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27th of the 11th month 2020/2021
Shalom family,
Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 17:7-8 “Blessed is the man who trusts in יהוה, and whose trust is יהוה. 8 “For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and does not see when heat comes. And his leaf shall be green, and in the year of drought he is not anxious, nor does he cease from yielding fruit.”
These are very encouraging words indeed!
To be like a tree that is not affected by adverse weather conditions and one that continues to yield fruit – this is the condition that is likened to the one who trusts in יהוה and whose trust is יהוה!
The one who does not trust in יהוה is cursed and is like a shrub in the dessert that cannot see when good comes.
As we walk out our lives of loving-commitment and obedience, we recognise that the times are tough and it is getting a lot harder to makes ends meet, so to speak, and some of the greatest tests of our belief in Messiah are beginning to unfold before us, which will certainly reveal whether we trust in יהוה, with our leaves green and are being steadfast or whether we will be found to be a dried-up shrub of thorns that is ready to be blown away and destroyed by the coming wind and heat!
With the imagery of trees and thornbushes that we see in Scripture, it is through this message that I want to encourage you to be like the trusting trees, so to speak, and in a message called, “TREES SET AND PLACED IN THE WILDERNESS AND DESERT” I would like you to be greatly encouraged in remembering that we have a ‘Gardener’ who cares for us, especially as we sojourn here in our Wilderness journey.
Please read Yeshayahu/Isaiah 41:1-20
This chapter carries a great message of comfort for the children of Yisra’ĕl, as well as a great woe being given to her enemies who will be destroyed.
This chapter starts off with the clear command for silence, as יהוה is, in essence, telling the nations to ‘shut up’, as it is now time for Him to speak and for people to listen!
The Hebrew root word that is used here for ‘be silent’ is חָרַשׁ ḥarash – Strong’s H2790 meaning, ‘to be silent, dumb, speechless, deaf, say nothing’.
He says that the nations will certainly do their best to strengthen themselves and try to contend with Him, when He brings forth His right-ruling.
This is certainly end-time language, as we see that all flesh will hush and be silent when He comes out of His set-apart Hěḵal.
Zeḵaryah/Zechariah 2:13 “Hush, all flesh, before יהוה, for He has roused Himself out of His set-apart dwelling!”
He begins by asking the nations, ‘who raised up the righteous one from the east, called him to His foot and gave the nations before him and made sovereigns submit to him?’
In essence, He was asking “who called Aḇraham and brought him from the east” and is also a clear foreshadow of the Messiah who would come forth – the Ancient of Days – and subdue the nations under His feet!
יהוה asks the clear question “who has performed all and called all generations from the beginning?”
It is יהוה – there is no one else – He is the first and the Last and He is responsible for all.
When the nations hear this profound Truth, when His voice shall sound forth, they will fear and be very afraid and will turn to each other and make more idols, and they will strengthen one another and do their utmost to make their false worship become even a greater image made by the hands of men, so that the masses will flock to them in the false hope of being secure, through the message of the anti-Messiah, as they strengthen their programmes and structures so that it does not fall – or so they think – just as they did back in the building of the Tower of Baḇel!!!
This is also a picture of what so many are doing today, as they are not turning to hear the voice of Elohim but are rather turning to whatever is an immediate comfort to the flesh, be it alcohol, drugs, sex, shopping, food, hobbies etc. just to get a high and numb the reality of the Truth for a while!
Now, while the world and all its false religions begin to unite themselves and strengthen each other, יהוה speaks very clearly to His chosen and tells us, the descendants of Aḇraham, to not fear, for He is with us, and that He will fortify us, help us, and uphold us with the right hand of His righteousness – that is: יהושע Messiah.
Everyone who strives with us, and those with whom we have struggles, shall perish and will not be found anymore.
3 times we are told to not fear and in verse 14, He says...
“Do not fear, you worm Ya’aqoḇ…”.
The Hebrew word that is translated here as ‘worm’ is תּוֹלַעַת tola’ath, which comes from the word תּוֹלָע tola – Strong’s H8438 which means, ‘worm, crimson, scarlet stuff, purple’, and may be seen as a clear reminder of the words that were spoken in:
Yeshayahu/Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” says יהוה. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘crimson’ is תּוֹלָע tola, and so here, in Chapter 41, we see once again the faithfulness and loving-commitment of יהוה, in saying that while you were sinners – I am the One who redeems you:
Romiyim/Romans 5:8 “But Elohim proves His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Messiah died for us.”
