Little Foxes – Sunday School Lessons that Have Stayed with Me

Beware the little foxes that spoil the vine…

Have you noticed that Father God is a master at using the ordinary to teach us profound spiritual truths? All throughout scripture we see the way natural elements teach us Kingdom wisdom. When we see a hen raise her wings to cover her chicks when it is raining, we see good mothering on display. When an eagle pushes her young out of the nest, initially we think she is being cruel until we see that baby fly in a way they had only imagined. The lesson the eagle teaches us? Don’t be in codependent relationships with your children. Teach them how to soar on their own.

“Take us the foxes, The little foxes, That spoil the vines: For our vines have tender grapes.” Song of Solomon 2:15-16 KJV

“Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.”  Nehemiah 4:3 KJV

When I was young I was blessed with an excellent Sunday School teacher. She had a way of unwrapping scripture in such a way we saw it as a personal message to us from Father God. One Sunday, she warned us about the little foxes mentioned in Scripture and taught the lesson in such a way that I have remembered that scripture all my life.

This biblical principle was echoed by my Dad as well when he warned me it is easy to recognize and steer clear of obvious dangers, but that I needed to be on guard against sneaky lies and innocent temptations.

Opportunistic Feeders

Baby foxes are cute and innocent looking but foxes are destructive as well as opportunistic feeders. They have been known to eat puppies and small dogs when they are hungry, and where there is one, you can count on there being many more. You can imagine the damage they would do in a vineyard in the spring when tender shoots are budding. It is as if the vinedresser’s had put out a salad bar just for them.

We see many opportunistic feeders in today’s world. Men prey on vulnerable women, and sexual predators prey on innocent children. Those are the ones we can easily spot. But what are the little foxes that threaten our daily walk with Christ?

A Little Fox is Not Innocent

The reference to little foxes in The Song of Solomon is a warning to beware of the small things that can erode the marriage relationship. If the vine is spoiled, the relationship will wither and never become what God had meant the Bride and Groom to experience. And there will not be a fruitful harvest.

In Nehemiah 4:3, he warns that a fox can bring down a stone wall (meant to protect.) My Sunday School teacher taught us to guard against small temptations and protect our walk with God.

John records Jesus as saying, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.” John 15:1 KJV

Verse four of that same chapter tells us; “No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”

And again, in John 15:7&8, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

Innocent Obsessions

The list of little foxes I must guard against is long. I spend way too many hours each week looking at cute animal antics on Instagram, watching DIY Youtubers make things I have no need of. I binge watch mystery and detective shows, as well as Podcasters promising to make me younger, healthier, or more of a minimalist than I already am.

G.K. Chesterton has a quote that is one of my lifetime favorites. “Within the confines of Orthodox Christianity is a wide place to run wild.” This tells me God enjoys it when I exercise my creative gifts. Delights in my quirky ways of expressing His life in me and even enjoys it when I express myself in the color of my hair or the clothes I choose to wear. God celebrates our unique design. After all, He created us. But as Chesterton mentions above, believers do best to live within the confines of our faith.

Boundaries are Good

My Sunday School teacher taught us that God had our best interests in mind when he gave us scriptural guidelines. She taught us the song: Oh be careful little eyes what you see, oh be careful little ears what you hear, tongue what you say, feet where you go, all because our Father up above was looking down with love so be careful little one what you choose. I think I am going to dust this song off and start every day with its reminder.

Yes, as a believer, it is important to uncover our strengths and celebrate the gifts God placed in us. But along with this must come the knowledge of our weaknesses as well. My free spirit needs structure and deadlines. I love routine but also enjoy being spontaneous. But without a schedule and boundaries, I would flit from one creative venture to another and never develop the skill set to excel at any. And that would be a tragic misuse of what God has given me. This is the little fox I am wrestling with right now and is a continual prayer request I share with my friends; pray I will make the best use of my time and stick to a schedule. Now that I live on the coast, the beach’s siren call is constant, and I must exercise great discipline to resist. Another little fox: I am also a romantic and cannot always, “follow my heart” or I will end up in a relationship ditch.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23 NIV

Big and Little foxes

“Now the practices of the sinful nature are clearly evident: they are sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality (total irresponsibility, lack of self-control), idolatry, sorcery, hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions [that promote heresies], envy, drunkenness, riotous behavior, and other things like these.” Galatians 5:19-21

As a follower of Christ, our walk is to be different, not the same as before. So why did these believers need to be reminded of how to walk? Verse 9 of this chapter tells us that a little leaven got in and spoiled the whole batch. Little foxes tripped them up.

Walk in the Holy Spirit

How do we defend ourselves against little fox temptations?

Galatians 5:16-17 (AMP) gives us the key: “But I say, walk habitually in the [Holy] Spirit [seek Him and be responsive to His guidance], and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the sinful nature [which responds impulsively without regard for God and His precepts]. For the sinful nature has its desire which is opposed to the Spirit, and the [desire of the] Spirit opposes the sinful nature; for these [two, the sinful nature and the Spirit] are in direct opposition to each other [continually in conflict], so that you [as believers] do not [always] do whatever [good things] you want to do.”

Little foxes look so innocent. But if we do not watch out for them and defend our faith walk, they can distract us, trip us up, and like the game of chutes and ladders, set us back in our journey.

“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

I want to protect the areas where I am vulnerable because I believe God is worthy of all glory.

For further study on little foxes:

Words of Life Ministries: Little Foxes

Got Questions?