What Trees Can Teach Us About God and His KingdomParaugs

Save the trees!

Many people nowadays realize that trees are important for the environment. If we chop them all down, this will cause many problems like an increased risk of land erosion, the loss of precious species, and possibly, an increased amount of CO2 in the air. Therefore, many are now fighting to ‘save the trees’.

But God, being the Designer of nature, was aware of the importance of trees long before humans were bothered about this. When the people of Israel were about to enter their territory in the land of Canaan, God gave them lots of prescriptions — including laws concerning warfare. When the Israelites besieged a city, they were not allowed to chop all the trees down. They could only cut down some trees that did not bear fruit, if they needed timber.

Another prescription takes care of ‘the land’: Israelites were allowed to sow their field and harvest from their fruit trees six years in a row, but the seventh year should be a year of rest for the land.  

These prescriptions contain a lesson for us, too. God doesn’t want us to needlessly destroy his creation, including trees and fields. People are to use natural resources, not to exploit them. Adam was called to work and keep the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15), and I think this commission still holds. We can use God’s creation, not abuse it.

What can you do to “work and keep” our natural environment responsibly?