This is a wonderful picture here, as the true love of Elohim for us is shown in that He died for us!
Yoḥanan/John 15:13-14 “No one has greater love than this: that one should lay down his life for his friends. 14 “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.”
Here in verse 8 of this chapter in Yeshayahu we see that יהוה refers to Aḇraham as being one who ‘loved’ Him and this root word for ‘loved’, in the Hebrew, is אָהֵב ahaḇ – Strong’s H157 meaning. ‘to love, dearly loved, friend, friends, lover’.
Here, this word is written in the “qal, active, pure noun participle”, which can also therefore render the intense love between two friends and so we can see why so many translations actually translate this as ‘…Aḇraham my friend…’ and Messiah tells us that the greatest love anyone can have, is to lay down his life for his friend!
This makes so much sense, in that יהוה expresses the greatest love that anyone could, by laying down His life, not only for His friend who loved Him – Aḇraham, but also for Aḇraham’s descendants, the chosen and called out children of Yisra’ĕl!
יהוה Himself took on the nature of flesh, by bearing His Right, Outstretched Arm and proved His love for us by redeeming us through His Blood – He is our Redeemer and the Set-Apart One of Yisra’ĕl – He is our refuge whom shall we dread?
He not only redeems us, but He also strengthens us and causes our mouths to be sharpened with His word, so that we will ‘eat up’ the nations with our testimony and the Sword of Truth in our mouths.
We will winnow them as the wind will lift them up and the whirlwind will scatter them.
The whirlwind speaks of His coming wrath and our role to winnow, reminds us of the process of making bread; and winnowing is another step in the process, that involves a ‘fork’ that looks like a rake.
The threshed grain is thrown up into the air, in order to expose it to the wind which will blow away the lightweight particles and by doing so it leaves the heavier – that is the more important –behind!
So, here in Yeshayahu, we also see very clearly, how the threshing comes before the winnowing and after the winnowing the heat is turned up through parching!
But our role is to be a praying people, lifting up our prayers to יהוה, and He will do the rest and we are commanded to rejoice in יהוה and boast in Him – this is how we will certainly ‘winnow’ the chaff form the wheat!!!
We are to be a boasting people – boasting in the Set-Apart One that is, and you will find that when you do this many may resent your boasting and praise for יהוה, yet this is what we are called to do and not be afraid when diligently doing so, and our boasting consists of a bold statement of our belief, as seen in our daily lives of true obedience, which will indeed ‘winnow’ many and cause us to be further separated from the chaff of unbelief and the dried up lawless, so to speak!
Verse 17 gives us a clear promise, as the result of our obedient boasting and rejoicing in Messiah – for when we are thirsty and in need, יהוה will hear our cry and answer!!!
He will open up rivers on bare hills, fountains in the valleys and pools in the wilderness and springs in a dry land.
This is His sure provision for us, no matter where we find ourselves, for He does not leave us nor forsake us.
For some of you, it may feel like you seem to be standing on a ‘bare hill’, so to speak, and all that you can see is a height that is bare and stripped of all and, in the process, you feel kind of hopeless and unable to cope with the matters at hand!
Hear these encouraging words of our Master today, for He provides the needed waters of refreshing!
You may find yourself being in, what may be likened to, a dark valley of destruction and despair with seemingly no way out.
Once again, if this is the case, hear these encouraging words of our Master today!
He is there with you, through the dark valleys and the bare heights and as you stay in Him, He will give you fountains of water. So much so, that the living waters that he gives you to drink will flow from within you, even in your darkest times… if you will but just drink of Him and find complete refreshing for your being, in the midst of the most intense heat of struggles and battles!
In the dry heat of the Wilderness, He will wash and refresh you with pools of water, as you draw with joy from the waters of Salvation.
