In Hosea 14:5-7 we see that the cedars of Lebanon are associated with three things: the lily, the olive tree, and the vine. The cedars of Lebanon are very tall and the roots are very deep, and they signify the Christians who strike their roots deep into God.
For us to have a pure and beautiful Christian life, we need to have an uninterrupted fellowship with God. For us to have a splendor in bearing fruit and honoring both God and man, we need to have deep roots into God.
Also, for us to produce cheering wine to make God and man happy, to be for God’s satisfaction, we need to be rooted into Christ.
Being a lily with roots like the trees of Lebanon
Hosea 14:5 says, I will be like the dew to Israel; / He will bud like the lily / And will send forth his roots like the trees of Lebanon. Somehow in God’s eyes the pure and beautiful lily is linked to the strong roots of the trees of Lebanon.
We as Christians are like lilies of the valleys (see Song of Songs 2:1), those growing in the wilderness, depending upon sunshine, rain, and dew for sustenance. We need to live a pure and beautiful life by depending on God’s cultivation and His maintenance.
He feeds us, waters us, nourishes us, and takes care of us. For us to have a pure and beautiful spiritual life we need to have an uninterrupted fellowship with God. We need to have deep roots into God, our rich soil and our source of supply, having a continual fellowship with Him.
In this way, we can be like a lily (pure and beautiful) having the roots of the trees of Lebanon (deep roots).
The splendor of an olive tree and the fragrance of the trees of Lebanon
Why is the olive tree linked to the trees of Lebanon? Hosea 14:6 says, His shoots will go forth; / And his splendor will be like that of the olive tree, / And his fragrance, like that of the trees of Lebanon.
First of all, in our eyes as human beings the olive tree is not splendid; we may consider a great and mighty tree as being splendid. But in God’s eyes, splendor to God is not a superficial and outdoor splendour but it is genuine fruit.
The splendor of the olive tree is in its fruit, since the fatness of the olive tree produces oil that honors both God and man (see Judges 9:8-9). In the same way, the splendor of our Christian life is in bearing the fruit of the Spirit and bearing fruit by bringing people to know the Lord and love Him.
How can this be achieved? It is only by going inward, sending roots deep down in Christ, and spending adequate time with the Lord that we can bear the fruit of the Spirit and bring others to the Lord.
The splendor of the olive tree is in its fatness, which honors both God and man (the olive oil was used to anoint kings and priests). Christ is the real olive tree (see Rom. 11:17; Zech. 4:11-14; Rev. 11:4a) as the One who is always full of the Holy Spirit within and anointed with the Spirit without (Luke 4:1a, 18a; Heb. 1:9).
As we Christians walk by the Spirit in our daily life, we honor God (see Gal. 5:16, 25). As we minister the Spirit to others, we honor man (see 2 Cor. 3:6, 8). For this, we need to strike roots in the depths, not being shallow and superficial with the Lord.
Our root system needs to be solid, deep, and rich with the Lord, that we may be full of the Spirit within and anointed with the Spirit without.
The sweet odor in the uplifted humanity
There’s a fragrance related to the trees of Lebanon, and this signifies that there is a sweet odor related to the life in the uplifted humanity. There was an aroma about Christ when He lived God on earth, and people were inexplicably drawn to Him.
Fragrance is a smell – it cannot be defined or explained, but it is something so delicate and good. You just have to smell it, not touch it or see it. Fragrance cannot be hidden.
When we are filled with the Spirit within and anointed with the Spirit without by spending much time with the Lord to send deep roots into Him, we will carry His splendor with us and others will smell His fragrance (see Judges 9:9; Heb. 1:9).
We just need to send roots into Him again and again, and “thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in the Christ and manifests the savor of the knowledge of Him through us in every place” (2 Cor. 2:14).
Lord, we treasure our time with You to send deep roots into You. We want to have such a pure and beautiful Christian life by spending much time with You and having strong roots in You. Lord, may there be some glory in bearing fruit for You out from our being deeply rooted into You. Fill us with the Spirit and anoint us with the Spirit as the oil, that we would carry Your fragrance!
References and Further Reading
- Sharing inspired from, The Collected Works of Watchman Nee (vol. 46, ch. 197), as quoted in, the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Crystallization-Study of the Minor Prophets, week 2 (entitled, The Restoration of Israel — Transformation in Life by God’s Love).
- Similar sharing: having a hidden and secret life with the Lord to be solidly rooted in Him;
- Hymns on this topic:
# I’m pressing on the God-man way, / New Christ I’m gaining every day,
# Lord, make me Your captive. / Never let me win. / Defeat me all the time. / Lord, make home in me.
# Take time to behold Him, / The world rushes on; / Spend much time in secret / With Jesus alone. - Picture source: cedars of Lebanon.
