Tree
Hebrew #6086 – ‘es
Definition: a woody perennial plant, generally living to be very old, and large
“And out of the ground יהוה Elohim made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, with the tree of life in the midst of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”
Berĕshith (Genesis) 2:9
“When you beat your olive trees, do not examine the branch behind you. Let it be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.”
Deḇarim (Deuteronomy) 24:20
“Blessed is the man who trusts in יהוה, and whose trust is יהוה. 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.”
Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 17:7-8
“Blessed is the man who shall not walk in the counsel of the wrong, And shall not stand in the path of sinners, And shall not sit in the seat of scoffers, But his delight is in the Torah of יהוה, And he meditates in His Torah day and night. 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.”
Tehillim (Psalms) 1:1-3
“And the axe is already laid to the root of the trees. Every tree, then, which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
Mattithyahu (Matthew) 3:10
“So every good tree yields good fruit, but a rotten tree yields wicked fruit. A good tree is unable to yield wicked fruit, and a rotten tree to yield good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, by their fruits you shall know them.”
Mattithyahu (Matthew) 7:17-20
As we are similar to trees, in the eyes of scripture, we also bear fruit. You’ll often learn of the fruit of the spirit in “Sunday school” as a small child, love, joy, peace, patience…and the rest. Throughout the gospels it points to this as well.
“So then, by their fruits you shall know them.” – Matt. 7:20
Verse 21 of Matthew 7 goes on to tell more about this subject, bringing to mind more than just the fruit of the spirit.
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Master, Master,’ shall enter into the reign of the heavens, but he who is doing the desire of My Father in the heavens. Many shall say to Me in that day, ‘Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Your Name, and cast out demons in Your Name, and done many mighty works in Your Name?’ And then I shall declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, you who work lawlessness!’' - Mattithyahu (Matthew) 7:21-23
So by their fruits we will know them, but there’s more to this than just that. Yahusha then says that those who practice lawlessness shall not enter the reign, even if they call Him “Master” and do amazing works.
Psalm 1 sheds a little light on this (which we memorized as a family recently) as well as the passage in Jeremiah, which basically says the same thing.
“Blessed is the man who shall not walk in the counsel of the wrong,
And shall not stand in the path of sinners,
And shall not sit in the seat of scoffers,
But his delight is in the Torah of יהוה,
And he meditates in His Torah day and night.
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." - Psalm 1:1-3
If you work backwards in the Psalm you see a thriving tree, full of fruit and leaves that don’t whither in the hottest heat, and why? Because it delights in Yahuah’s Torah, and stays out of the path of unrighteousness. Let’s look closely at Jeremiah 17:7-8:
“Blessed is the man who trusts in יהוה, and whose trust is יהוה. 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.”
Wow, such powerful words. He does not see when heat comes (fiery trials, anyone?), and his leaf will be green, and in the year of drought (or scarcity) he does not worry, nor does he cease from yielding fruit. Why? Because he has put his trust in Yahuah and his trust is Yahuah.
Alright back to Matthew,
“So every good tree yields good fruit, but a rotten tree yields wicked fruit. A good tree is unable to yield wicked fruit, and a rotten tree to yield good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, by their fruits you shall know them.” – 7:17-20
It seems pretty clear to me that if you trust and love Yahuah, you will bear fruit worthy of repentance (Matt. 3:8-10), and walk in the Ways of Yahuah, as the man described in Psalm 1.
The last phrase in Psalm 1:1-3 says,
“And whatever he does prospers.”
If you have begun to walk in the commands, you know that this is true. Beyond anything that you could imagine, your life becomes full of purpose and blessing, spreading the Good News. You might not be rich in material items, but rich in the knowledge of Yahuah and His character, with true love, true peace (shalom), and true Joy. Not just happiness that comes and goes, but true joy no matter the circumstance.
So be a strong tree, taking root in the river of Life, Yahuah and His Living Word, Yahusha.
JS