In understanding the clear idea Bemiḏbar/Numbers, in our yearly Torah portion cycle, we are reminded that the wilderness is the time where we learn to hear His Words and are nourished and refreshed, in order to stand strong and be courageous in Him, as we sojourn in Messiah, holding on to the sure and promised hope that we have in Him coming for us at His soon return, where we will enter into the fullness of His Promises for, us as His Bride.
In the meantime, we are to remain faithful as we sojourn and what struck me in this Chapter, was verse 19 where יהוה clearly tells us that He sets, in the Wilderness and places in the desert, some trees together.
And I would like us to look a little closer at the imagery of these trees that are being mentioned here, as we understand the great work that He is doing in our midst, as He gives us all we need to be a prepared Bride!
The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘I set’ is אֶתֵּן atan, which comes from the primitive root word נָתַן Nathan – Strong’s H5414 which means, ‘to give, put, set, appoint, assign, designate’ and what you may notice, when looking at these words, is that the first letter ‘nun (נָ)’, of the root word, falls away, in the construct of the phrase ‘I set’, as it is in the qal imperative and the ‘weak nun (נָ)’ falls away, as there is an emphasis that is being placed on the action of this ‘setting’ that is being done by Elohim.
The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘I place’, as in, ‘I place in the desert’ is אָשִׂים asiym, which come from the root word שִׂים siym – Strong’s H7760, which also has the meaning, ‘set, ordain, establish, appoint’ and with this being written in the ‘qal active’, it can figuratively have the meaning to ‘extend compassion’.
What is interesting to note here, is that this word was first used in:
Berěshith/Genesis 2:8 “And יהוה Elohim planted a garden in Eḏen, to the east, and there He put the man whom He had formed.”
What יהוה is doing with us in the Wilderness, is setting us in His perfect order, so that we are able to ‘dwell’ fully with Him again as we were made to!
It is in the Wilderness where He shall ‘set’ us – and graft us back into the fullness of His purpose and provision, so that we may joyfully inherit and rule with Him!
As I have mentioned before, the Hebrew word that is translated as ‘in the wilderness’ is בְּמִדְבַּר Bemiḏbar, which comes from the root word מִדְבָּר miḏbar – Strong’s H4057 which means, ‘wilderness, desert’ and can also mean ‘mouth’.
This word comes from the primitive root verb דָּבַר daḇar – Strong’s H1696 which means, ‘to speak, command, counsel, declare, proclaimed, converse, warn, threaten, promise’ and a derivative of this word is also translated as ‘speech, word, commandment/s, message’.
The meaning of Bemiḏbar, as mentioned, is ‘in the wilderness’ and the literal meaning of this, actually carries the concept of ‘The place of words’ or ‘The place of speaking’.
The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘in the desert’ is בָּעֲרָבָה ba’araḇah, from the word עֲרָבָה araḇah – Strong’s H6160 which means, ‘desert, desert plain, wilderness’, and comes from the word עָרַב araḇ – Strong’s H6150 which means, ‘to become evening, grow dark’.
As the days get ‘darker’, so to speak, יהוה “sets and places us the Wilderness”!
He sets and places us in the place of hearing, for it is time to listen!
And that is why we see the repeated statement being made in Scripture of:
He who has ears to hear, hear what the Spirit says…!
This is a time to have ears that are open and attentive to the Torah of our Master and Redeemer and in doing so, be on guard against that which tries to stop us from hearing!
In Scripture, trees often symbolise people, as we saw from the verse form Yirmeyahu that I quoted at the beginning, when speaking of those who trust in יהוה, and Dawiḏ gives us this thought, or picture, in:
Tehillah/Psalm 1:3 “For he shall be as a tree Planted by the rivers of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and whose leaf does not wither, and whatever he does prospers.”
With this in mind, let’s look briefly at these trees that are being mentioned here in verse 19: The cedar, acacia, myrtle, oil, cypress, pine and box.
1 – The Cedar –
The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘ceder’ is אֶרֶז erez – Strong’s H730.
In Tehillah/Psalm 92 Dawiḏ tells us that the righteous will grow like the cedars of Leḇanon. The Cedar tree is a strong and firm tree and a cedar tree is, in itself, a wonderful illustration of bringing us a picture of a person who is טוֹב toḇ (good) and fully functional in Messiah. Cedar trees have been known to grow up to 12 meters in circumference!
