The scriptures use symbols in a variety of ways to represent persons, traits, or characteristics and they increase our understanding. For example, we can think of leaven and leprosy which speaks of the character of sin in that it spreads and destroys. In contrast, we enjoy meditating on the manna as it speaks of our Lord Jesus who is eternal (round), meek (small), holy (white) and came from heaven. We enjoy the lessons from nature, created by God. Every animal used in the offerings point to different aspects of our Lord Jesus. Arthur G. Clarke describes some in his notes on Levitical offerings:
- the young bull- His prompt service
- the sheep- His patient submission
- the goat- His planned substitution
- the turtle dove- His patent sincerity
We live in last days and we believe that the Lord’s return is imminent. In contrast to the world, we understand that God has a purpose for the nation of Israel from eternity. They were to be God’s people on earth bringing Him glory and honour. Sadly, the nation rejected Him and turned to idolatry. This does not thwart God’s purposes which are being worked out and its fulfilment will be seen in the millennium.
There are three trees in scripture that represent the nation of Israel. Their characteristics have been deemed by the Creator to be appropriate symbols for the nation chosen by God in relation to their service and fruitfulness, their current state and their future glory. The trees depict certain privileges of the nation bestowed upon them by God. They are
- The Olive- Religious privilege
- The Fig- National privilege
- The Vine- Spiritual privilege
It is interesting to note that these three trees grew in the nation of Israel and the people should have understood their significance but they chose to ignore it and were blinded. They indicate the fruitfulness of the land and the blessing for the nation in the millennium ‘But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree’ (Mic 4.4).
The Olive
The Olive is an evergreen tree with probably the greatest longevity (there is documented evidence of such trees living for several thousand years). It is hardy and can survive in a hostile environment. We can remember the dove plucked an olive leaf after the flood waters abated (Gen 8.11) so it had survived that catastrophic event.
The nation of Israel was chosen by God ‘The Lord called thy name, a green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit’ (Jer 11.16) and was planted by Him in the land of Canaan. But God ‘hath pronounced evil against thee’ as the nation turned its back to God and worshipped idols. But God has not cast them away! The apostle Paul says, ‘God forbid’ (Rom 11.1) to any who assume that. Until the fulness of the Gentiles come in, the wild olive tree (Gentiles) have been grafted as God broke ‘some’ of the branches (Rom 11.17). The nation has only been set aside for a time. The Gentiles do not take the place of Israel and replace the nation.
Apparently, in fruit tree husbandry, the normal course involves taking a choice branch and grafting it into healthy stock to produce choice fruits. If a wild branch were grafted into healthy stock, the outcome would be wild fruits. Therefore, the apostle Paul states that it is ‘contrary to nature’ (Rom 11.24) to graft wild olive branches. The nation did not produce fruits expected of them; they were to worship God and bring the fatness of their worship (Olive oil) to their Redeemer. They rejected the Saviour and crucified him. We, as Gentiles, have been grafted into the sovereign purposes and grace of God and are expected to bring forth good fruits as God is the sovereign husbandman. We note then that He can reverse the usual sequence of nature. All promises made by God to Abraham are worked out in us through a glorified risen Christ; we are referred to as ‘Abraham’s seed’ (Gal 3.29). In this dispensation of grace, we bring forth our worship by giving praise and thanksgiving to our Saviour who ‘contrary to nature’ has given us the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and ‘we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ’ (2 Cor 2.15). We who should be condemned to death have been given eternal life.
But there is a future when the natural branches will be grafted in again. The blindness of the nation shall be removed, and they shall accept the Lord Jesus as their Saviour. They shall repent and worship Him for who He is and what He had accomplished. And then, ‘his beauty shall be as the olive tree’ (Hos 14.6).
Part 2
We have been meditating on the purposes of God for the nation of Israel by thinking of the three trees mentioned in the scriptures that depict the nation. Each tree reminds us of an aspect of the privileges given to the nation, which they have rejected. This does not thwart God’s purposes for them. The three trees are the Olive – Religious privilege; the Fig – National privilege; and the Vine – Spiritual privilege. This week we conclude our study with the Fig tree and the Vine.
