The Cedar
" His branches shall spread and His beauty shall be as the olive tree , and his smell as Lebanon ,"
The strength of the Cedar . " He shall cast forth his roots as Lebanon ," The lily is a fragile thing . It may be ,as the poet says , " the lily of a day ." In the morning it grows up and flourishes , but the wind passes over it , and in the evening it is laid low . It is not so with the spiritual beauty of the children of God . In their case beauty is wedded to strength , and so has in it the crowning glory of permanence . To set forth this quality a new figure is employed , the figure of the cedar of Lebanon . The roots of the cedar are a symbol of strength . They strike deep and reach far , and so the tree presents an unyielding front to the storm , and lives on throughout the years . The roots of the renewed life are hid with with Christ in God . They enter in within the vail , and unite the soul to the almightiness of the Eternal . The root of faith , for example , how strong it is ! It fills a man with energy and courage . Think of Peter after the resurrection , the man who had failed and had been like a reed laid low by the first breath of difficulty . . Now he is endued with unflinching courage , and stands foursquare before the storm of persecution like a stately cedar . So it is also with the roots of hope and love . Hope is an anchor of the soul , giving it stability and perseverance ; and love is strong as death .
"His beauty shall be as the olive tree. "
The lily has beauty , and the cedar has strength , but neither the lily nor the cedar bears fruit . So we have the additional figure of the olive tree , the beauty of which is the beauty of fruitfulness . As the result of the reviving dew the believer brings forth fruit unto God . He bears , for example , the fruits of godly living . His strength has been renewed , and he has been enabled to deny ungodlinessand worldly lusts and to live a sober , righteous , and godly life in this present world . He also bears the fruits of a deeper loyalty , and a more diligent service . Alexander Stewart
The strength of the Cedar . " He shall cast forth his roots as Lebanon ," The lily is a fragile thing . It may be ,as the poet says , " the lily of a day ." In the morning it grows up and flourishes , but the wind passes over it , and in the evening it is laid low . It is not so with the spiritual beauty of the children of God . In their case beauty is wedded to strength , and so has in it the crowning glory of permanence . To set forth this quality a new figure is employed , the figure of the cedar of Lebanon . The roots of the cedar are a symbol of strength . They strike deep and reach far , and so the tree presents an unyielding front to the storm , and lives on throughout the years . The roots of the renewed life are hid with with Christ in God . They enter in within the vail , and unite the soul to the almightiness of the Eternal . The root of faith , for example , how strong it is ! It fills a man with energy and courage . Think of Peter after the resurrection , the man who had failed and had been like a reed laid low by the first breath of difficulty . . Now he is endued with unflinching courage , and stands foursquare before the storm of persecution like a stately cedar . So it is also with the roots of hope and love . Hope is an anchor of the soul , giving it stability and perseverance ; and love is strong as death .
"His beauty shall be as the olive tree. "
The lily has beauty , and the cedar has strength , but neither the lily nor the cedar bears fruit . So we have the additional figure of the olive tree , the beauty of which is the beauty of fruitfulness . As the result of the reviving dew the believer brings forth fruit unto God . He bears , for example , the fruits of godly living . His strength has been renewed , and he has been enabled to deny ungodlinessand worldly lusts and to live a sober , righteous , and godly life in this present world . He also bears the fruits of a deeper loyalty , and a more diligent service . Alexander Stewart
Comments
Post a Comment