The roots of a Cedar Tree grow down extremely deep and wrap around rocks for anchorage, and they grow upwards in heights of up to 45 meters!!!
The fragrance of a cedar tree acts as a great defence against being attacked by insects and pests and it is also a tree that is ‘knot’ free and rot resistant, and are known for their longevity and are perennial evergreen trees.
Cedar, as we know, is used in Scripture for the process of the cleaning of a leper – it is used is the Red Heifer sacrifice.
Shelomoh used cedar wood to build the Temple.
The cedar, metaphorically, speaks of us being strong and trustworthy in Messiah and being the fragrance of Messiah, which to some will be death to death and to others life to life.
It also speaks of trusting in יהוה and obeying the command of יהושע Messiah, to not worry!
The cedar tree also represents for us ‘storing up treasure in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy’ and so, as we do the good works that have been prepared in advance for us, we repel the need to store up the fleshly desires, that are like pests that cause rot!
2 – Acacia Wood
The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘acacia’ is שִׁטָּה shittah – Strong’s H7848.
The ‘Shittah’ tree grew in the deserts of Sinai, and the deserts around the Dead Sea.
The wood is hard, very heavy, indestructible by insects, and has a fine, beautiful grain.
It was remarkably luxuriant in dry places, sometimes attaining a height of twenty feet.
This pictures for us the indestructability of Messiah and His incorruptibility in the flesh.
The Hebrew word שִׁטָּה shittah – Strong’s H7848 can also have the meaning of “sticks, sticks of wood” or “piercers“, because its thorny branches do indeed look like a hodgepodge of twigs.
Very few of the branches are thick enough to make boards out of, so articles were made from them by connecting the sticks together in order to make beams that could support great weight.
This ties in wonderfully to the concept of the “two sticks” of Ephrayim and Yehuḏah being made into “one tree” (Yeḥezqěl/Ezekiel 37:17), and to Sha‘ul’s explanation of Berěshith/Genesis 18:18 in Romiyim/Romans 11 about branches from other trees being grafted into Aḇraham’s root.
This שִׁטָּה shittah – Strong’s H7848 wood would not rot or be affected by any insects, and this pictures for us the purity of Messiah, and being properly grafted into Him we will never see decay or rot!
The acacia wood was used in the construction of the Slaughter Place, Bronze Laver, the Showbread Table, the Slaughter Place of Incense and the Ark of the Covenant, as well as the boards of the Dwelling Place.
All of these were made according to the perfect pattern that was shown to Mosheh, all with the complete purpose of the fully functional Dwelling Place/Tabernacle being set up so that יהוה would dwell amongst His people!
This שִׁטָּה shittah – Strong’s H7848 wood can, in many ways, picture for us a unity, when the pieces are in fact placed in order!
All of the various pieces of the Tabernacle would be ineffective on their own, but when put in its proper order, they formed the perfect functional design of יהוה.
This teaches us that we too need to be in unity in order to be formed and shaped into being a perfectly functional Tabernacle of Elohim, which we are.
3 – Myrtle
The Hebrew root word for ‘myrtle’ is הֲדַס haḏas – Strong’s H1918 and a derivative of this word, is the name of הֲדַסָּה Hadassah – Strong’s H1919, who was the brave queen who stood up for her people and caused the death sentence that was decreed over the Yehuḏim to be reversed and Yehuḏah struck down 75000 of their enemies, at the decree of the king!
The name אֶסְתֵּר Estěr – Strong’s H635 is of Persian origin and means, ‘star’, while the Hebrew name הֲדַסָּה Haḏassah – Strong’s H1919 means, ‘myrtle’, which comes from the noun הֲדַס haḏas – Strong’s H1918 which is translated as, ‘myrtle or myrtle trees’.
The myrtle tree is a very significant tree in Scripture!
The myrtle tree stays green the longest and the branches of myrtle trees were used to make the booths for Sukkot/Tabernacles – which is also a great reminder to us, of יהושע being in our midst as we sojourn here!
The picture of יהושע standing among the myrtle trees in Zeḵaryah/Zechariah 1 is a wonderful encouragement that shows how The Living Word stands amongst His Covenant people, even in the midst of our troubles and oppressions, just as He is in the midst of the seven lampstands, as recorded in Ḥazon/Revelation 1!
