Little Foxes in Marriage

O. T. #1551  "Little Foxes in Marriage"
Oct. 24, 2019
Song of Solomon 2-Part 2
Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies. (verses 15-16)

LET IT GLOW

One time we rented a house in town after the parsonage was quickly sold and before we got the farmhouse remodeled. The backyard had a chain fence around it. Interwoven in it were grape vines. As summer came, I noticed the vines were loaded with lushes grapes, which ripened. I had to quickly pick them due to birds flying in to eat them. The birds were similar to the little foxes in our key verses today. Their goal was to eat, destroy, the fruit. There is noting like eating a juicy vine ripened grape in your mouth.

Little foxes among the vines. To what does that refer? Well, large groups of young foxes can descend on a field or orchard and destroy it, eating the grapes before they were harvested, tender grapes. The owner of the vineyard needed the fruit which was destroyed.

The Shulamite  young sister was told to destroy those little foxes before they destroyed their crop. Those little critters could work havoc in Palestinian vineyards. They play among the vines, dig holes, and spoil fences. Although carnivorous, they are also fond of young shoots and grapes; so they need to be trapped or driven away before the fruit begins to ripen. (Clarke, pg. 52)

How do the little foxes apply to us?

• There are all kinds of problems that can disturb or destroy a marriage.
• They must be removed in order to have a successful and continuing marriage.
• Little irritations must not be ignored, but identified so the couple can deal with them. (Application Study Bible)

Got any of those little things that irritate you or your spouse? (Slurping, shoes scattered through the house, not putting down the seat-nip them in the bud early, friend.) Don't let them fester into big sore spots and cause division.

The church needs to watch for the foxes, false prophets and persecutors. They rob peace and progress of the gospel. They must be tamed or restrained of their mischief. (Matthew Henry)


LET IT GROW

My beloved is mine, and I am his. (verse 16a)

This gal remembers the shepherd she loves back home. Her heart belongs to him.
Believers and the church belong to Christ. We are his and He is our Beloved. We commune with Him through prayer and Christ is our Mediator. He gives us happiness and all we need.

Do you belong to Christ? Are you walking and talking with Jesus all day long?
Have we given ourselves to Christ, all of our selves to Him (2 Corinthians 8:5)?

If we be His, His wholly, His only, His forever, we may take the comfort of His being ours. (Matthew Henry)

LET IT GO
                      ... and let love reign.
                                 ... letting the little things not become big things.