vines” = foxes do this in many ways, as those who write of them have observed, by gnawing and breaking the little branches and leaves, and the bark, by digging holes in the vineyards, and so spoiling the roots, by eating the grapes, and other ways. (Poole)
2. Why are little foxes so dangerous? Because little foxes don’t stay little, they grow up! “Little leopards become big leopards, and big leopards kill!”
3. Bible Illustrations
   1. David indulged in a little fox called idleness that ended in adultery.
   2. Moses allowed the little fox of anger to creep into his life and it resulted in his being banned from entering the promised land.
   3. A little fox called pride and presumption crept into King Saul’s life one day, followed quickly by another little fox called partial obedience that resulted in the termination of Saul’s kingdom and found him seeking help from a witch at the end of his life.
   4. A little fox called temptation was entertained in Eve’s life one day. It seemed such a small and insignificant thing to take one bite of the forbidden fruit, but it brought devastating and deadly consequences.
   5. Samson allowed the little fox called lust to roam in the vineyard of his life. It seemed so small and manageable for quite some time but eventually that little fox stole his strength and power and left him blind and grinding at the mill.
   6. A little fox called “love for the world” crept subtly into Demas’ life which eventually drew him away from a life of fruitful service for God.
   7. Peter’s little fox was called “self-confidence”. It almost seemed to be an honourable trait at first glance but it ended in his three-fold denial of the Saviour he loved.

The Destruction of little foxes – “take us”

1. A sensitive spirit – listening to the voice of Christ
   1. We may ask, “how do I identify the little foxes in my life? I do not know what they are?” Ask your heavenly Bridegroom to show you by His Holy Spirit. In our text, He is the one who identifies these little foxes to the bride so she can deal with them. Christ will make them known to you if you ask Him to show you.
   2. This means we need to maintain a humble, teachable spirit.
2. A watchful spirit – spiritual vigilance and alertness
   1. ‘take’ = to take hold of, seize, grasp.
   2. Other translations: Jacob “took hold” of Esau’s heel (Gen. 25:26); Samson “took” of the city gate (Judges 16:3); the ram ‘caught’ in a thicket (Gen 22:13)
   3. The believer, is to mortify (put to death) the sins of the flesh (S. Rom. 6:11 & 8:13) “This is a charge to believers to mortify their own corruptions, their sinful appetites and passions, which are as foxes, little foxes, that destroy their graces and comforts, quash good motions, crush good beginnings, and prevent their coming to perfection.” (Matthew Henry)
   4. The believer is to make no provision for the flesh. He is to remove the destructive influences from his life – Romans 13:14 “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”
      1. ‘provision’ = Paul means that in the case of the evil nature, we are to take the attitude that we are under no obligations to obey it, and thus we will not provide for it in any part of our lives. (Wuest)
      2. 1 Thess. 5:22 “Abstain from all appearance of evil.”
      3. We are exhorted to keep ourselves “unspotted from the world.” (James 1:27)

Conclusion

1. What is our attitude to the seemingly ‘small’ and ‘minor’ things in our lives? Are we being sensitive to the Holy Spirit?
2. As we approach the Lord’s table, do we do so harbouring little foxes we are unwilling to deal with?

Sermon 11 of 22 in Song of Solomon Series

Sermon Audio Id: 92417629407