Catch The Foxes
Devotions for Growing Christians
Catch The Foxes
Song of Solomon 2:15 - Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that are ruining the vineyards, while our vineyards are in blossom.
Read all of Song of Solomon.
Spring is the time of year when everything bursts into bloom - including love! Bitter winds and bare branches disappear. Warm breezes and colorful blossoms arrive. Budding life and love are everywhere. It's great to be alive! How welcome is that walk in the park or through the woods - especially with that special person!
But what does all this "love in the springtime" talk have to do with the Bible? And that title sure doesn't sound biblical! Well, the Bible has a lot to say about love - including "budding romances." In fact, Song of Solomon is all about love and romance! As for the title? It’s taken straight from the Bible! "Catching the foxes" is a figurative expression for something that’s very important in a love relationship.
But first let's talk a little about the Song of Solomon in general. Many growing Christians have never even read Solomon’s Song - and those who have read it know it’s not easy to understand. In fact, Bible scholars and commentators have a variety of opinions on how the Song should be interpreted. Some say there are two lovers in the story, while others say there are three lovers.
The Three Lover View
The three-lover “triangular” view was first put forward in the late 1700's (that’s relatively recent in Church history). In this view, the true love affair is not between King Solomon and a Shulammite maiden, but rather between a young Shulammite shepherdess and and shepherd. The young woman and the shepherd are simple country folk who have fallen in love and are planning to marry. But along comes the "villain" of the story - King Solomon! When he catches a glimpse of the beautiful maiden, he lusts after her and abducts her for his already-large royal harem (6:8). But in spite of all his wooing and wealth, Solomon cannot persuade the maiden to wed him. She remains true to her shepherd, and continues to dream and talk only of him. In the meantime, her shepherd lover comes to Jerusalem to see what he can do to get his fiancee released from Solomon's clutches. Finally, Solomon grants the maiden her freedom. She and her shepherd then travel home together, happily looking forward to their marriage.
The Two Lover View
In the traditional two-lover view of the Song, we have the account of King Solomon's true love for a Shulammite peasant girl. Solomon had observed this beautiful young woman while on a trip in the northern territories of his kingdom - maybe to certain crown properties or vineyards. The young woman was working nearby in her family's vineyard when Solomon saw her (1:6). She had no idea that she would soon become a "Cinderella." Rather than use his powers as king to abduct the maiden for his harem, Solomon decided to disguise himself as a shepherd and win her heart by slowly building a love relationship with her.
And the plan worked! Soon after Solomon revealed his true identity the couple was married. King Solomon, of course, spared no expense for the wedding. The marriage procession with all its splendor is described at the end of chapter 3. The wedding takes place within chapter 4, and the marriage is consummated at the beginning of chapter 5. In the context of the royal palace and in the public eye, the love relationship between Solomon and his bride deepens and matures throughout the rest of the Song.
This does not mean, however, that the story closes with "and they lived happily ever after"! No. In the two-lover view, this is not a fairy tale. It’s a real story from Solomon’s life, written in poetic form. In chapter 5, for example, there is a misunderstanding between the lovers. And at the end of chapter 7 and the beginning of chapter 8, the Shulammite bride appears to be upset with all the demands of public life in the royal palace. She would much rather have had Solomon all to herself back in the simple village where she had been raised. Oh, to be free from all the social proprieties and taboos against the public display of affection, and be able to kiss her husband in public - as she could kiss a brother (8:1).
But in spite of these ripples, the love between husband and wife continues to grow. Their love triumphs over the misunderstandings. They didn’t let the little frustrations gnaw away at their relationship. If only we worked at our love relationships in the same way - our love for the Lord, and our love for that special person God has given us (or will give us), and our love for one another in God’s family! This is precisely where the work of "catching little foxes" becomes important.
Catching Little Foxes
The statement about foxes comes near the end of what seems to be a spring walk in the hills, with the beauty of nature bursting out everywhere (2:10-13). There the lovers resolve to work at their relationship and not let anything spoil its beauty. They liken potential problem areas to “little foxes.” As little foxes can ruin the vineyards by gnawing at the tender shoots, so the little problems that inevitably emerge can ruin that relationship. These "little foxes" must be caught and stopped before they do further damage.
"Little foxes" always seem to come around when a beautiful relationship is coming together - when the "vineyards are in blossom.” Our love relationship with the Lord, for example. Just when everything seems to be going well, the little fox of neglect shows up - neglect of reading of God's Word, or neglect of communication through prayer. And what about our relationship with that particular man or woman whom the Lord has chosen for us? How often the little foxes of cutting words cause needless breakdowns in a relationship that could otherwise be beautiful. And then there are the little foxes of petty jealousies and misunderstandings that tear down our love for one another in our church families. How sad! Without some fox-catching activity, the little foxes will continue to eat away until they become big foxes!
Regardless of which view is taken of Song of Solomon, many applications can be made from the story. Even if the phrase "catch the foxes" can be interpreted differently. One interpretation holds that these are the words of the maiden’s brothers, telling their sister to stop her daydreaming and get back to the family’s vineyard to protect the vines from the foxes. But regardless of the various views, the story is still loaded with lessons for us because it’s a love story. And there are valuable lessons for us in any love relationship presented in the Bible.
Probably the most important lesson we can learn from Solomon’s Song is that marital sex is a gift. Sex is not a "no-no," or merely a necessary means to propagate the human race. No, physical love between husband and wife is a wonderful God-given gift. As long as sex is within the boundaries that God has set up, sex is beautiful. And the Bible clearly gives the boundaries. Some ancient rabbis would not permit a Hebrew boy to read the Song until he was 30 years old, so that the boy's thought life would be guarded from possible "unhealthy tangents," but the Song presents a healthy view of sex and teaches the sanctity of love and marriage.
Because the Song portrays the deep and wonderful romantic love between a man and woman, it obviously becomes a beautiful illustration of the love relationship between Christ and His people. God has ordained that the love relationship between a man and his bride should reflect the love relationship between Christ and His Bride, the Church (Ephesians 5:31-32). What a tremendous testimony for the Lord your marriage can be, if you determine from the start that it is going to reflect our Lord's love for us! This will involve some hard work and sacrifice, because those "foxes" will have to be caught! Don't let "little foxes" spoil the message God wants to convey through your marriage.
Sly little foxes are not always easy to catch, but it’s possible. The problem areas that are bound to crop up in any growing love relationship are not always easy to catch and deal with, but with diligent effort and divine assistance those little foxes can be eliminated!
- Dave Reid