Images (Trees)

In this engaging episode of The Heartbeat of Faith Podcast, Dr. Andrew Farley delves deep into the profound symbolism of trees in the Bible. Drawing from various biblical narratives, Dr. Farley beautifully illustrates how trees represent God's presence, power, and redemption throughout scripture. The episode begins with a reflection on the significance of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden, highlighting how humanity's separation from this tree paved the way for God's redemptive plan.

Sign up for free devotionals on each episode at https://www.HeartbeatOfFaith.com 

As you listen, you'll discover how the concept of trees carries a profound message of redemption, growth, and transformation in the Bible. Dr. Farley's insightful commentary invites you to explore the rich symbolism of trees and their connection to our faith journey. Join us in uncovering the remarkable parallels between the Tree of Life in Eden and the life-giving presence of Jesus today.

Download the Pray.com app today to experience the vivid revelation of God's divine presence through cinematic storytelling, guided by the influence of the Holy Spirit.

For more encouragement in God's grace visit AndrewFarley.org. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray that Christ may dwell in your hearts
through faith, to the end that you, being rooted and
grounded in love, may be strengthened to comprehend with all
the saints, what is the width and length, and height
and depth? And to know Christ's love which surpasses knowledge,
that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians,

(00:23):
Chapter three, verses seventeen through nineteen. Dear Lord, thank you
that I am rooted in you, like a tree planted
firmly and deeply into the ground. My roots grow deeper
and deeper with each passing day, with a growth that
comes only from you. Thank you for this vine branch's

(00:45):
union with you that inspires me to bear fruit in
your name. I pray that your love will continue to
ground me and that I will know the true satisfaction
that is only found in you. I trust you to
be my source, my life, my everything, all the days
of my life. Thank you for the honor of being

(01:08):
a good tree that bears good fruit in you in
Jesus name. Amen, thank you for praying with me today.
Now discover the profound intricacies of scripture through prey dot
COM's podcast The Heartbeat of Faith with doctor Andrew Farley.
Stay tuned after this quick word from our sponsors. Does

(01:30):
your money stretch as far as it used to? Most
likely know? Here's why it took two hundred years for
the US to print its first five trillion dollars. Today
Washington has done that in just three years. The problem
every new dollar makes each of your dollars worth less.
Our sponsor, Birch Gold Group, has helped tens of thousands

(01:52):
of Americans protect their iras or four O one k's
from the dollar's loss in value with physical gold and silver.
You can two get a free info kit on gold
right now by texting the word heartbeat to nine eight
nine eight nine eight. With an A plus rating with
the BBB. You're in good hands with Birch Gold, so

(02:14):
get your no cost, no obligation infoKit now by texting
heartbeat to the number nine eight nine eight nine eight.

Speaker 2 (02:28):
Jesus describes himself as the source of eternal life and power,
just as the Tree of life was for Adam and
Eve in the garden.

Speaker 3 (02:38):
I am the true vine, and my father is the farmer.
Every branch in me that doesn't bear fruit, he takes
away every branch that bears fruit, he prunes that it
may bear more fruit. John fifteen one through two.

Speaker 2 (02:57):
When we open our hearts to Jesus and risks new
life in him, we reclaim what was lost in the
garden of Eden. Hello, I'm doctor Andrew Farley. With today's
episode of the Heartbeat of Faith podcast. We've examined past
stories for consistent themes, images, and motifs. As we carefully

(03:20):
look at these biblical sagas, we find that God has
been communicating in every nook and cranny of scripture, testifying
to the beautiful work of Jesus Christ even in the beginning.
Today's highlighted biblical image is trees. Specifically, how does God

(03:41):
use the image of trees to describe himself and human beings.
The Bible first highlights trees when describing the Tree of
Life and the tree that gives knowledge of good and evil.
Adam and Eve eight of the forbidden tree, and they
were sent away from the tree that offered eternal life.

Speaker 3 (04:05):
God cast Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden
and put an angel with a fiery sword to keep
them away from the Tree of Life forever. But God's
story to love people is not over. He would remain
with them, and the story of redemption would begin to
unfold before their eyes.

Speaker 2 (04:29):
Sending Adam and Eve away from the Tree of Life
was merciful because God didn't want humanity to live forever
while dominated by sin. God planned to bring about a
new source of eternal life, a new tree. Jesus himself
would be the tree that gives eternal life. There are

(04:50):
images of God portrayed as a life giving, wise, and
powerful tree throughout the Bible.

Speaker 3 (05:02):
One day, Moses was tending the flock of his father
in law, Jethro. He led the sheep far into the
wilderness and came to a mountain called Sinai, the Mountain
of God. The mountain covered the sun, and the sheep
grazed in the shade. Moses saw a faint light flickering
in the distance. He approached it and found a blazing

(05:23):
fire engulfing a bush. The fire raged, yet the bush
did not burn, nor whither the fire reflected off Moses's eyes.
He stared in amazement. Why isn't it burning, he whispered
to himself. He took a step closer to the flame.
Then a sound like a thousand rushing waters emanated from

(05:44):
the flame. A voice so beautiful yet so powerful, filled
the air around him. Moses, the voice said, Moses, It
said again.

