Hebrew Highlights 20 – Little Foxes

Shalom, this is Yuval Shomron, coming to you from Jerusalem.

Today, I am moved to speak to you about the little foxes and the vineyards. These days, we could use the 15^th verse of the 2^nd chapter of the Song of Solomon as a prayer, "Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that are ruining the vineyards, while our vineyards are in blossom."

In Hebrew it says “shualim k’tanim, mechablim kramim”. Little foxes who terrorize the vineyard. The root word “chabel” which in modern Hebrew is the word which has been adopted for terror, has its origins in Aramaic, and is only found in 3 verses in the Bible. Besides the one I have already mentioned, there are 2 in the book of Daniel: DAN 3:25 He answered and said, "Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!" DAN 6:23 Then the king was very pleased and gave orders for Daniel to be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

Without going into the stories behind these passages, which I assume most of you are familiar with, I will remind you that the harm and injury in the cases of Daniel and his 3 friends, were obviously planned as injury with the intent to kill. So, it is no wonder that the evolution of the word brought it to the modern day equivalent of terrorism.

The significance of the little foxes, is that foxes do not travel in packs, but sneak into the vineyard, or chicken house sneakily, one at a time. Foxes are also known to sit and study their intended target for some time before the actual intrusion.

Now to help you understand the importance of the vineyards, let’s look at 2 scriptures. ISA 65:18-21 "But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing, And her people for gladness. "I will also rejoice in Jerusalem, and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her The voice of weeping and the sound of crying. "No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, Or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred Shall be thought accursed. "And they shall build houses and inhabit them; They shall also plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

Now I’d like to read JER 31:4-6 "Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! Again you shall take up your tambourines, And go forth to the dances of the merrymakers. "Again you shall plant vineyards On the hills of Samaria; The planters shall plant And shall enjoy them. "For there shall be a day when watchmen On the hills of Ephraim shall call out, 'Arise, and let us go up to Zion, To the Lord our God.'"

I should mention here that this passage speaks specifically of the land which is today called the territories.

When the Bible says “They shall also plant vineyards and eat their fruit”, it is a colorful and blessed way of saying, “the people will plan to stay for a long time.” No one who rents property plants a vineyard. Only a home-owner will take the time to do so because there are no grapes for 3 years, Even then, it usually takes another year or two of patient watering, and pruning to bring the fruit to a quality for eating or making good wine.

So, a good vineyard takes years of diligent and careful preparation and planning. The foxes can ruin it in a few minutes of terrorism. So too, the terrorists of today are attacking no less than promises of God. He has intended Israel to be a place of rejoicing, not weeping; fruitfulness, not wildnerness; and a land of ripe-old-agers, not of youths losing their lives needlessly.

It is the very replanting and rebuilding of the Lord and His chosen people which most upset Israel’s enemies. Another great prophecy is found in AMOS 9:11-15 "In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, And wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old; That they may possess the remnant of Edom And all the nations who are called by My name, "Declares the Lord who does this. "Behold, days are coming," declares the Lord, "When the plowman will overtake the reaper And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; When the mountains will drip sweet wine, And all the hills will be dissolved. "Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, And they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them, They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, And make gardens and eat their fruit. "I will also plant them on their land, And they will not again be rooted out from their land Which I have given them," Says the Lord your God.

Please pray that God will "Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that are ruining the vineyards, while our vineyards are in blossom."

Shalom, Shalom from Jerusalem.