7 Fruits of Israel—Dates 

Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe 

Deuteronomy 8: 7-8 "For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and date honey.” 

People in biblical times used the date tree for many purposes. They ate its fruit, weaved its leaves into baskets, turned its trunks into structures, and fermented its sap to make wine. The date palm tree itself is often used in the Bible to symbolize peace, victory, and prosperity. (Dates in the Biblical Times by Nature's Candy | Apr 6, 2017 | Blog, History, Holiday Ideas) 

 

The date palm tree was seen as beauty personified, and in Genesis, it was referred to as Tamar, a term also used to describe a beautiful woman. 

There are many references in the bible directing people to use the date palm to build shelter or nourish their bodies. The images of palm trees were present in the Temple.   

Ezekiel 40: 16.  There were beveled window frames in the gate chambers and in their intervening archways on the inside of the gateway all around, and likewise in the vestibules. There were windows all around on the inside. And on each gatepost were palm trees. 

Ezekiel 41: 15-16: He measured the length of the building behind it, facing the separating courtyard, with its galleries on the one side and on the other side, one hundred cubits, as well as the inner temple and the porches of the court. 

Evidence of date palm cultivation was found by an archeologist named Ehud Netzer when King Herod’s palace was excavated on top of Mount Masada. The palace was destroyed by the Romans after the Jews committed mass suicide rather than surrender. There was a container of date palm seeds at the site, which were later treated, tested and cultivated at Yale University in the 1960’s, successfully grown into a tree dubbed the Methuselah Palm. The remaining seeds were sent off to Zurich, Switzerland, for carbon dating, and were found to be more than 2000 years old. Beyond being a scientific miracle, the seeds of that era could actually be viable, it is seen by some as a metaphor for the survival of ancient Israel, and of the resurrection. 

Psalm 92: 12-14:  The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord Shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing.

John 12: 12-13:  The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: "Hosanna! `Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!' The King of Israel!'' 

Leviticus 23: 39-40: `Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the feast of the Lord for seven days; on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath-rest. And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. (This is a reference to the Feast of Tabernacles.) 

Judges 4: 4-5: Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time. And she would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. 

What do the date palms teach us as Christians? 

1. We are to be beautiful in the root meaning of the word. We are to be full of goodness and fruitful in goodness. 

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2. We are to be thankful for the grace of God in providing all our needs for protection and provision out of his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19) 

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3. We should walk in the wisdom of the Lord in such a manner that the world will come to us for advice and discernment. 

 

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 Elul: The King Is in the Field

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

In 2023, the first day of the Hebrew month of Elul begins at sunset on August 16. It is a time of repentance in preparation for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. During the month of Elul, it is customary to blow the shofar every morning except on the Sabbath from the first day of Elul until the day before Rosh Hashanah. The blasts are meant to awaken our spirits and inspire us to begin the soul searching which will prepare us for the High Holy Days.

During this time of the fall harvest, the Israelites declared Ecclesiastes 5:9: “The profit of the land is for all; the King himself is served from the field.” It is a time when the King is in the field where He is accessible to His people.

To Christians, the Fall Holy Days picture the second coming of Christ. The month of Elul represents our journey to maturity in our Lord, to preparing ourselves to be the Bride of Christ in preparation for His return. He is accessible to us. We are His servants. We are the field from which He is served. Our service is part of our preparation to be the Bride of Christ.

Revelation 19: 6-8. “And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”

The Hebrew word "Elul" can be understood to be an acronym for the phrase – "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine" (Song of Solomon 6:3).

Believing that the “beloved” refers to God, the rabbis take this verse to describe the particularly loving and close relationship between God and Israel.

Remember, Christians have been grafted into Israel and are heirs with Israel to all the Old Testament covenants. (Romans 11:11). Elul, then, is our time to establish this closeness so that we can approach throne of God boldly, in trusting acceptance of God’s judgment. We approach Him, not out of fear, but out of love.

Hebrews 4: 15-16. “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

One of the Jewish traditions for Elul is to read Psalm 27 every day of the month until Rosh Hashanah which begins at sunset on September 15 this year.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has kept us in life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season.