“Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom,” Song of Songs 2:15. Catch for us the sly things.. .the little fleet-footed desires that know no boundaries. Catch for us the persistent pernicious lusts that blaze through our good possibilities and run away with our bloom. Catch the eyes that peer into vineyards not their own… .Catch them before they ravage the beautiful vines…
At 3 o’clock in the afternoon, the sun was heading towards its highest and hottest delegation of the day. Jerusalem women would ascend flights of stairs leading to their heated roof pools in a little more than an hour. The city relinquished its mothers, sisters and daughters to bathing in water warmed by the noonday sun.
David twirled a child’s wood toy on the edge of a table, tempting gravity to pull it to the floor. The fascinating game was getting dull; gravity had predictably won more times than not. David was bored. He looked up. Everyone else seemed to have something important to do. Most of the court women had ventured a little closer to heaven for a warm bath; not even a beautiful form present to admire.
The king stood up and stretched. He looked out the window as hot light poured through and he casually strolled towards the nearest set of stairs. He ascended slowly and lingered on the next floor, smiled and nodded at all the servants and considered ascending another set of stairs.
He did. He went up. And up. And up again. Wouldn’t it be nice to take in a picturesque view of the city? His conscious tickled a bit. Why? Nothing wrong with sightseeing. He wriggled in his skin, cleared his throat and looked around. No one around. He shuffled quickly towards a private chamber, slid through the door, shut and bolted the lock behind his back. He felt like a criminal. I just want to look outside! David silently screamed to his conscience. And he spat inside a little too while heading towards the high open balcony to take in a lovely view….
This isn’t the David we’ve come to know and love in musical lyrics. This isn’t the David of heros ballads chasing Divinities heart. This slinking sly lust reminds us more of a Foxy usurper, stealing into to vineyards not his own… .stealing lovely married ladies as the story goes… .killing faithful brethren so that nobody knows. You know the story in 2 Samuel, chapter 11….
Sly little lusts will always do very big damage to somebody’s vineyard….
Very good.
ReplyDeleteI think this also applies to women. Women also can easily fall into the trap of lust. It starts in the mind and if it is not dealt with, will turn into action. Thanks for the reminder of how "sly" the enemy is...
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