TREES #7 - Cypress/Pine/Cedar
In today's continuation of the trees series, we will be focusing on the northern temperate growing types. This is Part#7 on God's glorious trees - "Cypress, Pine, Cedar".
Let's begin with basic definitions:
Cypress - is the common name for trees & shrubs of northern temperate regions.
Pine - any coniferous tree in the genus "Pinus" under the family name "Pinacceae."
Cedar - is not a pine tree but they belong to the same plant family "Pinacceae." Cedar's subfamily is "Abietoidaea".
Today will be the first time where we will touch on the bad side of what can be made with wood. We will begin with the good and end with the bad.
These types of trees are not only beautiful but the scent is heavenly. Think of cedar lined closets or saunas. These trees are also practical for building (as we will see below). However, these types of wood are also easy to carve into idols (which is the evil part that I mentioned above).
Firstly, look at all the wonderful, righteous things made with cypress, pine & cedar:
- Noah built the ark with cypress!! (see Scripture below)
- David used instruments made of these types of wood (2 Samuel 6:5)
- Solomon made God's temple with cedar (see verse below). Also, in verse 19 (not shown below), the altar was overlaid with cedar.
Cedar, especially cedar from Lebanon, was considered very special - it was the best quality cedar at that time. There are even instances in the Old Testament where "cedars of Lebanon" were specifically referenced (1 Chronicles).
idol Worship
The Scripture below sounds like something respectable - choosing the best cuts of wood and then replenishing the forest by planting new pine trees......but why? To build a false idol!!!! And then, you do know what happens in front of an idol right?...... they sacrifice their children!!!! PURE EVIL.
Read Isaiah 44:9-20 to get the whole picture. Verses 18-20 below are priceless - it really is "stupidity" to worship something that they carved themselves.
"Such stupidity and ignorance!
Their eyes are closed, and they cannot see.
Their minds are shut, and they cannot think.
The person who made the idol never stops to reflect,
“Why, it’s just a block of wood!
I burned half of it for heat
and used it to bake my bread and roast my meat.
How can the rest of it be a god?
Should I bow down to worship a piece of wood?”
The poor, deluded fool feeds on ashes.
He trusts something that can’t help him at all.
Yet he cannot bring himself to ask,
“Is this idol that I’m holding in my hand a lie?”
Isaiah 44:18-20 We need to understand what our enemy is doing so that we will not be deceived.
These wooden idols that they were making in Isaiah 44 were "asherah poles". This false god (asherah) was considered to be the mother of baal (which is satan/lucifer). Which means that they were actually worshipping satan!!! That's why Our Lord God Almighty warned Moses when he came down from Mount Sinai:
"Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles. Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
Exodus 34:17
Do not make any idols.
Exodus 34:17
I want to end this post on a positive note. Please take some time to read the entire chapter of Isaiah 60 - it is about the Thousand Years of Peace (verse 13 references cypress and pine):
"The glory of Lebanon will be yours—
the forests of cypress, fir, and pine—
to beautify my sanctuary.
My Temple will be glorious!"
Isaiah 60:13
Previous Tree posts:
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