The righteous man will
flourish like the palm tree,
He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
~ Psalm 92:12 ~
I recently had the humble
blessing to go to Lebanon and serve her people. Seven of us were
able to travel to Beirut. During our time in Lebanon, we shared the
Good News of Yeshua; we handed out Bibles, brought aid to the Syrian
refugees in eastern Lebanon, prepared food at a soup kitchen, etc.
Before we returned to the United States, we were able to take a side
trip and see the Cedars of Lebanon. We drove approximately two
hours, we were vertically challenged! When it seemed as though we
had climbed to the highest pinnacle, there was still yet more
territory to climb. Finally, there in the distance, were the notable
trees.
The use of erez tree, the cedar, is first seen in Leviticus,
as God required the wood to be tied with the dove, in preparation
for an offered sacrifice. This process was for healing of a leper.
This erez cedar wood signified the restoring of the leper to
his strength and soundness. The erez cedar is known for its
strength and longevity. It was known that this wood would not decay.
All the more reason why Solomon desired that this wood was to be
used in the construction of his Temple. The tree is known for its
wonderful scent. Many people construct cedar closets in their homes,
because of the protection and fragrance of this erez cedar
wood.
Gesenius, in his noted lexicon, commented that the erez tree,
the Cedar, is so called because of the firmness of its roots. Isaiah
37:24 and Amos 2:9 both note that the erez cedar trees grow
in great elevation. I Kings 10:27 notes that the erez cedar
was as plentiful as sycamores, but no longer. Gesenius notes that
the erez cedar wood is reduced to a very small number.
King Solomon loved the erez cedar wood so much that 1 Kings
6:18-20 states:
| 18. There was
cedar on the house within, carved in the shape of gourds
and open flowers; all was cedar, there was no stone
seen. 19. Then he prepared an inner sanctuary within the
house in order to place there the ark of the covenant of
the LORD. 20. The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits in
length, twenty cubits in width, and twenty cubits in
height, and he overlaid it with pure gold. He also
overlaid the altar with cedar. |
The altar of God was overlaid
with this precious wood. The Bible continues to tell us:
| 2. He built
the house of the forest of Lebanon; its length was 100
cubits and its width 50 cubits and its height 30 cubits,
on four rows of cedar pillars with cedar beams on the
pillars. 3. It was paneled with cedar above the side
chambers which were on the 45 pillars, 15 in each row .
. . . 7. He made the hall of the throne where he was to
judge, the hall of judgment, and it was paneled with
cedar from floor to floor.
~ I Kings 7:2-3, 7 ~ |
Yet, even as stately as these
erez Cedar trees were, they could never compare to The Tree, the
Cross, our Tree of Life, where our Yeshua Jesus gave His life for
us.
He is stately, He never decays, Yeshua has been since time began and
will be eternal.
He is precious. He is priceless.
His boughs of protection cover all who desire to come to Him for
shelter.
He is Life eternal; He is forever giving, forever Loving.
His sap never dries up. People cannot chop Him down for He is
invincible.
He is indestructible. He is altogether lovely. His presence adds
fragrance.
He is evergreen; He ever lives. He is all Strength, He is all
powerful.
His appearance is
like Lebanon, Choice as the cedars.
~ Song of Solomon 5:15 ~
