III. The Olive Tree

This is where we focus using this illustration [a figure]: a tree. And more exactly an olive tree.

The olive leaf represents the presence of something.

See this in the book of Genesis [in chapter eight], after the worldwide flood abated: “And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.” [Genesis 8:11]

The olive leaf in the mouth of the dove indicated to Noah that life was present on the earth.

The olive tree is the tree that gives life.

And to maintain life on this earth, God promised: “I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.” [Genesis 9:13]

Therefore, the olive tree, in the light of the rainbow [God’s “bow”] representing God’s promise that “the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh”, is the sign of health to the nations [Genesis 9:15].

The proof text is located in the book of Psalms: “That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.” [Psalm 67:2]

Furthermore, the olive tree pictures true LIFE! The olive tree represents life for us, which is a life “for ever and ever with God”.

The word of God in the book of Psalms shows us that: “But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.” [Psalm 52:8]

[For ever and ever with God is forever.  This life [revealed in the BIBLE] is the forever life … eternal life!]

Now, eternal life comes from believing in Jesus Christ. “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” [John 3:15]

The olive plant also pictures our children … as the progeny of us parents in the continuance of life … from generation to generation.

Envision this: “Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.” [Psalm 128:3]

The olive, and the olive tree, show forth a location for a fruitful and living land; a most desirable place for to live in.

This is the land of Israel: “A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey;” [Deuteronomy 8:8].

The borders were commanded to be delineated by the olive trees: “Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy coasts, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olive shall cast his fruit.” [Deuteronomy 28:40]

It was the oil from the olive tree that provided the ever-burning light in the tabernacle in the wilderness: “And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always.” [Exodus 27:20]

This message dwells on the olive tree for good reason.

Above all trees, even beyond the cedar, the olive tree is the most important tree to God [perhaps even above the palm tree as we shall see].

We are shown this truth in God’s word in the building of the temple [1 Kings 6:23, 31-33].

Verse twenty-three: “And within the oracle he made two cherubims of olive tree, each ten cubits high.”

Verse thirty-one: “And for the entering of the oracle he made doors of olive tree: the lintel and side posts were a fifth part of the wall.”

Verse thirty-two: “The two doors also were of olive tree; and he carved upon them carvings of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold, and spread gold upon the cherubims, and upon the palm trees.”

[The palm trees were depicted with the wood of the olive tree.]

Verse thirty-three: “So also made he for the door of the temple posts of olive tree, a fourth part of the wall.”

If the olive is the most important tree to God then it ought to be the most important tree to man. Why? Because it is the tree of life.

Now, how do we know this?

Well, in the beginning of the BOOK, and at the end of the BOOK, there is “a tree of life” present [Genesis 2:9, Genesis 3:17, Revelation 22:14].

In the midst of the BOOK we find the most important thing to have in life … is the tree of life.

The tree of life brings true happiness. See this in Proverbs 3:18: “She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.”

The tree of life is the proof of fruit in a person. See this in Proverbs 11:30: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”

Hope fulfilled obtains a tree of life. See this in Proverbs 13:12: “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.”

Even the tongue of a man can be a tree of life. See this in Proverbs 15:4: “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.”

This tree of life is for the healing of diseases. [See Revelation 22:2].

If a person eat of the tree of life he will live forever.

This forever is eternal life [Genesis 3:22].

If you are saved by the blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, look at what you get to eat. See Revelation 2:7: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”

The olive tree is a type of the house of Israel. Again, this tree pictures Israel.

In the book of Jeremiah this becomes clear for us to see this truth about Israel: “The LORD called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.” [Jeremiah 11:16]

Even more strikingly clear as to this connection of the olive tree being the house of Israel is what is found in the book of Hosea; let’s read: “His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.” [Hosea 14:6]

But what happened to the beautiful olive tree and its “goodly fruit”?

 It went badly wrong! Israel left God! Israel was unfaithful to the LORD their God, and for their continual disobedience there was a line of prophets who prophesied the judgment coming to them.

We have here now from the prophet, in the book of Ezekiel, chapter twenty-one, verse one, these words: “And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel, And say to the land of Israel, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of his sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.” [Ezekiel 21:1-3]

Do you see that? God was against Israel.

Now if God is against you, you will not stand.

That is a fact! You are done for!

Indeed judgment came, and the natural branches were cut off in 70 AD. [Israel was done for when they shut their ears and martyred Stephen.

Soon after this the Roman legions under the Emperor Titus destroyed Jerusalem and the nation of Israel was wiped off the map and her people were dispersed throughout all the nations of the earth.

With the natural branches gone the opportunity for the branches of a wild olive tree to be graft in comes into view.

Now, lets us go back to the Epistle to the Romans, chapter eleven, and put in at verse sixteen and ready: sixteen and seventeen: “For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;”

Here we see two things: Jesus Christ is “the firstfruit” and we are “the lump”.

God’s holiness is extended to us by reason that the branches benefit from being in the tree.

There is no reason for us to brag and to be highminded [cocky].

Thus, the warning by the Holy Ghost to us Gentiles in verses eighteen through twenty: “Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.” [Romans 11:18-22]

Next is the promise to Israel that they have a way to return to their place in the olive tree as the natural branches.

Read it for yourself. It is as clear as can be, right there before you looking you in the face in the BOOK of God.

Verses twenty-three thru twenty-eight:

[23] “And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.

[24] “For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?

[25] “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

[26] “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

[27] “For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

[28] “As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.”

Now, we come to the grand nugget. Are you ready?

Verse twenty-nine: “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” [Romans 11:29].

What is this saying? It means Israel will receive salvation by grace from God in spite of their track record.

And what of us the Gentiles?

The Scripture says this very thing for all of us, too: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” [Ephesians 2:8-9]

Nevertheless, when Israel is awakened [or quickened] by the Spirit of God, and this thing is in the very near future, they will mourn for Jesus Christ, and will love him “whom they have pierced”.

See this with me here [in the book of Zechariah, chapter twelve, verse ten]: “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” [Zechariah 12:10]

Continuing in the book of Romans, chapter eleven, verse thirty:

[30] “For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief”.

My friend, it is all about MERCY!!! “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” [1 Peter 1:3].

When Israel stumbled through unbelief it gave us [Gentiles] an opportune opening to get in—to be grafted into the olive tree, and receive eternal life. Amen!

[30] “Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.”

But when Israel stumbled and their branch was removed, it was not removed forever. It will be restored after a time in a future time.

Do have that?

Well, do you?

Read our next verse, verse thirty-two.

[32] “For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.”

It has been God’s intention all along to bring salvation to both: the nation of Israel in a future millennial kingdom [not just individual Jews], and to the Gentiles in this present, intervening church age.

We are now ready for this proclamation found in verse thirty-three: “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” Amen! Amen! Amen!

The bottom line and the inescapable truth is this: What can we, just mere men, say otherwise? Come on now, cat got your tongue? The LORD he is God [Deuteronomy 4:35, 4:39, and Psalm 100:3]!

Romans eleven, verse thirty-four: “For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller?”

[35] “Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?”

[36] “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.”

Next  4.  The Quickening of the House of Israel