Cedars of Lebanon - used in The Temple in Jerusalem
Matthew 13:31-32
31 He put another parable before them, saying,
“The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
Cedars of Lebanon - the effort to replant was from Queen Victoria
What does the Kingdom of Heaven look like to you?
A Profound Question.
Jesus spoke to us, the Kingdom of Heaven was like a large tree. And surely Jesus knew something of this parable. Genesis begins with the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden and Revelation continues to tell us of this tree in Heaven.
God greeted Abraham where he chose to dwell.
Genesis 18:1
And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day.
Genesis 21:33
Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God.
1 Kings 6
11 Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon, 12 “Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. 13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel.”
14 So Solomon built the house and finished it. 15 He lined the walls of the house on the inside with boards of cedar. From the floor of the house to the walls of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood, and he covered the floor of the house with boards of cypress.
Several times we are told trees (an image of angels, flowers, and trees) were displayed.
32 He covered the two doors of olivewood with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. He overlaid them with gold and spread gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees.
Matthew 4:4
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Deuteronomy 22:6
“If you come across a bird's nest in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs and the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young.
Matthew 23:37a
How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings
Matthew 10:29
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
Yet God's love doesn't stop with Jesus caring for only part of His Word made manifest.
Matthew 10:31
"So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows."
Luke 12
22 And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.
24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!
25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?
27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried.
30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Trees have seasons. Winter appears to be a time of sleep. The truth is, trees love to be fed during winter.
Psalm 131
O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore.
We all have seasons. There are several non-seasonal aspects of life. He tells us gratitude, prayer and Love.
Of course, God branches out from this non-seasonality to say how we are to seek Him first; And life is going to become abundant. Center Him, as Joshua did. Asking Him to forgive us when we don't stay upon the path that is blameless. We should walk with integrity of heart. Then we ask Him to help us not fall away. Then our heart is not perverse. This is when and how we seek God first. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Another non-seasonal - Jesus tells us, do not be anxious about our lives, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. He says your Father knows that you need them.
It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Put your treasure and heart with Jesus. One's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.
Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. God's love pours into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, Jesus has been given the Holy Spirit to us.
Fear not. Jesus says. The Kingdom of Heaven is like -
Psalm 91:4
He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
Psalm 16:11
You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Revelation 7:9-10
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
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