Old Trees Bear the Sweetest Fruit

Text

Psalm 92:10–15 NASB95

But You have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; I have been anointed with fresh oil. And my eye has looked exultantly upon my foes, My ears hear of the evildoers who rise up against me. The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, They will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still yield fruit in old age; They shall be full of sap and very green, To declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

The first section

This part of the Psalm calls attention to the “works” of God (1-4)

Because of the works the Psalmist says

It is good to give thanks (vs. 1) - the word means to lift God up

I will sing for joy (vs.4)

To this the Psalmist says “it is good”

You perform as expected when you give thanks and sing praises

Psalm 92:4 “For You, O Lord, have made me glad (outward expression of joy) by what You have done, I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.”

There is someone that can look over the tapestry of their life and can declare: I HAVE SEEN GOD WORK!

Death/Grief

Sickness

Financial

Peer and family pressure

Depression

You did not see a way out, but God expended some ENERGY and WORKED

So He deserves everything you have

If anyone has a reason to praise it’s us!

This is still relevant today

Hebrews 13:15 “Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.”

[READ: 5-11 - Focus momentarily on the “horn”]

Notice the wicked are described as grass

Psalm 92:12 “The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.”

Both are signs of Production and Strength - But both take a while to get to that point

Date Palms

Known for their ability to thrive in sandy, salty, desert conditions

Known to give sustenance and shade to those in the desert regions

A NOTE ON DATE PALMS

The date palm tree's unusual appearance also made them great landmarks and provided good shade. But the ancients' appreciation for them went far beyond appearance. The trunk was used as lumber for construction (interestingly, date palms do not have tree rings), and palm wood makes great charcoal (Pliny, Natural History XII.9). The trunk's fibrous sheath was used for cord and rope. Palm leaves were used for insulation, fencing and roofing. Individual palm leaflets were made into cord, baskets and mats. Stripped fruit clusters became dusters and brooms. The single seed inside the fruit could be soaked and used for animal feed or dried and used in necklaces. The trunk could even be tapped for juice-drank either fresh or fermented (Zohary 1962: 287-288; Moldenke and Moldenke 1952: 192; Fig 28 and Borowski 1987: 127). And then there was the actual date itself.

(Associates for Biblical Research: The Shiloh Excavations)

They live for 150 years - though their production declines, it says nothing of their quality

Watch God flip the script

Psalm 92:13–15 “Planted in the house of the Lord, They will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still yield (increase, prosper, gain more) fruit in old age; They shall be full of sap and very green, To declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.”

Leave something behind before you leave

God has purpose, God has plans....God is not done with you