Tree Imagery in the Bible

The Cosmic

What do we mean by “COSMIC”?

1a: of or relating to the cosmos, the extraterrestrial vastness, or the universe in contrast to the earth alone cosmic radiation b: of, relating to, or concerned with abstract spiritual or metaphysical (see METAPHYSICAL sense 2) ideas cosmic wisdom 2: characterized by greatness especially in extent, intensity, or comprehensiveness

“Cosmic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster

What “cosmic” does NOT mean?

these things or places are not real or merely metaphorical or allegorical

anything to do with OBE’s, Astral Projection, or sci-fi concepts

the idea originated outside of God’s word or His chosen people

Metaphor

Reality and metaphor are not oppositional. Both are real

Metaphor relies on literalism; Truth needs to correspond to reality

“I am the bread of life”

“put on the breastplate of righteousness”

Cosmic Geography or Sacred Space-

The belief that certain locations were under the dominion of specific divine beings

Cosmic Temple-

Eden is God’s cosmic temple. The place where He and the heavenly beings dwell on Earth with His human family

Cosmic Mountain-

Eden is described as being on a mountain Ezekiel 28:14

Difficult for humans to reach

Mt. Sinai, Mt. Zion, Mt. Hermon, Mt. Moriah, Mt. of Olives, etc.

Pagans have sacred mountains too

Cosmic Garden-

Eden is the obvious abode of God and the idyllic location for humans to thrive. (water, food, shelter)

Cosmic River-

The source of life both metaphorically and literally. Think of all the civilization(s) built and sustained by rivers throughout the world and time

Nile, Tigris, Euphrates, Jordan, Indus, Yellow, Danube, Tiber, Amazon, Mississippi

Cosmic Tree-

The source of eternal life and healing in ANE cosmology

The First Trees

Genesis 1:12 RSV

The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 2:8–9 RSV

And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

The Tree of Tov and Ra’

What exactly does this mean, Tov and Ra’? Good and Bad

Why would God put it there if He knew humans would fail?

The Trees represent choice. The choice before God’s human partners is whether they are going to do what’s good and right in their own eyes, or chose wisdom which is to fear God and obey His commandments

The Tree of Life

Why a TREE of life?

Did Adam and Eve ever eat of it?

Were Adam and Eve conditionally immortal?

What are the implications of “partaking of the fruit”?

God must really be into trees

The first mention of trees after the exile from Eden

The tree as an altar

Jesus and Nathaniel

The Bible begins and ends with the Tree of Life

From Eden to the Cross

Humans as Trees

Kings

Jesus

I thought Jesus was the living water?

John 4:10 RSV

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

John 7:37–39 (RSV)

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ ”Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

John 4:14 (RSV)

but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Proverbs 18:4 (RSV)

The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a gushing stream.

Jeremiah 17:13 (RSV)

O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake thee shall be put to shame; those who turn away from thee shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water.

Isaiah 11:1 RSV

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.

Romans 15:11–12 (RSV)

and again,“Praise the Lord, all Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him”; and further Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse shall come, he who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles hope.”

Romans 11:17–21 (RSV)

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place to share the richness of the olive tree, do not boast over the branches. If you do boast, remember it is not you that support the root, but the root that supports you. You will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast only through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.

The rest of us

Genesis 1:29 RSV

And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food.

So we’re to eat seeds or what?

God could have said, “here are all the plants and trees that are edible.” So then, why mention seeds?

Galatians 5:22 RSV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

What tree eats its own fruit?

OK, so what is the practical application for all this?

Inspire you to desire a deeper, imaginative, relationship with the Holy Spirit so that you may grow your sphere of influence and provide fruit to the world.

To prevent you from forcing our modern interpretation on the Bible. Do not force the Bible to be something that it was never intended to be. (We do a disservice to Scripture when we let unbelievers dictate the terms of the discussion.)

To enable you to effectively communicate biblical truths to

A) People hostile to the Bible

B) People beholden to poor understanding

C) People that don’t even know what the Bible is