^“The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree”

(Ps. 92:12).

 What does it mean that the righteous shall flourish like a palm tree? I’ve been delving into that question recently, and was struck by what I found. 

I’m rather a newbie when it comes to palm trees, and you may well already know all about them. Nevertheless, I’d love to share a few of the discoveries that have inspired me.

First off, I learnt that whenever the Bible speaks of the palm tree it is speaking of the date palm. 

And that reminded me straight away of a remarkable event that happened in 2005 in Israel. A dry seed was discovered in a clay jar in the ancient fortress of Masada. Radiocarbon dating revealed that the seed was over 2,000 years old, and that it had come from a Judean date palm that could well have been growing in the forests between Galilee and the Dead Sea when Jesus was on earth.

Judean date palms once formed thick forests all along the Jordan River. However, the forests were destroyed by the Romans, and the Judean date palm became extinct more than 1,000 years ago.

Remarkably, that seed from the clay jar in Masada – and other, similar seeds that were discovered later in the Qumran Caves – have actually germinated and are now thriving saplings!

This is nothing less than astounding at the physical level, but it also serves as a powerful metaphor for another kind of seed: the Word of God. The truth is that no matter how old, or hidden, a Scripture is, or how long it has lain unattended and neglected, as soon as a man, woman or child awakens and starts to attend to it in their heart … it springs to life!

I love that metaphor! 

 Now let’s turn to look at some of the characteristics of the date palm and see how they may apply to the righteous – ie to those who trust in Christ.

One of the main characteristics is that the date palm grows best in a hot, dry desert or wilderness. This kind of climate forces the date palm’s root system to go down very deeply indeed, in order to find a constant supply of water. 

It is easy to see the analogy for our own lives: when we find ourselves in dry or difficult circumstances, and when God alone is our hope, this can cause our root system to go deeply into God, into His Word and into prayer. It is there – in that very situation – that we may tap into fresh depths of the life-giving waters of the Spirit of God, and find that we can “draw water from the wells of salvation” ever more deeply and constantly. (Isa. 12:3).

In addition to finding a continuous water supply, the fact that the date palm’s root system grows so deeply in the ground means that the palm tree can withstand immensely strong winds and storms, while remaining healthy and upright. It is not surprising that the palm tree is also associated with victory in the Bible (see Rev. 7:9).

Another feature of the date palm is that it can take several years for the tree to become mature enough to bear fruit.

For us, that is where faith comes in – to believe that God is working, even if nothing seems to be happening. If we are trusting God and drinking in His Word, we can know that our roots are growing ever deeper and stronger, and that eventually the fruit will appear. Scripture gives us this assurance: “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28).

Finally, the date palm tree is beautifully made! And God sees you and me as His precious children – wonderfully made by Him. A truth that is expressed supremely in Psalm 139:

^“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother’s womb.  Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it.

“You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion! You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!

“How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly! I can’t even count how many times a day your thoughts turn toward me. And when I waken in the morning, you are still thinking of me!” (Ps. 139: 13-18, TLB).

Thank you and praise you, Lord! Amen.

By Ann Shakespeare 29 June 2021