Catch the Little Foxes 捉住小狐狸
Dexu Xia
Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards. Song of Songs 2:15
Today's Scripture Song of Songs 2:8-15
Today's Insights First Kings 4:32 tells us that Solomon’s songs “numbered a thousand and five.” The very first verse of Song of Songs attributes the book to this wisest of kings (1:1). Also called Song of Solomon, the song differs substantially from Solomon’s other wisdom writings (Proverbs and Ecclesiastes). It isn’t a collection of proverbs; it’s a love poem. Solomon extols romantic love, and he does so in poetry so passionate it may cause some to blush (see ch. 7 for a case in point). Perhaps because of this frankness, some early church leaders tried to interpret the song allegorically (and some still do). They see it as a picture of God’s love for His church. That’s a possible interpretation, but the theme of the song is undeniably about sexual love. Importantly, this Song of Songs presents sex as God intended—within the context of a loving marriage between a man and woman. And as we live out what God has intended, we’ll also catch the “little foxes” (2:15) that can destroy us and others
Today's Devotional “It’s the little foxes that spoil the vine,” my grandmother used to say. Then my mom repeated the same thing. And now I say it to my own children. But what does it mean to beware of “the little foxes”? After planting grapevines, it can take several years before they bear fruit. The vines require a lot of patience, care, watering, pruning, and protection. Foxes—even though small—can cause major damage by destroying the roots, eating the grapes, or chewing the stalk.
In the poetic love story of the Song of Songs, Solomon warns, “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards” (2:15). Some scholars believe this refers to seemingly small problems or behaviors that could threaten the young man and woman’s relationship if left unchecked.
Likewise for our spiritual journey, little things like bitterness (Hebrews 12:15), “unwholesome talk” (Ephesians 4:29), or even harmful influence from others (1 Corinthians 15:33) can slip into our lives and hardly be noticed. My grandmother understood that little things can cause great harm, and her wisdom spoke volumes to her grandchildren. As we spend time in prayer and reading the Scriptures, the Spirit will help us “catch the little foxes”—the temptations or habits that might spoil our relationship with others and our walk with Christ.
Reflect & Pray What little things do you need to catch before they cause harm? How can you warn others to watch for “little foxes”?
Dear Father, please help me be alert for and deal with the little stuff that causes great damage. By Brent Hackett
要给我们擒拿狐狸，就是毁坏葡萄园的小狐狸。雅歌 2:15
今日经文：雅歌 2章8-15 节
今日心得：列王纪上 4章32节 告诉我们，所罗门的歌“共有一千零五首”。《雅歌》的第一节就说，这本书是这位最睿智的君王写的（1:1）。《雅歌》也被称为《所罗门之歌》。与所罗门的其他智慧著作（《箴言》和《传道书》）截然不同，《雅歌》不是一部箴言集，而是一首情诗。所罗门颂扬浪漫的爱情，他的诗歌充满激情，甚至令人脸红（例如，第七章）。或许正是因为这种坦率，一些早期教会领袖试图用寓言的方式诠释《雅歌》（有些人至今仍在这样做）。他们将《雅歌》视为上帝对祂教会之爱的写照，这是一种可能的解释。但这首歌的主题无疑是关于性爱的。重要的是，《雅歌》按照上帝的旨意，将性爱展现在男女之间充满爱的婚姻中。当我们活出上帝的旨意时，我们也能抓住那些可能毁灭我们和他人的“小狐狸”（2:15）。
今日灵修 “小狐狸会毁坏葡萄树”，我祖母曾经这样说。后来我妈妈也重复了同样的话。现在我也对自己的孩子这么说。但是，提防“小狐狸”是什么意思呢？种下葡萄树后，可能需要几年时间才能结出果实。葡萄树需要大量的耐心、照料、浇水、修剪和保护。狐狸，尽管体型较小，也可能对葡萄树造成严重破坏，比如破坏树根、啃食葡萄或啃咬葡萄茎。在雅歌这充满诗情爱意的爱情故事中，所罗门警告说：“要为我们抓狐狸，就是毁坏葡萄园的小狐狸”（2:15）。一些学者认为，这指的是一些看似微不足道的问题或行为，如果不加以控制，可能会威胁到年轻男女的关系。
同样，在我们的属灵旅程中，像苦毒（希伯来书12:15）、“污秽的言语”（以弗所书4:29），甚至来自他人的有害影响（哥林多前书15:33）等小事，都可能悄悄地潜入我们的生活，却几乎难以察觉。我的祖母明白，小事也能造成很大的伤害，她的智慧对她的孙辈们意义非凡。当我们花时间祷告和读经时，圣灵会帮助我们“捉住小狐狸”，那些可能破坏我们与他人关系以及影响我们与基督同行的诱惑或习惯。
反思与祷告：你需要在哪些小事造成伤害之前就抓住它们？你该如何警告别人警惕“小狐狸”？
亲爱的天父，请帮助我警惕并处理那些会造成巨大伤害的小事。作者：布伦特·哈克特