In this short series we are talking about the "beasts" that Christians encounter and fight as Paul said that he did when at Ephesus defending the doctrine of the resurrection. (I Cor. 15: 32) In chapters two and three we looked at those people who are appropriately called "dogs" and "wolves." These two animals are similar, for when Paul says "beware of dogs" (Phil. 3: 2) he has wild dogs in mind, and not pet dogs, or shepherd or guard dogs. Dogs and wolves are of the same genus. We saw where in both cases the dogs and the wolves of which we are warned in scripture are people who are false teachers, and who are infiltrators, hypocrites, and deceivers. In this short chapter we will see how they are also called "foxes" (or jackals).
"And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart, ‘Hear the word of the Lord!’ ”Thus says the Lord God: “Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! Israel, your prophets are like foxes in the deserts." (Eze. 13: 1-4 nkjv)
Here the foolish, false, deceitful prophets are compared to "foxes in the deserts." These foxes "follow their own spirit" and have no insight into the things of God. They are charlatans. But, if they are foolish, then why label them as "foxes," for aren't foxes known for being cunning? That is why we say someone is "sly as a fox." But, people also say that someone is "crazy as a fox." That would seem to be more appropriate for "foolish" prophets. As leaders among the community of the Lord's people are of several kinds, so there are various kinds of dogs and several kinds of foxes. Some are crazy, and some are sly and cunning. So people also say of some folks that they are "smart as a fox." This is generally said of those who are "wise to do evil." (Jer. 4: 22) People also say "he outfoxed me." "Foxy" is another word we often hear said of others and means to be "sly, cunning, crafty, wily, tricky, foxy, artful, slick" or means to "attain or seek to attain one's ends by guileful or devious means."
John Gill in his commentary wrote the following about the false prophets being labeled as "foxes" in the above passage:
"...such (false prophets) are comparable to foxes, for their craftiness and cunning, and lying in wait to deceive, as these seduced the Lord's people, Ezekiel 13:10; and such are false teachers, who walk in craftiness, and handle the word of God deceitfully, and are deceitful workers; and to foxes in the deserts, which are hungry and ravenous, and make a prey of whatsoever comes within their reach, as these prophets did of the people, Ezekiel 13:19."
The Lord Jesus Christ also called certain people foxes. Wrote Luke:
"On that very day some Pharisees came, saying to Him, “Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You.” And He said to them, “Go, tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.’" (Luke 13: 31-32 nkjv)
Jesus called Herod Antipas a "fox" to emphasize his cunning, manipulative, and deceitful nature. It was an insult designed to convey the fact that Herod was a base, insignificant, and worthless person rather than a legitimate ruler, using sly tactics to achieve his aims. It makes us think of the unjust steward who his Lord commended for his conniving.
"So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light." (Luke 16: 8 nkjv)
The master did not commend the steward for being unjust. Perish the thought. Rather, he acknowledged that the thieving steward had shown himself a strategist, one who was wise to do evil. There is an old saying about "giving the Devil his due," which is an idiom meaning to give credit to a person or thing that is generally disliked, unpleasant, or considered bad.
The history of the church shows that many human foxes have invaded it. The kingdom of God is compared to a vineyard. (Matt. 20: 1) Wrote the Psalmist:
"Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts; Look down from heaven and see, And visit this vine And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted, And the branch that You made strong for Yourself." (Psa. 80: 14-15 nkjv; See also Isaiah 5: 1-10)
In the Song of Solomon we are warned of the foxes who spoil the vines.
"Catch us the foxes, The little foxes that spoil the vines, For our vines have tender grapes." (2: 15 nkjv)
John Gill in his famous commentary on the Song of Solomon wrote:
"By foxes may be meant false teachers, to whom the false prophets of old were compared, Ezekiel 13:3; foxes are crafty and subtle creatures, malignant and mischievous, hungry and voracious, full of deceit and dissimulation, are of an ill smell, and abominably filthy; so false teachers walk in craftiness, use good words and fair speeches, and thereby deceive the hearts of the simple; their doctrines are pernicious, their heresies damnable, and they bring destruction on themselves and others; they are hungry after worldly substance, are greedy of it, and can never have enough; devour widows' houses, and make merchandise of men, to enrich themselves; they put on sheep's clothing, transform themselves into angels of light, mimic the voice of Gospel ministers, use their phrases and expressions, that they may not be easily discovered; and are abominable in their principles and practices, and to be shunned by all good men. Now ministers of the Gospel are ordered to take these, to detect them, and refute their errors, and reprove them sharply for them; and, after proper steps taken, to reject them, to cast them out of the vineyards, the churches, and keep them out."
"that spoil the vines; as foxes do, by gnawing the branches, biting the bark, making bare the roots, devouring the ripe grapes, and infecting all with their noxious teeth and vicious breath (x): so false teachers make divisions and schisms in churches; disturb their peace; unsettle some, and subvert others; sap the foundation of religion, and corrupt the word of God; and therefore by all means to be taken, and the sooner the better."
Solomon says to the vineyard keepers - "Catch the foxes." Samson did so and even used those foxes to wreak havoc on the enemies of the Lord's people.
"Then Samson went and caught three hundred foxes; and he took torches, turned the foxes tail to tail, and put a torch between each pair of tails. When he had set the torches on fire, he let the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burned up both the shocks and the standing grain, as well as the vineyards and olive groves." (Judges 15: 4-5 nkjv)
Solomon said to "catch the foxes." Does he mean like in a "Fox hunt"? Before we answer that question, let us notice a few more biblical texts that show how false teachers act like foxes when they come among the Christian community. Wrote Jude the Lord's brother:
"For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ." (Jude 1: 4 nkjv)
Wrote the apostle Peter:
"But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber." (II Peter 2: 1-3 nkjv)
Wrote the apostle Paul:
"And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage), to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you." (Ga;. 2: 4-5 nkjv)
Foxes, like wolves and lions, sneak up on their prey. So, we need good watchmen to guard the sheep of God. As wolves can come among the sheep, and foxes enter the vineyard, or in the chicken house, so too will human foxes come among the saints. Therefore, God's shepherds and guard dogs should always be on guard against the wolves, the wild dogs, and the foxes.
So, are we as Christians or ministers called to hunt down the heretics as men hunt wolves and foxes? No, that is reading too much into the analogy. They will be hunted down one day by the Lord in the day of judgment. The Catholic church has a history of hunting down those who they judged to be heretics (and who often were not), but this is not our calling. We are to fight the wolves and foxes only when they approach the sheep, but we are not called upon to hunt down the heretics.
No comments:
Post a Comment