CATCH US THE LITTLE FOXES
Song of Solomon 2:15
I can tell you right now, there are those who are not present tonight who NEED to hear this message. As you hear it, God may lay someone on your heart. Get this tape, and give it to him, or her. It’s CRUCIAL that this word gets into the ears of some.
There are two books of the Bible that are preached less than the rest. Coming in at #2 is Revelation. Many preachers don’t understand it, so they don’t preach it. But probably #1 is the Song of Solomon. Just the mention of it makes most in the religious sect begin to blush, and shy away. It records the love affair of King Solomon with the Shunamite Maiden. It’s a romance that would make WalMart’s cheesy romance novel section GREEN with envy.
But in the midst of it, there is a strange verse; a verse that demands a glimpse tonight. It’s odd, and seemingly irrelevant. Yet it teaches a very important principle of excellence in church ministry.
If a church is seen as healthy, it’s described as growing. There are many expressions of God’s people, Israel, the church, where we are described in reference to plants,or trees. In John 15, Jesus describes himself as the Vine and describes us as the branches.
He describes Israel as a fig tree. God describes the RIGHTEOUS PERSON as a TREE OF LIFE in Psalm 1. Growing plants, such as vines seem to typify God’s people, and their growth is indicative of our growth.
Song of Solomon 2:15
15 Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.
Reading it again in the NIV…
Song 2:15
15 Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.
I. I think first, that it’s notable to mention that word TAKE…
The Hebrew Word for “TAKE” is Achaz (aw-khaz’). It literally means, “to seize” or to lay hold of. He’s telling us in this, GET A HOLD on the LITTLE FOXES. SEIZE THEM. CATCH THEM BEFORE THEY CAN DAMAGE THE HARVEST that GOD INTENDS TO SEND. SEIZE THEM, BECAUSE THEY CAN RUIN a vineyard.
If this scripture tells us anything, it tells us that when something is ALIVE and GROWING, that there ARE dangers to that growth.
There are FOXES. What are those FOXES? The FOXES can be ATTITUDES. The FOXES, more likely, can be the TRICKS of the enemy to hinder growth. And the Enemy of our soul DOES send forth FOXES to hinder growth.
As soon as things begin to go forward, the enemy sends out the FOXES. One thing that PROVES things are going well – THE FOXES COME IN. One thing that proves that God is blessing; the arrival of little foxes.
Sometimes they are little squabbles within the body; little problems that arise between members. Sometimes, it’s the imaginary issues. “So-and-so just doesn’t like me.” “She didn’t even talk to me Sunday…” Maybe she just had a bad day. A lot of times, the problems we perceive are just imaginary; things we come up with on our own. You may think Sister Lunabelle is mad at you, and she might be CLUELESS as to WHAT’S going on.
We have to put up our defenses against the FOXES, NOW. Prepare ourselves. Things are going well in Elton Woods right now. God is doing great things. I’ve begun to see the tender grapes, appearing on the vine again. And as sure as the tender shoots spring forth… as sure as the blossoms appear… as sure as developing grapes burst out into a cluster, FOXES APPEAR.
We’re serving a loving God, who sends the growth. But we’re fighting a treacherous devil, who is determined to keep us from being fruitful. He’s sending out the foxes. And make no mistake, the foxes will come. But look what the passage says about the FOXES. Verse 15 calls them LITTLE FOXES.
The passage says, “Take us the foxes, the LITTLE foxes…” Most of the things that RUIN vineyards, are LITTLE THINGS. Most of the things that split churches are LITTLE THINGS. More churches have split over CARPET, and SHRUBRY. I’ve heard of churches splitting over moving a piano. God help us; the LITTLE FOXES.
It’s like the vine is out of control, it’s growing in a way that the enemy can’t do one thing about. Jesus said, “I will build my church and the gates of hell will NOT prevail against it.” And the vine strengthens the branches – and the branches bring forth bud. The enemy knows that he can’t chop down the vine. The vine is the source of the growth. So he sends in a fox to hit on the NEW GROWTH. The vineyards that are influenced are the vineyards with the TENDER GRAPES; the vineyards that are in bloom.
