“Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and there he called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God. And Abraham lived as an alien in the land of the Philistines for many days.” Genesis 21:33-34
Abraham planted a tamarisk tree. This is not a detail that I had paid much attention to in the past, but it is truly remarkable!
Trees have had special significance throughout Scripture from the very beginning. I recently read that, “other than people, trees are the most mentioned living thing in the Bible.”
The tamarisk tree only grows approximately one inch per year. Abraham, by faith, planted an extremely slow growing tree in Beer-sheba, where he was living as an “alien”. The Israelites did not yet possess the land at this point. He planted this tree to provide shade for future generations. Hebrews 11:8-10 speaks clearly, it was Abraham’s faith that pleased God.
There is a faith challenge for all believers when looking at the tamarisk tree. Do we act on and act out our faith in a way that will impact future generations? Will we be “shade” and provide help and refuge to those in need, just as the LORD graciously does for us?
Cheering you all on as you impact generations!