The Fig
The Fig tree has been used by our Lord in setting an example to the nation of their hypocrisy and need to bear fruit as privileged amongst the nations of the world. The tree is distinct in that in the Mediterranean region, it carries fruit all year round, and the fruit appears before the leaves. The tree has a summer and a winter crop. The early fruits appear in spring on last year’s branches and ripen through spring into autumn. The late fruits appear in autumn on new branches and ripen when leaves appear in spring. Hence the presence of leaves indicates the necessity of fruits.
In the event in Mt 21.18-20, (which is also seen in Mk 11.13), the Lord expected fruits when he saw the fig tree ‘afar off having leaves’. The presence of leaves should indicate the presence of fruits. Having found none, the Lord cursed the tree and it withered. The nation was hypocritical in calling themselves the children of Abraham, adopting Old Testament laws, professing to be God’s chosen people. Sadly, the Lord saw profession and no practice. As a nation, they were privileged to have God as their ruler and laws given by the mighty Creator but did not produce the fruits of sweetness which were expected.
In the parable of the fig tree (Lk 13.6-9), we see the nation (fig tree) planted by God himself in ‘his vineyard’. God chose the choicest of grounds to plant His chosen nation. But when He came and sought fruit, He ‘found none’. We see the intercession of our Lord (dresser of his vineyard) to extend time so that the nation may repent and produce fruit. Many prophets of old had interceded for the nation, beginning with Moses when he pleaded with God to preserve the nation when they murmured in the wilderness. The nation was described as ‘the first ripe in the fig tree at her first time’ but ‘they went to Baal-peor, and separated themselves’ (Hos 9.10).
Thus, the nation has lost its national privilege till the appointed time of the return of our Lord Jesus when their privilege shall be restored. The Lord shall rule as King ‘Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion’ (Ps 2.6) and ‘unto Him shall the gathering of the people be’ (Gen 49.10). The prophet Isaiah could say in the Spirit ‘… all nations shall flow unto it’ (Isa 2.2). His rule shall be of righteousness and peace.
The vine
The first mention of a vineyard in the Bible is in Gen 9.20, when Noah planted a vineyard and hence is the first plant to be highlighted in the scriptures after the flood. The fruit of the vine brings cheer to man’s heart (Ps 104.15) and God desired that man rejoice in His creation. The vine has no desirable symmetry unlike many other plants, and its wood provides little warmth as it burns quickly. It needs to cling on to some support for stability as it cannot stand upright in its own strength. God chose this vine to be a picture of the spiritual privileges of the nation.
God expected the nation to cling onto Him for strength, support, wisdom, and nourishment. Hence, the psalmist could sing (Ps 80.8-11)
- ‘Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt’ – divine wisdom and will featured in the time and manner of bringing the nation out of Egypt
- ‘thou hast cast out the heathen’ – divine strength involved in defeating the hostile nations
- ‘planted it’ – divine right as the husbandman who planted it and expects sweet fruit
- ‘didst cause it to take deep root’ – divine nourishment provided
- ‘The hills were covered with the shadow of it’ – divine expectation of the nation
God desired a personal relationship with the nation in that they would rely wholeheartedly and unreservedly on Him. But the ‘noble vine’ planted by God turned into ‘the degenerate plant of a strange vine’ (Jer 2.21) by committing idolatry and associating with Gentile nations. It brought forth ‘wild grapes’ (Isa 5.2) after all that God had done for it. Israel became an empty vine and brought forth fruit unto its own self and not for their Redeemer (Hos 10.1). The Lord explained the nation’s current condition, His death and God’s future purposes in the parable of the vineyard to the chief priests and Pharisees (Mt 21.33-46).
How wonderful that God’s plan never fails. A brief glimpse of the glorious future was given to Jacob in his death bed when he could bless Judah in his last recorded words by looking at the time when the vine would spread so abundantly that Judah would bind ‘his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine’. Their fruit (wine) shall be so abundant that ‘he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes’ (Gen 49.11). This is a picture of restoration of the spiritual privileges after the nation repents. The nation of Israel will receive its blessing as God’s chosen people when they mourn for their deeds and receive Him as their Messiah.
As believers, we have been recipients of grace and partake of every goodness and blessing by accepting the Lord as our Saviour. The gift of eternal life has been given to us, not because we deserve it. Our worship in the Spirit should be the fatness we produce for our Saviour as we wait for His return. We are the wild olive branches grafted in, dependent on Him like the branch of the ‘true vine’, producing sweet fruit which brings joy to us and to the Lord.
Christo