Trees and Rain

On a recent drive I asked my wife for directions.  "Turn left at the tree," she said. I laughed out loud. We were in Michigan where there are LOTS of trees. But, in her defense, when I saw the tree, I understood -- it was a large maple tree that hung out over the road, its silhouette visible from a long way off.  

But, generally, in Michigan, "Turn left at the tree" is probably unclear.

The weather and terrain of the ancient Near East are quite different from that of Michigan or the US Midwest. In the ANE, trees are rare. As is rain.

Rain

Throughout the Old Testament, rain is viewed as a wonderful event, as a gift from God. Travelers want rain. This is a cultural difference between the ANE and the much of the United States. In much of he United States, a "rainy day", is a term for rough times. When Jesus says, in Matthew 5:45, 

"God... sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous,"

Americans tend to nod and say, "Yes, we all have rough times." But for the Jew living in the arid lands of the ANE, Jesus was saying that God gives beautiful rain to both the righteous and the unrighteous. The spring and autumn rains set up the harvests, which were then celebrated with feasts. The timing of these rains was deeply embedded in the ANE culture. See, for example, Jeremiah 5:23-25, where the stubborn person who rejects YHWH does not recognize His provisions; the rebellious person does not know 

"who gives autumn and spring rains in season,

who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest."

There are dozens of Bible promises of rain. Indeed, here is an Open Bible page on Rain. It includes an early promise in Leviticus 26:3-5, 

"I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit...

and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land."

If rain was so precious, then also beautiful were signs of water and moisture. A great tree meant a good source of water nearby.

Trees

In a desert land, the rare tree can be a significant landmark. Years ago, while traveling in the Chihuahan desert of the Texas Big Bend, I was surprised to see a splash of green on the near horizon.  Drawing closer, I realized I was looking at cottonwoods growing along the Rio Grande river. That splash of green is a welcome site in the desert. And so we see trees mentioned as landmarks in the Old Testament. In Genesis 13 Abram and Lot separate and God promises the land of Canaan to Abram. At the end of that chapter is Genesis 13:18, 

So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron.... 

There he built an altar to the Lord.

This is the first mention of Hebron, and it is identified as having "great trees." (There is, even today, a revered oak tree in that region -- see this Wikipedia page on the Great Oak at Mamre.) Later, Deborah's nurse is buried under the terebinth (oak tree) outside Bethel (Genesis 35:8.) Note the definite article; the ancient reader might be expected to recall that landmark; indeed the tree is given a name, "Oak of Weeping".

The splash of green of trees growing in the desert signifies refreshment, a cool oasis. And so a strong healthy tree becomes a metaphor for human success and righteousness. Throughout the Old Testament, God promises to make His followers into healthy trees. See, for example,

The book of Psalms opens with a description of the righteous person, one who meditates on God's Law,  Psalm 1:1-3, comparing that person to a large tree by a stream of water. A similar metaphor occurs in Jeremiah 17:7-8. The kingdom of Assyria is viewed as a great tree in Ezekiel 31:2-9 and King Nebuchadnezzar dreams of a large tree of kingdoms in Daniel 4.

The tree metaphor, as a symbol of success and strength, occurs numerous times throughout the Old Testament. While working through the book of Job recently, I noticed numerous plant/tree metaphors. In Job 8:16-17, the dangerous persistence of the wicked compared to a vine that manages to take ove the garden. In Job 14:7-9 Job laments that mortal life is not like that of a tree, which although it might look dead, will sprout again once water is nearby. In Job 18:16 the wicked man is a dying tree, dying in the branches and the roots while in Job 29:19, Job recalls his confidence of his life as a healthy tree.

And these are just the passages from a study of Job!

If the study of rain and trees were central to the Old Testament culture then, of course, they show up in the teachings of Jesus. I have already mentioned, above, the statement of Jesus on rain in the Sermon on the Mount. As for trees, in John 15:1-8, Jesus says that He is the true vine and that those who follow Him should remain seeking nourishment from that tree, seeking to stay attached to that vine.