Song of Solomon 2:15

The fruit is still green and tender. The vines are only beginning to blossom. The vineyard must be guarded. The little foxes have sharp teeth, and though little, they are cunning and do great damage among the vines. During the bleakness and barrenness of winter there is no cover in the vineyards for the fox. The leafless bough offers no attraction. But when spring revives, they find plenty of shelter, and good opportunities to do their damage. Watch, then, my soul, the state of your own heart. Watch especially against the daily cares of this present life, and the thousand things that tend to spoil your fruitfulness. Abide in the true vine, and draw your nourishment from His roots. Then you will bear much fruit to the Father's glory.

John baptised the Lord in the Jordan, and God showed His good pleasure in Him. At once the Lord faced Satan's schemes in the wilderness. In the same way, after seasons of great spiritual refreshment, the Christian will surely be tested. So he must guard against the raids of the little foxes. They will finally rob him of the fruit of the vine — the joy of salvation!

Notice the gracious way in which the Lord asks us to deal with these sly little foxes that slip in almost unnoticed and spoil our fruitfulness and fellowship with Him. Knowing that we can do nothing in our own strength, He invites us to work with Him in taking these little foxes. "Let us," He says, "take the foxes." He does not say, "Now you see to it that the little foxes don't get in and spoil the vine." That would throw us back on our own responsibility and our own strength and would end in failure. But He says, "Let us take the little foxes," inviting us in our weakness to count on His strength and help.

We let some fox — a little one, as nature counts — work unnoticed in the secret of our hearts. Pride, covetousness, lust, unkind and bitter thoughts, complaining and discontent, irritability and impatience, jealousy and envy, or vanity and frivolity, may go unjudged. They hinder our fellowship with Him, and the life becomes unfruitful. We need to keep a sharp watch against the raids of these foxes, and drive them out without mercy if they appear.

While the keeper of the vineyard slept, the fox was doing its work of destruction... the tender grapes were gone... While the vine-grower looked sadly on his ruined vine, the thought crossed his mind — thank God! the root remains. For even the foxes of hell may not dig up the roots of any plant of the Father's planting. But the damage done to his promising vine was such that for a long time to come it would bear little fruit.

Her heart is more taken up with the blessings than with the Blesser, though the blessing is Himself... Conscience tells her that something is hindering the power and fruitfulness of her soul. "Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards" (v. 15); but she cannot bring herself to follow Him. It is one thing to have the Saviour, and quite another to follow Him.

The millennial reign will be a time of unmatched blessing and fruitfulness. His sceptre of righteousness will deal with every evil the moment it appears, before it grows into greater harm. The little foxes are taken at once, before they have time to spoil the vine or grow into more destructive agents. Redeemed Israel — especially those who stand firm for Christ through bitter persecution — will share with Him in this righteous government.