God populated the Bible with trees to teach us about time on a non-human scale. Simpson, and many pastors today encountering the Lord by a tree. Abraham is the first person … It’s invaluable for any serious student of the Bible. Bio: Matthew Sleeth, MD, a former emergency room physician and chief of the hospital medical staff, resigned from his position to teach, preach, and write about the biblical call to be good stewards of the earth. Proverb 3:18 says that the Bible’s wisdom is a tree of life to those who take ahold of it, and that happiness results from knowing this life-giving book. Revelation 22 describes the tree of life, saying, “the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” Trees remind us that life is much bigger than our present moment. In order to do this, we need to study the Word of God—His Bible. What good would an apple tree be if it never produced any apples? They are not mentioned just for their beauty, but because each gave fruit with seeds in it. Every day we examined both of the pots. In the Gospel of Matthew, I met Jesus and accepted him for who he is: Lord. Dr. Matthew Sleeth: It’s an odd one. I’d never read the Bible. I hear the Lord pleading to the side of us that is rational and reasonable. Unlike humans, trees always seek light. Give Thanks, our Thanksgiving free email series, is written to be a mind-renewing exercise. They were given for us to use. One of the clearest memories I have of kindergarten is planting seeds in two pots. With our care, trees could greatly help to reduce global poverty. To change your preferences, see our, Bible study: The purpose and meaning of trees, Be the first to hear about our latest learning and resources. When we turn to chapter 22 in the book of Revelation, we see that The Tree of Life is the central feature of heaven, and that the leaves from this tree will “heal all the nations.”. Every major character and every major theological event has a tree marking the spot. 4 Important Spiritual Lessons from Trees in the Bible Turn toward the Light. If you take six tree-related words—tree, seed, leaf, branch, root, and fruit—and count them in a KJV Bible, they occur 967 times. We see in the gospels that Christ died on a tree for the forgiveness of our sins. Where does one start? When this occurred in the past, the term dualism was used to describe the phenomenon. You’ll gain #free access to video content from Dr. Jeremiah and exclusive #bonus content! The one in the closet became pale, thin, and grew in a confused manner. Trees need water as much as they need light. The first Psalm exhorts believers to be like a tree. In fact, even though we had thousands of books in our home, we didn’t own a Bible. Bible Gateway interviewed Matthew Sleeth, MD (@MatthewSleeth) about his book, Reforesting Faith: What Trees Teach Us About the Nature of God and His Love for Us (WaterBrook, 2019). Dr. Matthew Sleeth: There are probably many explanations, including a shift in our culture from rural to urban. The modern version of this study Bible contains not a single page and only lists three trees in the index. It’s easy to look like a fruit tree, but Jesus said that we’d be known by the fruit we produce (Matt 7:16-20). We can start again. It is the fruit of the Holy Spirit working in our mind and soul to make us into the image of Christ. What spiritual lessons can be learned from trees? The first branch is estimated to weigh 140,000 pounds. 3:18). In Revelation 22, we learn that the tree of life bears fruit crops 12 times a year, and its leaves are for the healing of the nations. The good news is that my parents named me Matthew. My favorite species of tree is the sugar maple (Acer saccharum). Unfortunately, trees also have literally been subtracted from the actual text of the Bible. But beyond meeting physical needs, trees can also teach spiritual lessons. In protecting the roots of the tree and landscaping around it, he not only rescued the tree (it flowers again! Jesus taught his followers to pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. In Genesis 2:16-17, God gave both man and woman his first command, and it referred to the fruit of the tree, but they disobeyed. God put the notion of living on a vast time scale in our hearts (Eccl 3:11). Trees also have been subtracted from the commentary section of study Bibles. Look at Mark 11:8 in modern Bible translations. Trees are mentioned in the Bible more than any living thing other than God and people. Some seeds produced oil that could be used for cooking and lighting, medicinal purposes, and for beauty treatments. If evil was real, what was on the other side? In Genesis 2:16-17, God gave both man and woman his first command, and it referred to the fruit of the tree, but they disobeyed. One was placed on the window sill; the other was placed in a dark closet. Spiritual Lessons from the Life of Trees: An Interview with Matthew Sleeth, MD, The Wonder of Trees in the Bible and in Our Lives Today, Bible Verses for the International Days of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, The Bible Shows How God Overcomes Chaos: An Interview with Sidney Greidanus, Bible is a Modern Culinary Manual, God is “First Foodie”: An Interview with Margaret Feinberg. Join the study today and receive exclusive #bonus content! In this account of Palm Sunday, people go and cut branches off the “field,” which doesn’t even make sense. What would the world look like if the first thing we thought about were our roles as stewards, responsible for the coming generations? Trees make life possible. Tolkien, and George D. MacDonald cast the good guys as protectors of trees and the bad guys as wanton destroyers of trees. The tree was in decline and had stopped flowering when a Scout came to the rescue. There’s a tree on the first page of Genesis and the last page of Revelation. Indeed, Adam’s first instructions were to “dress and keep” (Genesis 2:15 KJV) the trees in Eden. God is in the life business. Jesus said that you could know a tree by its fruit. When God wrote the Bible, he knew that trees support human life. For several weeks, nothing happened. Trees need caring for so that they bear fruit and benefit mankind, contributing to our overall welfare. What I learned is that trees are the most mentioned living thing in the Bible other than people and God. And this pattern continues, with Martin Luther, A.B. Not just one variety of tree, but various kinds. My son and his wife serve as full-time medical missionaries in Kenya, and my daughter and her pastor husband just returned from six months in Africa and now serve a church in Appalachia. [Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, The Wonder of Trees in the Bible and in Our Lives Today]. A tree naturally seeks light. Dr. Matthew Sleeth: Seek the light! by Matthew Sleeth, MD - Posted on Jun 6, 2019. Healthy, mature trees have roots that travel in all directions seeking water and nutrients. They occur 230 fewer times in the ESV, 267 fewer times in the NIV, and 274 fewer times in the NLT. Jesus said he is the true vine and that his Father is the dresser of the garden ( John 15:1 ). But evil is not a scientific concept; it’s a spiritual reality. For most of human history, we had no clue that trees were keeping the air on. Filed under Books, Discipleship, Interviews. We needed to learn to do this to continue receiving their benefits. In this 7-week free online #Bible study, Dr. David Jeremiah will share the ways God is equipping you to overcome obstacles in your life. Human lives are short. Their deep roots and sprawling branches call us to look to heaven and eternity. We should not only produce outward fruit—but inward. We will have the right to eat of the tree of life (Revelation 2:7), if we overcome as the Spirit of God shows us. He is the executive director of Blessed Earth and author of Serving God, Saving the Planet; 24/6: A Prescription for a Healthier, Happier Life; the introduction to The Green Bible, as well as numerous creation care books and articles.

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