"Trees"

 

“Trees”

 

As I was on “pod patrol” in my front yard recently (see the posting by that title) I began thinking about trees. There are many in the wooded area beyond our backyard fence as well as around our community. So I put my curiosity to work (thanks, Google!) and found out some interesting facts

*According to a 2017 study there are 60,065 species of trees on our planet.

*In 2020 it was estimated that there are more than three trillion trees throughout the world which works out to about 385 for each of the earth’s 7,790,000,000 inhabitants.

*Most are indigenous to particular areas but some can be found in many places.

*The smallest (at 1.6 cm.) is the dwarf willow of arctic regions.

*The largest are redwoods, especially the General Sherman (275 feet tall), in Sequoia National Park (see the early series “Reading the Redwoods”).

All this points to the wonders and variety of God’s creation (“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth….”—Acts 17:24).

A Bible dictionary I consulted mentions about 35 different trees in Scripture. Some are familiar to us (e.g. olive, hemlock and oak) while others are obscure and can’t be precisely identified. But each one has its own beauty and function (“God has made everything beautiful for its own time”—Ecclesiastes 3:11, NLT).

A seminary colleague preached a message called “Three Trees”, each of which holds great meaning. In Genesis 2:17 Adam was told, “You may not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil….” (Emphasis added), so we might call it the “tree of decision”. Our Lord’s friend and apostle wrote, “(Jesus) himself bore our sins in his body on the tree….” (1 Peter 2:24, emphasis added), showing it to be the “tree of redemption”. Then John describes the “…tree of life….” (Revelation 22:2, emphasis added), which we could designate the “tree of hope” in our eternal heavenly home. So the choice made in the Garden of Eden led to the provision at Calvary which brings the assurance of our fellowship with God forever.

So the next time you’re on “pod patrol”, raking leaves or trimming limbs think of the significance of the “three trees” and give God thanks.

 

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan