TREES OF RIGHTEOUSNES
Are you fulfilling your role in the household of faith? Are you like the faithful servant who nourishes or one that beats/scourges his fellow men? Are you using your God-given talent to honor God and bless others by inspiring them unto righteousness? In Isaiah 61:3, (King James Version) the word of the LORD calls us the trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.
What kind of tree are you? Read Judges 9:7-15; Abimelech’s violent grab for power is the theme of this story; he killed his own brothers except Jotham to strengthen his royal claims. Jotham publicly condemned Abimelech’s wickedness by telling this parable. These trees were figurative and referred to people in the context. All the trees in the forest asked the olive tree to rule over them, but the response was it cannot forego its divine assignment of producing oil which honors God and men. A righteous person who is an olive tree in nature would always seek God first and His righteousness and how to be a blessing to others. Next, the trees approached the fig tree to rule over them, but its response was also godly: that it did not want to cease from its sweetness and good fruit and entangling itself with unrighteousness.
The sweetness of the LORD and yielding fruit abundantly was its focus because this was its divine assignment by the Most High. Remember, the LORD cursed the fig tree for not having fruit on it (Matthew 21:19). Then the trees still seeking for a ruler came to the vine (grapes), but also the vine rejected the offer on the grounds that its assignment is to produce new wine which cheers both God and man (the wine of the Spirit). Finally, the trees, out of desperation, came to the bramble tree - a tree that is prickly, thorny, deadly, scourges, and is deceptive; all together, it portrayed wickedness and evil works. The bramble told them his terms of rulership - to kill and to destroy. Doesn’t that sound like the devil in John 10:10, the thief comes to kill, to steal and to destroy….”?
As sons of God, we must possess His character traits for we were created in His likeness and image. Can you discern the godly traits of the olive, fig and vine trees? Despite the attraction of being a ruler, they would not budge or turn to do evil. They recognized their God-given birth rights and their destiny in life to fulfill God’s purpose and glorify Him. As believers we must be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the LORD and not be enticed by fame and glamour of positions.
In Gen. 2:9 and Rev. 22:2, we see that the True Tree is Jesus: the Tree of life in the garden of Eden represented Christ for He bears twelve manner of fruits, yields fruits every month, and the leaves were for healing of the nations.
John 15:1; Jesus is the true vine which sustains the branches; without Christ we cannot produce any fruits. If you do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ, you are like the bramble tree which is good for nothing than to be burned. Jesus loves you; He became a sacrifice for our sins and iniquities, not wanting any to perish but have eternal life. The qualities of a good fruitful tree has these Christ-like traits: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance.
Psalm 1:3; Be a tree that is planted by the rivers of water, which brings forth his fruit in his season. His leaves also shall not wither and whatever he does shall prosper.
Be abundantly blessed and have a victorious new month filled with His peace, and holiness, without which no man shall see the LORD!
AMEN.
What kind of tree are you? Read Judges 9:7-15; Abimelech’s violent grab for power is the theme of this story; he killed his own brothers except Jotham to strengthen his royal claims. Jotham publicly condemned Abimelech’s wickedness by telling this parable. These trees were figurative and referred to people in the context. All the trees in the forest asked the olive tree to rule over them, but the response was it cannot forego its divine assignment of producing oil which honors God and men. A righteous person who is an olive tree in nature would always seek God first and His righteousness and how to be a blessing to others. Next, the trees approached the fig tree to rule over them, but its response was also godly: that it did not want to cease from its sweetness and good fruit and entangling itself with unrighteousness.
The sweetness of the LORD and yielding fruit abundantly was its focus because this was its divine assignment by the Most High. Remember, the LORD cursed the fig tree for not having fruit on it (Matthew 21:19). Then the trees still seeking for a ruler came to the vine (grapes), but also the vine rejected the offer on the grounds that its assignment is to produce new wine which cheers both God and man (the wine of the Spirit). Finally, the trees, out of desperation, came to the bramble tree - a tree that is prickly, thorny, deadly, scourges, and is deceptive; all together, it portrayed wickedness and evil works. The bramble told them his terms of rulership - to kill and to destroy. Doesn’t that sound like the devil in John 10:10, the thief comes to kill, to steal and to destroy….”?
As sons of God, we must possess His character traits for we were created in His likeness and image. Can you discern the godly traits of the olive, fig and vine trees? Despite the attraction of being a ruler, they would not budge or turn to do evil. They recognized their God-given birth rights and their destiny in life to fulfill God’s purpose and glorify Him. As believers we must be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the LORD and not be enticed by fame and glamour of positions.
In Gen. 2:9 and Rev. 22:2, we see that the True Tree is Jesus: the Tree of life in the garden of Eden represented Christ for He bears twelve manner of fruits, yields fruits every month, and the leaves were for healing of the nations.
John 15:1; Jesus is the true vine which sustains the branches; without Christ we cannot produce any fruits. If you do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ, you are like the bramble tree which is good for nothing than to be burned. Jesus loves you; He became a sacrifice for our sins and iniquities, not wanting any to perish but have eternal life. The qualities of a good fruitful tree has these Christ-like traits: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance.
Psalm 1:3; Be a tree that is planted by the rivers of water, which brings forth his fruit in his season. His leaves also shall not wither and whatever he does shall prosper.
Be abundantly blessed and have a victorious new month filled with His peace, and holiness, without which no man shall see the LORD!
AMEN.
