The trees by the river

The trees by the river

Scripture: Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.” Ezekiel 47:12

Observation: This particular topic has a special place in my heart, as I have named my blog – tree-by-waters.blogspot.com. Trees are mentioned from the very beginning of the Bible, and were created even before the creatures. They are meant by God to be a source of food, of life for every living creature. However, at the same time, the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the centre of the Garden of Eden was the subject of man’s fall because Adam disobeyed the Lord’s command not to eat from it.

Thereafter, Abraham came to dwell under the great trees of Mamre at Hebron. The picture of Abraham dwelling under the great shady trees there reminds us of God Himself being like a great shade over us, giving us comfort and shelter. As the Psalmist writes “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the almighty”.

Just as God created fruit bearing plants to bear fruit and give life, He too created man to bear fruit. John the Baptist warned in Matthew 3:10 “
The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” The Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Throughout Scripture, men are very often likened to a tree, and as we study it, we can find certain qualities that cause a tree to bear fruit.

The first and probably most well loved Scripture on this topic is from Psalms 1 which speaks about how blessed is the man who does not follow evil but instead delights on God’s law and meditates on it day and night. He is likened to a tree beside streams of living water, which bears fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither – whatever he does prospers. The first quality we should desire to have is to shun evil and love God’s Word.

In Psalm 52:8, David exclaimed “But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.” The second quality is trust in God. Jeremiah 17:7-8 also gives us a wonderful picture of this ““But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

The third quality is righteousness. Psalm 92:12 says “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon” and  Proverbs 11:30 proclaims “the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives.” The Scripture says that “the righteous shall live by faith”. We are righteous not by our works but by faith in salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ who has covered us with His righteousness. Does this mean we are no longer sinners? No, we still sin, due to our fallen nature. However, in our heart there is a desire to be righteous, and our mind is set on becoming more and more like Jesus. One day, when Jesus returns, He will make us perfect, just as He is perfect.

The next quality is a soothing tongue. The tongue has the power of life and death. A tongue that speaks words of hope, of encouragement, of life, is like a tree of life, bringing good and healing to many. The opposite is a perverse tongue that tears down and corrupts. The tongue is a dangerous member of our bodies, but we need to make it submissive to our Lord Jesus.

This picture in Ezekiel of the river of life from the temple causing trees to grow and bear fruit and leaves for healing can interestingly also be seen in Revelation. “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” Revelation 22:1-2

Application: Desire to bear fruit and pray to God to give us more of His Holy Spirit. Pray for a greater hunger for God’s Word. Trust in God more and more. Believe that Jesus has made us righteous, and desire to live out His righteousness more and more. Submit our tongues to our Lord Jesus. Let Him change the way we speak.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You for Your river of life that flows through me and gives me life and hope. Let Your Spirit dwell so deeply in me that I will bear His fruit and be a blessing to others.  I submit my tongue to You O Lord. Help me speak words that heal and build up rather than wound and tear down. All that I am, all that I have, use it for Your glory O Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.