The removal of ill...
Illustration
The removal of ill-fated King Zedekiah from Jerusalem to Babylon left a gap in Israel's leadership. How was it to be filled? In what some consider a Messianic prophecy, Ezekiel envisions that Jehovah himself will choose his successor, “a tender one,” maybe a child. This plant of God's choice will tower above all others and gather under its branches all living creatures.
What the people of Israel knew best were scrubby fig and olive trees, prized by the practical Jews for their produce as well as their shade. The majestic deciduous trees that mark the skyline of more temperate regions --maple, redwood, elm, locust, oak --were not known in Palestine. On its sunbaked soil, only an occasional cedar would get the water and nourishment needed to lift its top above the others.
Not far to the north, however, the snows on the mountains of Lebanon fed the famous cedar trees that grew to great height and girth. These hardwood trees were used for the building of Solomon's great temple at Jerusalem. Cedar wood was exported from Lebanon to make boats, musical instruments, idols, coffins, and articles of furniture for the palaces of Egypt and Palestine.
In biblical days, a family in Israel considered itself blessed to own a single fig tree, which gave both shade and fruit. With our better knowledge of ecological needs, reforestation projects now are seen throughout Palestine. Contributions from all over the world to the Jewish National Fund have aided the planting of millions of trees, indeed whole forests.
--Stauderman
