Have you ever wondered why God made trees? He didn’t have to make them, but He chose to make them. Why? Because He is a God of purpose. He created trees as a visible reminder to us of several spiritual principles.
From the very beginning, trees held a prominent place in Scripture. Trees were created on the third day. Among other things, the third day represents the idea of being a perfect witness; that is, God revealing truth to us, as we shall soon see. In Genesis 2:9 trees are again given a place of importance:
And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground — trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Notice that it was
the “middle” of the garden, the place of prominence, where the most
important trees were placed. In fact, these two trees are at the heart of
the story of salvation. It was because of a tree that Adam and Eve
sinned, plunging all of humanity into sin, and setting the stage for
Christ dying on the cross to save humanity from the curse of sin and
death.
By the time of the patriarchs, trees had come to represent the ideas of strength and wealth. They were also used to mark a spot as a memorial to God, a place of remembrance. Abraham used trees in this manner and as a place to meet with God and worship Him:
Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the Eternal God. Genesis 21:33
The
tamarisk tree was an evergreen and reminded Abraham of God’s ever
enduring, “eternal”
grace. It no doubt reminded him of the many times when Adam met with God
by the trees in the garden. Trees reminded Abraham of God’s original plan
for all humanity: fellowship with their Creator.
In addition, Scripture teaches that there are two categories of trees, just like there are two categories of people. There are good trees and bad trees, trees that produce fruit and trees that are unfruitful, trees that are blessed and trees that are under God’s curse. It is easy to see that trees are to remind us to be fruitful and good and to live in the blessings of God (see Psalms 1).
Jesus used trees in many of His parables when teaching the disciples and the people abut His kingdom (see Matthew 13:31-32 and Luke 6:43-45). For many Christians, the tree has reminded them of Christ’s death on the cross. For it was on a tree that Jesus died for the forgiveness of our sins. In the truest spiritual sense, Christ is our “tree of life”.
If that were not enough, trees will also have a prominent place in Heaven:
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Revelation 22:1-2
So, trees were
important in the Garden of Eden, they were important to the patriarchs,
Jesus used them in His teachings and they will have eternal importance in Heaven.
But again, what are we suppose to learn from trees? Why did God create
them and what do they teach us?
Taking into account the things already mentioned, we know that trees serve as a reminder for us to meet daily with God. Every time we see a tree we should ask our self, “Have I met with God today?” They also remind us to only eat good fruit, that is, good spiritual fruit, allowing only good things from God into our heart, mind and spirit. They remind us to be good and not bad, to bear holy fruit instead of sinful fruit. Trees also remind us that Christ died for us so we might live free from the old sinful nature.
A Few Natural Observations
By simply looking at trees we can be reminded of many other spiritual principles. For starters, Trees are tall and stand above all other plants. They rise from the earth being virtually impossible to hide, they’re just too big. Likewise, as Christians, our love for God and others should be visible and impossible to hide. We are to be a light on a hill, standing tall and being proud of our God!
It is also easy to tell if a tree is green and healthy or dry and dying. In the same manner, our Christian life should be apparent to all, and it usually is. People know if we’re really living for Christ or just playing church. Thus, the visibility of trees should remind us to be visibly holy in our Christian life.
Something else we can learn from trees is that they need water to stay green and healthy. We too need the Holy Spirit to grow in Christ (again see Psalms 1). When a tree is dry limbs tend to fall off and if you’re near the tree when a limb falls you can be seriously injured. In the same way, people who are not being watered by the Holy Spirit tend to hurt those around them; they tend to be judgmental instead of merciful like Jesus.
Healthy trees have
roots that go deep down into the soil, giving them stability and a strong
foundation. We too must have spiritual roots that go down deep into the love
of Christ. Remember, we must have a strong, unseen foundation of faith,
before we can be visibly strong before others. And if we are going to be
able to help others, the rule is: I must be watered before I can water
someone else.
Healthy trees attract many of God’s creatures by providing shade and shelter. We too are to live in such a manner that the lost and hurting are attracted to the Lord we serve. And through the Lord’s help, we are to provide a place of comfort and safety for those in need.
Last of all, trees begin with a seed, grow into a tree, and produce fruit with more seeds. This should remind us of our need to constantly grow in Christ. We are to produce fruit for our God and win the lost. As it says in Proverbs 15:4:
The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.
Therefore, I pray that our life and conversation would bring healing to all who are in need. You are the one God loves and the one He loves to live through!
For Those Interested in Additional Scripture Concerning Trees Click Here
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