Like A Tree

To be good theologians, we need to talk about trees. 

But first, let me tell you why I love trees. In part, it's because I'm a native of Atlanta, GA. One of Atlanta's quirkier nicknames is the "city in a forest." It's true! If you live in Atlanta or ever visit, you will notice an abundance of trees. And why do we have so many trees? I believe it's partly due to Trees Atlanta, which has planted over 150,000 trees in the city! Currently, their goal is to plant or conserve one million trees over ten years! I know you aren't reading this to learn how Atlantans love trees or get excited about one of our favorite nonprofits, but trees make our city so beautiful.

Another reason I love trees is that I grew up going camping... in forests. You know how sometimes you hear a word, and you instantly love it? That's how I felt when I heard about "forest bathing," which is a much more fantastic way to describe camping or going for a walk outside. When I'm surrounded by trees, my soul is at peace. I love looking out the window from my home office and seeing more trees than I can count. 

So Psalm 1 says that a righteous person is like a tree. 

Depending upon what kind of tree we're talking about, I suppose this could be flattering - or insulting. (I don't know. Have you ever heard someone include a tree in an insult?)

But what does it mean to be like a tree? Take a break from reading this article, get some paper, and write down how a tree describes a righteous person. Go ahead; I'll wait for you. 

Isn't it strange? In what way is a righteous person like a tree?

It turns out that in the Bible, trees are vital. As Matthew Sleeth points out,

Other than people and God, trees are the most mentioned living thing in the Bible. There are trees in the first chapter of Genesis (v. 11–12), in the first psalm (Ps. 1:3), and on the last page of Revelation (22:2). As if to underscore all these trees, the Bible refers to wisdom as a tree (Prov. 3:18).

Every major character and every major theological event in the Bible has an associated tree. The only exception to this pattern is Joseph, and in Joseph's case the Bible pays him its highest compliment: Joseph is a tree (Gen. 49:22). In fact, Jeremiah urges all believers to be like a tree (17:7–8).

The only physical description of Jesus in the Bible occurs in Isaiah. "Want to recognize the Messiah when he arrives?" Isaiah asks. "Look for the man who resembles a little tree growing out of barren ground" (53:2, paraphrase mine).

Sleeth also notes, "Jesus is the Tree of Life, and one day his followers will eat from the leaves of this tree and be healed (Rev. 22:2, 14)."

Whoa. Righteous people are like trees — and Jesus is the ultimate tree, the Tree of Life. That's cool.

Here's a principle: The more we study the breadth of the entire Bible, the better we understand each part. Psalm 1 might seem to be saying weird things, comparing people to trees. But trees are fantastic.

So if we locate Psalm 1 in the context of the whole Bible, it's saying that righteous people are like Jesus. 

Here's a bonus: In 1979, Jadav Payeng started planting a tree daily in the desert. Check out what happened:

What if we cared for God's world in this way? And what if we also multiplied disciples, who sprang up like little trees of life, imitating the Tree of Life?

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