20150614 Sunday, June 14 2015
Song Of Solomon 04: When The LORD Plants The Tree

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"The trees of the LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which He hath planted"

Lebanon is an ancient nation that has had a long geographic and political association with its southern neighbor, Israel. The Messiah was familiar with Lebanon all of His life. The highest mountain peaks of Lebanon are visible from Galilee (see the photograph of Mount Hermon in the study The Moses And Elijah Vision) and the famous cedars of Lebanon would have been known to the carpenters of the region (see Why Was Jesus A Carpenter? and Who Was The Carpenter That Built The Cross?) - as well as to the LORD who planted them. The LORD (see The LORD God Our Saviour) was a tree planter right from the beginning - including in the Garden of Eden and the cedars of Lebanon.

"2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil." (Genesis 2:9 KJV)

"104:16 The trees of the LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;" (Psalm 104:16 KJV)

The Temple (see A History Of Jerusalem: The Temple Of The LORD) and the royal palace in Jerusalem (see David's House Of Cedars and The LORD's Tabernacle) used a great amount of cedar from Lebanon. It was provided by King Hiram (see King Hiram of Tyre) who was a close friend and ally of both King David and then King Solomon.

"4:30 And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt ... 4:33 And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon..." (1 Kings 4:30,33 KJV)

"5:5 And, behold, I purpose to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spake unto David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build an house unto my name. 5:6 Now therefore command thou that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon; and my servants shall be with thy servants: and unto thee will I give hire for thy servants according to all that thou shalt appoint: for thou knowest that there is not among us any that can skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians. 5:7 And it came to pass, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly, and said, Blessed be the LORD this day, which hath given unto David a wise son over this great people.

5:8 And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, I have considered the things which thou sentest to me for: and I will do all thy desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber of fir. 5:9 My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon unto the sea: and I will convey them by sea in floats unto the place that thou shalt appoint me, and will cause them to be discharged there, and thou shalt receive them: and thou shalt accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household.

5:10 So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees according to all his desire." (1 Kings 5:5-10 KJV)

David spoke of Lebanon in the Psalms as a symbol of righteousness (see also Psalm 112: The Christian Ten Commandments).

"92:12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 92:13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. 92:14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; 92:15 To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him." (Psalm 92:12-15 KJV)

King Solomon made extensive use of cedar of Lebanon (even for a royal chariot; "3:9 King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon" Song of Solomon 3:9 KJV). Both writers of Song of Solomon also wrote of their travels in Lebanon and the magnificence of the cedars of Lebanon.

"4:8 Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards." (Song of Solomon 4:8 KJV)

"4:11 Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon." (Song of Solomon 4:11 KJV)

"4:15 A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon." (Song of Solomon 4:15 KJV)

"5:15 His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars." (Song of Solomon 5:15 KJV)

"7:4 Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bathrabbim: thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus." (Song of Solomon 7:4 KJV)

About half of the references to the cedars of Lebanon in Song of Solomon were by the lady who is identified only as the "Shunemite" (see also Why Is Song of Solomon In The Holy Bible?). Shunem was a town in northern Israel whose people would have been as familiar with Lebanon as the other people in Galilee. Shunem is also mentioned as where Elijah and Elisha (see Where Did That Chariot Of Fire Take Elijah? and The Beginning Of Elisha's Miracles) stayed and visited during their ministries e.g. "4:8 And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread." (2 Kings 4:8 KJV)

"4:1 Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead. 4:2 Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them. 4:3 Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks. 4:4 Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men. 4:5 Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies. 4:6 Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense. 4:7 Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.

4:8 Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards. 4:9 Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck. 4:10 How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices! 4:11 Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon. 4:12 A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. 4:13 Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard, 4:14 Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices: 4:15 A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.

4:16 Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits." (Song Of Solomon 4:1-16 KJV)

Fact Finder: What did the Messiah do in Lebanon?
See Into The Coasts Of Tyre And Sidon