In
the world’s temperate regions, the arrival of the spring season is a reason to
celebrate. Not only does it mean that another winter is behind us, but it also
signals the rebirth of our world. Flowers honor the season’s name by literally
springing from the soil and birds sing in new and more jubilant notes. It’s a
lush time, a time of hope and of new beginnings. And nowhere is this as
prominent and visible as in the waking of the trees as they push forth new
growth and turn every shade of green imaginable.
Much
has been written about the valuable role that trees play in our environment.
And poets have long sung their praises. But trees figure in another even more
important way and that is to enhance the word of God as given to us in
scripture. First and foremost, all growing things, including trees, are part of
God’s wonderful creation, gifts he gave us, not only to sustain us in our daily
needs, but to add beauty to his earth. Indeed, the Lord placed the first man
and woman in a garden where trees that produced fruit would be their main
source of bodily sustenance. (Genesis 1:12)
Along
with all else in nature, God gave us dominion over trees, entrusting them to
our care. Whereas we may harvest them for our needs and our livelihoods, we are
to treat them with the respect that his entire creation commands. (Deuteronomy
19:19-20)
The
writers of God’s word also mention trees as a source of spiritual sustenance
that goes beyond that which our bodies require. The Tree of Life that makes its
first appearance in Genesis as the source of physical life for the first humans
appears again in Revelation where it serves as the source from which our
redeemed souls may draw when they reach heaven. (Revelation 2:7)
Of
the hundreds of times trees are mentioned in scripture, it is written that the
Lord also appropriated them to adorn his own dwelling. As we often incorporate
the beauty and strength of wood in our own living spaces, so did the Lord in
his, giving us yet another reason to value this gift he shares with us all. For
not only do trees shelter us in their natural state, their raw materials also
provide us with a means to build more permanent structures that protect us from
the elements. (Isaiah 60:13)
It
would be impossible to state how often trees are mentioned and employed as symbols
in all of the world’s great literature. Depending upon the contexts of a
particular story or theme, trees are used to signify strength, resignation,
humility, longevity, and steadfastness. Oak trees are thought of as mighty,
while paper birches are spoken of by certain poets as being flexible and
resilient. In certain passages of Scripture, analogies are drawn between humans
and trees with regards to how we incorporate God’s presence into our lives and
how fruitful we become in the process. (Psalm 92:12)
Trees
also represent yet another facet of nature’s eternal quality as imparted by
God’s hand at creation. This mirrors the Lord’s own timeless personality, of
which we are reminded when we remember that no growing thing can ever
effectively be destroyed. Trees, as almost all other types of vegetation, are
virtually indestructible, as even the smallest bit of tissue can sneak into the
soil where it regenerates into a new plant or tree. All trees also bring forth
some type of seed by which they produce others of their own kind, conveying yet
again a tangible example of the immortality granted us through our belief in
Jesus Christ. (Job 14:7)
As
if all of this weren’t enough to justify the role trees play in God’s great
plan, he even chose a cross made from wood upon which to sacrifice his only son
to save us from our sins. (Acts 5:30) Certain versions of the Bible actually
use the word “tree” to describe what Jesus was hung from. But all linguistic
debate aside, there is no denying that the splintered surface from which a
broken bleeding Jesus cried “Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they
do!” was taken from a humble tree that had no say in the matter and willingly
served the Holy One who had created it. (Luke 23:34)
Pantheism
denotes a system of belief in which all things in the universe, including God’s
earthly wonders, are manifestations of him. But Scripture is clear on his role
in all of creation. (Romans 1:20) All that he made, he made for us, and his
great and eternal love for us is reflected in every leaf and twig, every fern
and flower. For not only is nature the Lord’s way of surrounding us with beauty
to help us cope with life’s tribulations, it is also another way in which he
communicates with us.
Nature,
including trees, is God at his most eloquent, speaking to us and through us.
And so, “Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound
and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let
all the trees of the forest sing for joy.” (Psalm 96:11-12)
(Created in June 2018)
Note:
All Biblical passages are taken from the New International Version (NIV)
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