Who pays? The new guy; the NEW BELIEVER; the NEW MEMBER; the one who’s NOT STRONGLY ENGRAFTED; the one who’s most vulnerable.
The foxes don’t get the branch that’s been growing 20 years. The foxes get the NEW GRAPES; the NEW BLOOMS; the most tender spot on the vine.
It seems significant, in the reference books I’ve read about this, that the foxes in Palestine would wreck havoc with vines. They could ruin a valuable harvest by devouring the bunches of immature young grapes. The little foxes… they typify the attitudes that stop creative work… they hinder the development necessary to get to full maturity.
II. FRIENDS, we have to make a choice today to GUARD against the little foxes…
We’re in a growing church. Things are advancing and looking up. There are new people, new families, new growth, and a new attitude. Things are happening positively. It might not be 100% the way you’d like it to be, but it’s growing, and going forward. We all have to make adjustments, sacrifices, and make room for things to move.
Things are progressing nicely. I have to get on myself sometimes, because I always want to see things grow MORE QUICKLY. I always want more. But I think this thing is being ordered of the Lord. He’s taking us on the steps He wants us on. He’s lining up the times and the seasons for us. It’s not just a halfway job that God is doing. He’s lining things up in an UNBELIEVABLE WAY.
That’s not unfamiliar to us at Elton Woods. In these past ten months, we’ve experienced all kinds of things… All kinds of GODINCIDENCES… God just working things out. And you get through on the other side of His provision, and you’re like “WOW! That HAD TO BE GOD!”
When God is moving like that, that’s when the FOXES move in. That’s when the enemy sends destructive elements to hamper the growth. The new grapes, as soon as they appear, are in jeopardy.
III. How do we guard against the foxes?
We commit ourselves to prayer. We recognize that God will show us when we’re dealing with a little Fox, if we’ll just faithfully pray. We get into the Word of God. The Word that teaches us that our adversary the devil is roaming around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. I like that word “MAY.”
If it had said “CAN” devour, that would imply ABILITY. There’s no question the devil CAN DEVOUR. But “MAY” implies PERMISSION. The devil is roaming around looking for someone he’s got PERMISSION to devour. I’ll tell you the devil MAY NOT devour me. He MAY NOT devour Elton Woods church. He does NOT have permission to do that.
We pray, and we get into the Word. And we have to decide, we’re not going to be influenced by the little foxes when they DO COME. The little foxes come just as surely as the growth comes. As soon as a fledgling grape bursts forth on the vine, the foxes appear. They begin gnawing on the green shoots. It only takes a few foxes loose in the vineyard, and the harvest is destroyed. A year lost; efforts hindered. Precious young growth forever devoured, and carried away.
We have to make a determination – we’re going to LAY HOLD OF THE LITTLE FOXES NOW. We’re going to seize them. We’re going to recognize when there is a FOX loose trying to destroy growth. We’re going to look for the tactics of the devil. We determine, we’re going to walk circumspectly not as fools, but wise, redeeming the time for the days are EVIL.
Friends, I’ve got news for you, there have already been some foxes loose and working in our little growing church; already working on the greenest grapes, those that are most vulnerable. God’s got a harvest for us, but the devil is working overtime to halt it. When there is a wheat harvest, HE SOWS TARES. When the vines are alive with new grapes, HE SENDS OUT FOXES. Today, we have to decide we’re going to CATCH THE FOXES, BEFORE they destroy tomorrow’s harvest.
You might already know someone that a LITTLE FOX has gotten a hold of. Get this tape, and get it to them. And join me tonight and pray. WE SEE A HARVEST IN SIGHT. Let’s not let the LITTLE FOXES SPOIL THE VINES, and the valuable harvest we have coming to us.