The story of Estěr/Esther is a great encouragement for us all, as we consider how she was raised up for the purpose of shining the light of יהוה, in the face of darkness and death, as a true ‘star’ that reflects the brilliance of our Creator.
She was not a star that would be swept away by the tail of the fiery dragon that has ten horns, as spoken of in:
Ḥazon/Revelation 12:3-4 “And another sign was seen in the heaven: and see, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns on his heads. 4 And his tail draws a third of the stars of the heaven and throws them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, to devour her child as soon as it was born.”
This picture of a great fiery dragon that has 10 horns and seeks to devour the righteous, is pictured through the accounts of a wicked Haman and his 10 sons, who were all put to death, giving us a clear witness of the sure hope we have in Messiah, the One who stands in our midst!
We who are in Messiah, and stay in Him, are enabled to stand and shine with much boldness, in the face of a wicked and corrupted world!
4 – Oil Tree
The Hebrew word that is used for the ‘oil tree’ comes from the root word שֶׁמֶן shemen – Strong’s H8081 which means, ‘fat, oil, choicest, olive’.
This can give reference to the ‘olive’ tree and this word שֶׁמֶן shemen which means ‘oils’ certainly points us to a word that is derived from this, together with the root word גַּת gath – Strong’s H1660, which means ‘a place for pressing oil (or wine)’, and that is the word Gethsemane.
During the time of יהושע, heavy stone slabs were lowered onto olives that had already been crushed in an olive crusher.
Gradually, the slabs weight squeezed the olive oil out of the pulp, and the oil ran into a pit. There the oil was collected in clay jars.
The image of the Gethsemane, on the slope of the Mount of Olives, where יהושע went the night before He was impaled, provides a vivid picture of the suffering of יהושע.
The weight of the sins of the world pressed down upon Him like a heavy slab of rock pressed down on olives in their baskets.
His sweat, ‘like great drops of blood falling down to the ground’, flowed from Him like olive oil as it was squeezed out and flowed into the pit of an olive press.
Luqas/Luke 22:44 “And being in agony, He was praying more earnestly. And His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”
5 – Cypress
The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘cypress’ is בְּרוֹשׁ berosh – Strong’s H1265
The cypress is a tree that grows in swampy areas.
Often, you will see cypress trees with their root structure starting to grow out from the trunk, above the water level.
This complex root structure allows the cypress to stand firm, when the tide is high, or when it is low; whether there is fair weather, or foul.
No matter what, the cypress can stand in the water, being unmoved by the water swirling around it.
And this speaks to us a great lesson about being firmly grounded in the Truth and not moved by every wind of teaching or doctrine that is contrary to the Torah, and how we stand steadfast on the Rock when the storms come.
6 – Pine
The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘pine’ is תִּדְהָר tidhar – Strong’s H8410 which comes from the word דָּהַר dahar – Strong’s H1725 which means, ‘to rush, dash (of a horse), galloping’.
The pine tree is also known as the evergreen tree, because its leaves never turn brown and they do not fall to the ground.
Where most types of trees “die” in the autumn and come back to life in the springtime, the pine tree is alive and vibrant all year long.
One of the signs in the life of a mature believer, is that they are alive in יהושע all the time – in and out of season.
They don’t have times of backsliding, as they a pressing forward continually and never allowing the varying seasons to stop the life of Messiah that lives in them!
Pine trees can survive both the heat and the cold and speaks of being continually steadfast!
7 – Box
The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘box tree’ is תְּאַשּׁוּר teashshur – Strong’s H8391 and comes from the word אָשַׁר ashar – Strong’s H833 which means, ‘to go straight, go on, advance, blessed, happy’.
This wood is known for its great utility and can be used for multiple purposes, which speaks of us being available to be used of Elohim in whichever way we need to be, in building up the Body, as the Spirit gives gifts and talents.
With the root of this meaning ‘advance’ and ‘straight’, we can see that this speaks about our Wilderness journey, as one of going forward and in doing so, going forward and advancing with joy, not looking back:
Iḇ’rim/Hebrews 10:39 “But we are not of those who draw back to destruction, but of belief to the preservation of life.”