Speaker 2 (05:56):
God also met with people under the shade of trees,
signifying that his presence is like the shade of a
strong and fruitful tree. There are also times when the
pride of men is compared to mighty trees doomed to
be cut down. This was the case for King nebucad

(06:16):
Nezar in the Book of Daniel and Shikham in the
Book of Judges.

Speaker 3 (06:24):
It was late, the night was heavy upon the horizon.
Clouds covered the stars above, and the east wind blew
violently through the valley. Thunder rolled in from the distance,
and the city was stirring. Beneath King Nebukan Nazzer tossed
and turned in his bed, tormented by yet another dream.
He saw a tree sprouting forth from the earth. Its

(06:46):
height was tremendous, and its trunk was strong. Its branches
reached beyond the clouds for all the world to see.
Its leaves were deep and beautiful green. Its fruit was
abundant and provided food for all the lands below it.
Animals found refuge in its shade, and the birds of
the air made its nest in it. The king watched

(07:06):
as the heavens opened up around it, and a voice
boomed from the skies, saying, chop the tree to the ground,
strip its leaves and scatter its fruit, but leave the
stump and bind it with iron. Let it dwell with
the beasts and become like them. So King Neberconezzer watched
as the mighty tree was sliced by the mighty hand

(07:28):
of God and its body fell to the earth, shaking
for miles. The king woke up in a terror. He
was sweating and could not get the image of the
tree's lifeless stump out of his mind. Listen, follow us
of Shekum. Listen to me, so that you may not perish.
The trees were once in need of a king. They

(07:50):
grumbled and complained for someone to rule over them. They
went to the olive tree and said, rule over us.
But the olive tree was too blessed and filled with
abundance to leave and rule. So they went to the
fig tree, yet it would not leave its sweetness and
good fruit. Then the trees went to the vine and
asked if it would be king of trees. But the

(08:12):
vine yielded wine and was too busy entertaining people to
rule as their king. So the trees went to the
thorn bush, and the thorn bush gladly accepted. Yet it's
said in its cruelty, come take refuge in my shade,
and if you do not, let fire come out of
my thorns and devour all the trees of the land.

Speaker 2 (08:34):
When Jesus came on to the scene, he often compared
himself and other people to trees. His most famous comparison
was in John fifteen, when he described himself as the
source of life and power for us.

Speaker 3 (08:51):
All. I am the true vine, and my father is
the farmer. Every branch in me that doesn't bear fruit,
he takes away. Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes
that it may bear more fruit. You are already pruned
clean because of the word which I have spoken to

(09:11):
You remain in me and I in you. As the
branch can't bear fruit by itself unless it remains in
the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine. You are the branches. He who
remains in me and I in him, bears much fruit.

(09:35):
For apart from me, you can do nothing John fifteen
one through five.

Speaker 2 (09:43):
John fifteen is a beautiful passage that reveals Jesus as
our source of eternal life and power over sin. Here,
Jesus uses the analogy of a vine and branches to
illustrate our connection to him. What does branches draw their
life and sustenance from the vine? We as believers abide

(10:07):
or live in Christ, and we receive our life from him.
This means that our source of strength, nourishment, and fruitfulness
comes from our union with Jesus Christ. When Jesus speaks
of branches being taken away in this passage, it's not

(10:27):
a threat or a warning for believers. In fact, the
original Greek word used here can also be translated as
lift up, So instead of thinking of branches in Christ
as being taken away, we can see them as being
lifted up by the loving hand of our father, the

(10:47):
vine dresser. Jesus desires to lift us up, to support
us and to inspire us to bear fruit in our lives.
This passage reminds us that our life in Christ is
not based on our own efforts or performance, but on
our complete dependence on Jesus. Since we abide in Him,

(11:11):
we can trust that He'll provide everything we need to
live a fruitful and fulfilling life. So let's embrace our
identity as branches in the vine, drawing our life from
Christ and allowing His love and grace to flow through us,
producing abundant fruit for his glory. Ultimately, this is the

(11:35):
picture of heaven in Revelation, when Jesus gives us a
new heaven and a new Earth.

Speaker 3 (11:45):
There was no temple, for the glory of God was
among the people. There was no need for the sun
or moon, since the glory of God gave it light.
I saw a society with people giving honor to God
and besting in the light of goodness. The Angel then
showed me a river of living water. It was flowing

(12:05):
from the throne of God. On one side of the
river was a great city, and on the other was
the Tree of Life. Its leaves gave healing, and its
fruit fed the nations. The people of God met him
face to face. They dwelled with him and reigned with him,
creating good things for his glory.

Speaker 2 (12:26):
Thank you for listening to today's episode of the Heartbeat
of Faith podcast. If you enjoyed today's episodes or learn
something new about the Bible, share it with a friend
or family member, download Theprey dot com app, and for
more encouragement in God's grace, visit Andrewfarley dot org. That's

(12:49):
Andrewfarley dot org.