Sæktu forritiðWhat Trees Can Teach Us About God and His KingdomSýnishorn
Build an altar by your tree
Abraham was a nomad, living in a tent and moving from time to time with his cattle. In Genesis 13:18, we read how he settled by the oaks of Mamre. But for Abraham, his tent, some wonderful shade-providing trees, and sufficient grass for the cattle were not sufficient to create a good dwelling place. He also built an altar to the Lord.
Some chapters later, we read a similar text. Abraham moves to Beersheba, plants a tree there — and calls on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God (Genesis 21:33). Abraham’s son and grandson do the same: when they move to a new territory, they do not just seek a good place to live, they do not just pitch their tent, but they also build altars (Genesis 26:25, 33:19-20).
Nowadays, Christians don’t need to build altars anymore. Jesus Christ is our ultimate sacrifice. But the basic principle is still valuable: it is not sufficient to have a nice home in a pleasant neighborhood. We also need a place where we can serve and honor God. Wherever you move to, seek a church that you can attend, and fellow believers who can be your ‘spiritual family’. That is just as important as finding a comfortable home and providing for your material needs!
Do you have an “altar”, a place to worship the Lord, in your vicinity? If not, try to find one!
About this Plan
When we try to find the central theme of the Bible, we might not immediately think of ‘trees’. But when we take a closer look, trees are mentioned quite often! Not as main characters or major topics, but they are frequently used as metaphors or symbolic representations of important truths. In this Reading Plan, we will read some Bible texts about trees, and see what we can learn from them.
More