What we can learn from this powerful verse, is that יהוה is continually growing and strengthening us in the Wilderness, as we listen to and respond faithfully to His voice.
Here, we also see that there are 7 trees, which speak of completion and fullness, which speaks of how He is doing a complete work in us, while we sojourn in the wilderness and in looking at this passage, we are equipped to recognise how each tree symbolises the characteristics of His perfect Word that is being moulded into our lives, as we are grafted into Messiah.
Each of these trees would naturally require different soil types or ground cover and so, this is a great picture of each tree being grafted into Messiah – the Pure root system!
What is also interesting is that the 4th tree is the ‘oil’ tree and we know that this can speak of Messiah being the middle light or being the central shaft of the Menorah, with its 6 branches, showing how we are joined to Messiah, from which we receive His Spirit (oil) to keep our light shining, as wise maidens!
יהוה says that He shall set/place these trees together and so, we also see how He is, by His Word, bringing us into unity, as a body that can shine His bright light to the nations.
The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘together’ comes from the root word יַחַד yaḥad – Strong’s H3162 which means, ‘unitedness, alike, one accord, unity’, and it is here, in the Wilderness, where He will bring all the different trees together as one, so that each will complement each other and represent the fullness of His completeness, within us, as a unified body!
My hope is to encourage you with these very encouraging words in Yeshayahu, being reminded that we need the wilderness experience, for without it we will not be truly set-apart as vessels unto value!
With this picture of trees in mind, we also see the following, in:
Yeshayahu/Isaiah 55:12-13 “For with joy you go out, and with peace you are brought in – the mountains and the hills break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field clap the hands. 13 “Instead of the thorn the cypress comes up, and instead of the nettle the myrtle comes up. And it shall be to יהוה for a name, for an everlasting sign which is not cut off.”
Thornbushes and nettles are blown away and burned and are worthless, while faithful trees who trust in יהוה and meditate on His Torah day and night, will break forth into singing and clap their hands.
Tehillah/Psalm 96:12-13 “Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Let all the trees of the forest then shout for joy, 13 at the presence of יהוה. For He shall come, for He shall come to judge the earth. He judges the world in righteousness, and the peoples with His truth.”
Our Redeemer is coming soon – and so, as He sets and places us in the wilderness together – let us, as trees that are set and placed in the Wilderness and the desert, rejoice in our Maker and recognize that it is by His hand and His Hand alone: – יהושע Messiah, that He does this!
Are you like a tree that is planted in the Master, set and placed by Him or are you like a thorn bush that is blown in any direction and headed for destruction?
Let Him set you in the Wilderness, so that we will hear “the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who are saying, “Praise יהוה of hosts, for יהוה is good, for His kindness is forever,” again!
Trees that are set and placed in the Wilderness, continue to bear fruit and their leaves remain green and never fear when the heat comes, as they wait for the True Gardener, who is coming for His trees of righteousness that He has planted and adorned!
Yeshayahu/Isaiah 60:3 (b) “…. And they shall be called trees of righteousness, a planting of יהוה, to be adorned.”
In Yeshayahu/Isaiah 61:3, as quoted above, the Hebrew word that is translated as ‘trees’ is אַיִל ayil – Strong’s H352, which means, ‘terebinth, chief, pillar, door post, ram’.
The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘righteousness’ is צֶדֶק tseḏeq – Strong’s H6664 which means, ‘righteous, just, righteousness’. The word translated as ‘planting’ is מַטָּע matta – Strong’s H4302 which means, ‘a place or act of planting, plantation, where it was planted’, and comes from the root verb נָטַע nata – Strong’s H5193 which means, ‘to plant, establish, fix, fasten’.
When Messiah comes again and His reign is established here in earth, we who are in Him, shall be firmly planted and called trees of righteousness!
As ambassadors of the Kingdom to come, we recognise how we are to be firmly planted in His word as strong trees of righteousness.
Let me remind you of the words of Dawiḏ, that i quoted before looking at the 7 different types of trees:
Tehillah/Psalm 1:3 “For he shall be as a tree Planted by the rivers of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and whose leaf does not wither, and whatever he does prospers.”
The Hebrew word that is used here for ‘planted’ is שָׁתַל shathal– Strong’s H8362 which means, ‘to transplant, planted’, which in itself carries a great picture for us in understanding the great and mighty work of our Master, who ‘transplants’ us into His Pure root, after having been far off due to sin!
This root word שָׁתַל shathal– Strong’s H8362 is used 10 times in Scripture, and once again pictures for us the effect of being firmly rooted and grounded in love, which is being rooted in Messiah and guarding to do all He commands, as a pure expression of our love for Him!
Tehillah/Psalm 92:13 “Those who are planted in the House of יהוה flourish in the courts of our Elohim.”
Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 17:7-8 “Blessed is the man who trusts in יהוה, and whose trust is יהוה. 8 “For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and does not see when heat comes. And his leaf shall be green, and in the year of drought he is not anxious, nor does he cease from yielding fruit.”
Our continued trust in יהוה causes us to be ‘transplanted’ into His satisfying root system, and enables us to be equipped to sustain the pressures, of the heat of trials, that blow across our lives!
Yisra’ĕl was planted in a good land, and positioned to bear much fruit and shine the light of the Truth of Elohim to the nations, yet they failed to do this:
Yeḥezqěl/Ezekiel 17:8 “It was planted in a good field by many waters, to bring forth branches, and to bear fruit, to be a splendid vine.”
This was part of a stern rebuke that was given to a rebellious House, that had neglected to stay rooted in love!
Yeḥezqěl/Ezekiel 17:10 “See, it is planted, is it going to thrive? Would it not utterly wither when the east wind touches it – wither in the beds where it grows?”
In יהוה’s loving-commitment to His Covenant, He promises to ‘transplant’ a remnant of the rebellious House that withered under the heat of persecutions, temptations and trials:
Yeḥezqěl/Ezekiel 17:22-23 “Thus said the Master יהוה, “And I shall take of the top of the highest cedar and set it out. And I Myself shall pluck off a tender one from the topmost of its young twigs, and plant it on a high and lofty mountain. 23 On the mountain height of Yisra’ĕl I plant it. And it shall bring forth branches, and bear fruit, and become a big cedar. And under it shall dwell birds of every sort, in the shadow of its branches they shall dwell.”
Yeḥezqěl/Ezekiel 19:10 “Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, planted by the waters, a bearer of fruit and branching, because of many waters.”
Yeḥezqěl/Ezekiel 19:13 “And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.”
A nation who had been delivered from bondage out of Mitsrayim, and planted in a good land, rebelled and, as a result, were plucked out and planted in the Wilderness!
What we can learn from these passages that I have mentioned, is that we must do our utmost in ensuring that we continue to meditate on the Torah of Elohim, day and night, and walk not in wrong counsels, as we guard to do all He commands, lest we find ourselves being cut off due to unrighteousness and compromise.
Mattithyahu/Matthew 15:13 “But He answering, said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted shall be uprooted.”
These words of our Master, were in response to the hypocritical Pharisees who had accused the talmidim (disciples) of Messiah of breaking the traditions of the elders and not washing their hands before eating!
יהושע was making it clear here, that those who hold fast to traditions and forsake the commands of Elohim, are those who put on an outward show and draw near to Elohim with their lips, yet their hearts are far from Him, and they teach as teachings the commands of men.
These hypocrites are not the righteous ones, and they will be uprooted!
The picture of being firmly rooted trees, is a vital and very practical lesson for us to understand, in our ability to be properly and diligently guarding our obedience to Elohim.
Our Master has set us and placed us in the place of hearing His Word that equips us to wait for Him as trustworthy ambassadors. Be reminded today, who it is who has transplanted you and taken you out of the filth of lawlessness and sin and grafted you into His perfect Covenants of promise, to be trees of righteousness that He adorns!
TREES SET AND PLACED
IN THE WILDERNESS AND DESERT
He who has ears let him hear…… and turn not your ear away from the proper hearing of His Torah, so that you can be righteous trees that are bearing the abundant fruit of righteousness and are not afraid of the heated pressures an trials that we are called to overcome in our Master!!!
יהוה bless you and guard you; יהוה make His face shine upon you and show favour to you; יהוה lift up His face upon you and give you Shalom!