Modern-day plants pop up all over the Bible, especially in the Old Testament. Dig into these biblical plants to get at the root of their greater meaning.
Cedar of Lebanon: The cedar of Lebanon is referred to in 1 Kings, Ezekiel, Amos, Psalms, Jeremiah and several other book of the Bible. The cedar tree was used to build the temple in Jerusalem and the king’s palace. This tree was special because of its beauty, durability, strength and pleasant smell.
Just like the cedar tree, as Christ followers we should be strong and beautiful in our character. And similar to cedar used in closets to make clothes smell good, we should have a positive influence wherever we go—making that place “smell good” because of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Olive Trees: The olive tree was very important in Bible times. Olives were pressed to make oil that was used in cooking, as well as smeared on the skin and hair as part of personal hygiene. Research shows that olives—the fruit, oil and leaves—are very healthy.
The Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus went to pray before His crucifixion, was actually an olive vineyard where olives were grown, picked and pressed in large stone mills. Luke 22:41-44 records how Jesus went off by himself to pray and was so overcome with grief that “his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” Isaiah 53:5 predicts that the Messiah would be “crushed for our iniquities.” In the garden where olives were pressed and crushed for their extremely valuable oil, Jesus was also “pressed” by the weight of our sin and the punishment He would soon endure on our behalf.
In the same way, we may be pressed by tough trials in our lives. If we trust God through these times, He can use them to bring out the pure and priceless “oil” of His character in us.
