From the opening pages of the Bible in Genesis to the closing ones of Revelation, trees are a significant theme.
God made a Garden as a Sanctuary where he fellowshipped with man until man’s sin resulted in expulsion from that holy place and loss of access to the trees there, mentioned in Genesis 1:9, ‘all kinds of trees’, for beauty and food. As well as the Tree of Life and the forbidden Tree of Knowledge.
Relationship was lost in the Garden, but it was restored in a garden! It was among olive trees that Messiah submitted Himself to His Father’s will knowing the terrible cost. And one day, the hidden trees of the Garden of Eden will be waiting for us. “…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 21/22
“…since the return of the Jews and due to the efforts of Jewish organisations… over 250 million trees have been planted throughout the land.”
There is an interesting verse in Numbers 13:20 when the ‘spies’ were sent into their Promised Land, “… and whether there are trees in it or not.” In this verse the Hebrew word (etz) translated usually as ‘trees’ in English and in a few cases ‘wood’, is in fact singular, a tree, not trees. It is as if Moses asks the men to find out if there is a single tree in the land. A very strange request.
However, Rashi, a famous Jewish scholar born in 1040 in France, says that in this case the word tree refers to a Tzaddik, a righteous man. According to Rashi, Moses wanted to know if there was even one righteous man in the land. And indeed, the righteous are likened to trees in the Bible. Such as Psalm 92:12, “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” The man who does not follow the ways of the ungodly but delights in God’s word, is like “…a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season…” Psalm 1:3.Replanting the desolate Land (Ezekiel 36:34-36)
In Biblical times the land of Canaan was covered with forests. However, returning Jews at the end of the 19thC, found the land largely denuded. Trees had been used by the various invaders and occupiers for wars, making charcoal for ore smelting, and laying railway lines. Finally, the Ottoman Empire put a tax on the number of trees someone owned, causing the owners to cut many down. The Holy Land was a barren, depressing sight to travellers and pilgrims.
But since the return of the Jews and due to the efforts of Jewish organisations, especially the Jewish National Fund, over 250 million trees have been planted throughout the land. The restored forests are popular places of beauty and recreation and a boost to environmental conditions.
Australian Trees Help Defend Israel
From 1890, eucalypts from Australia were imported by Jewish pioneers to drain swampy areas, drawing water from the soil to then evaporate through the trees’ leaves, stems and flowers. During the 20th century the eucalypt became the second-most planted tree (after the pine) in Israel.
They have become so much part of the Israeli landscape that a survey in 2022, revealed that Israelis think of the eucalyptus as the most ‘Israeli tree’, even though the tree is not native to the Middle East.
Eucalypts have played a significant role in the defence of Israel. Famous spy Eli Cohen who had been accepted into the highest levels of Syrian society, once observed Syrian fortifications in the Golan from where Syrian artillery frequently targeted the communities of Galilee. Cohen suggested that the Syrian military plant trees around the fortifications to provide shade for their soldiers. These trees contributed enormously to the IDF’s success during the Six-Day War, serving as easily identifiable targets. Now, Israelis picnic under them.
The Christian Connection
Two days before 7 October 2023, nearly 700 Christians who had been attending International Christian Embassy Jerusalem’s Feast of Tabernacles celebration, came from Jerusalem on a mass solidarity visit to the western Negev. They were there for the launch of a rehabilitation project that would see a 126-acre part of the popular Be’eri Forest in the western Negev replanted and restored after years of terrorist arson attacks from fire kites and balloons. The area located between the historic ANZAC Monument and the Gaza border fence, was dedicated as the Christian Embassy Nature Park.
Tree planting as part of the rehabilitation efforts of the Gaza border area, is also undertaken by participants in ICEJ’s Hands on Tours. These tours have, since 7 October 2023, brought people to Israel to assist the residents in practical ways.
A Birthday for Trees
Tu B’shevat is the 15th of the Biblical month of Shevat. This year it begins on the evening of 12 February. It is the season when sap begins to rise in the tree and in ancient times it marked an important date for Jewish farmers. In Leviticus 19:23-25 and Leviticus 27:30 there were instructions about tithing the fruit of a tree and the age at which the fruit could be harvested. It was important to know the ‘birthday’ of a tree. The Rabbis, therefore, established the 15th of Shevat as a general ‘birthday’ for all trees, regardless of when they were actually planted. Following the rebirth of the State, this date has become a tree planting day throughout Israel. Individuals, organisations and groups of people across the spectrum of society go out to forests, parks and suburban areas to plant trees and flowers with much enjoyment!
Rejoicing Trees
“Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the Lord, For He is coming to judge the earth.” 1 Chronicles 16:33.
We can rejoice with the trees! Scripture makes it clear that the restoration of the Land, and its people, point to the return of Messiah. Despite the current terrible setback that Israel has endured, Job in his despair drew hope from the trees. “For there is hope for a tree, If it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And that its tender shoots will not cease.” Job 14:7
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