Page Suggestions: Bible Facts
Selling Out For the Desire of the Moment
Writer: Betty Miller | bibleresources.org/temptation
Little Compromises That Cause Big Problems
Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. Song of Solomon 2:15
Foxes sometimes in search of food would enter into the grape orchards and devour the grapes and spoil the crop. However, the little foxes were too small to reach the grape bunches so they would chew on the vines and it would kill the whole vine. Instead of the farmer just losing his crop, he would lose his vine which was more disastrous. Spiritually some things we do or allow that we might think are little or insignificant can also be disastrous for us.
Many people could give testimony as to how they have regretted giving in to their desires of the moment, as a few moments of pleasure resulted in a life time of regret. The teenage girl who engaged in premarital sex and became pregnant, later lives with the shame and responsibility of her moment of passion. The young man who tried out drugs for the first time and was caught and jailed for possession of illegal narcotics. The married man or woman who cheated on their mate in a one night fling and ended up losing their marriage over that "one time." These are just a few examples of how seemingly small things can cause enormous consequences. These "little foxes" brought destruction to the entire vine and lives are forever changed because of a one time mistake.
The Lord warns us in the Word of God to flee from these kinds of temptations. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20:
Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
The Lord would have us call on Him when we are faced with temptation so that we don’t sell out to the enemy. He wants to help us so that we do not have to face the problems created by our sin. Even if we fail, God will help us get up and go on and can turn what Satan meant for evil into good. However, it is better that we do not fall into the pit to begin with as we will be spared much suffering and sorrow.
God certainly will forgive our sins and cleanse us from our guilt and shame. However, we must walk through the consequences of our sins. Some consequences are greater than others. There is an example of this in the Bible. It is the story of Esau selling his birthright for a little food:
And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: And Esau said to Jacob, ‘Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint’: therefore was his name called Edom.
And Jacob said, ‘Sell me this day thy birthright.’
And Esau said, ‘Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?’
And Jacob said, ‘Swear to me this day’; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright. Genesis 25:29-34
Esau was the oldest son and the father’s inheritance went to the first born as his birthright. Jacob was the younger brother but he understood the value of the birthright better than the one to whom it belonged. In those days whatever a man agreed to with his lips was done. For a little bowl of lentil soup, Esau lost his birthright. He was then rejected because he thought so little of his inheritance. Many today are selling out their Christian birthright for a little "pottage of flesh" when God has so much better for them.
…for a piece of bread that man will transgress. Proverbs 28:21b
To have respect of persons [is] not good: for for a piece of bread [that] man will transgress.Proverbs 28 verse 21
Sometimes it is the "little foxes" that bring a man down. The seemingly little things can defile us. As Christians we must be careful, not careless so we do not lose our inheritance in the Lord.
Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. Hebrews 12:16-17