Former M.V.C.W.C. - HERALD ARTICLE ARCHIVE

"The Allegory Of The Olive Tree"
by Kelly Purvis

"if the root is holy, the branches are too. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partakers with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you... Romans 11:16-18

In the olive tree is presented a beautiful understanding of the enduring and sure purposes of God. The allegory of the olive tree reveals His kindness and severity in dealing with humanity to fulfill His ultimate purposes on the earth. In it we see beyond our own immediate environment and circumstances to view the larger plans of God that transcend time, generations, and space. It should induce both humility and hope. "All things ARE working together for good to those who love God, and to those who are called according to His purpose."

The olive tree is a symbol of the people of God, whose root is Jesus, a holy, rich root. It is a fitting symbol. The olive tree is over 6,000 years old, it's deeply rooted history inextricably bound with the Mediterranean people ~ particularly Israel. It's tenacious vigor is emblematic of strength, peace and prosperity. The "tree vital to life" it could be called as it's harvest provided so many important products both desired and necessary to life for the Israelite: food, wood, and oil.

Some 6,000 years ago, the communities of farmers living on the coast of the eastern Mediterranean attended varieties of olive trees. They started to select the varieties with larger fruit in a systematic way. They found that it was possible to extract, with some effort, a dense oily liquid, easy to burn and good for the skin, with a pleasant aromatic taste. They began to cultivate the olive tree. It is this type of "cultivated" olive tree that Paul tells us we were grafted into.

In fact, Paul tells us the we were actually cut off ourselves from a "wild" olive tree, and were grafted "contrary to nature" into a cultivated one. (11:24) This goes against common agricultural practice.. It was indeed "contrary to nature" as the natural procedure is to insert a shoot of a cultivated tree into a wild one. God being God, however, SUPERnaturally grafted a wild branch into a holy, rich rooted olive tree. Normally such a graft would be unfruitful, but not so with God. The root supports us...not the other way around. The wild olive tree is actually just a thorny bush producing small fruit, with a big pit and little pulp, unlike the cultivated type which has no thorns and produces a fleshy fruit rich in oil. We, the Gentile church, have become partakers of the character that the root provides, cut off from the "wild" nature completely...because of the kindness of God who shows mercy to whom He chooses to show mercy.

Such is the character of the cultivated olive tree in which we are a part:

Botanists claim that the normal life span of an olive tree is 300-600 years. Some trees alive in the Mediterranean are over 1,000 years old! It grows slowly but lives to an immense age. Tenacity ~ Longevity !

It is a tree of moderate height, not lofty like the cedar of Lebanon, it grows to only 20-40 foot. It has a strong beautifully veined wood; a knotty and gnarled trunk and smooth bark. It was of prized olive wood that the two cherubim of the sanctuary were made in Solomon's temple, the doors and the posts. It is evergreen, meaning it does not lose its leaves in winter. It thrives in warm and sunny locations and is very tolerant of drought. The olive was the most abundant and characteristic vegetation of Judea, particularly abundant in Palestine.

Olive trees do not bear fruit until they are 5-8 years old and they don't reach full development until 20. They mature and are at peak production from 35-150 years of age. They flower in June, grow green, unripe fruit in clusters, which ripen purple to black berries for harvest in November/December. An average tree produces 40 lbs. of olives a year (it takes about 11 lbs. of olives to make a liter of oil). It is this rich and abundant oil that is its chief product ~ a symbol of the Spirit of God. Clear, shining oil burning as fuel for the light of lamps, poured and rubbed into skin for beauty, mixed with various spices as fragrant ointments anointing kings, prophets and priests, consecrating the ark and the instruments of the temple, oil made into soap for cleansing, and medicines for healing.

Harvest...at about this time, in this particular season, the olive fruit on the tree is ready for harvest. The best oil is made from the gathering in November and December, when the fruit begins to change color but before it becomes black, or fully ripe. The fruit is gathered by hand. Carefully, the tree is struck or the branches are shaken to release the fruit, which is caught in nets. After cleaning, the fruit is bruised in a mortar, crushed in a press, ground in a mill or sometimes trodden with the feet. Oil is released from the flesh of the olive and drawn into reservoirs. The refuse is gathered and transferred to baskets. The result ~ fresh oil, oil of joy, oil of gladness.

Paul explained in his olive tree allegory God's purpose in our "grafting in", growing to fruitfulness, and harvest ~ "God's purpose according to His choice" ~ "I will call those who were not my people, 'My people' ~ "I was found by those who did not seek me. I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me" ~ "to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory" ~"salvation has come to the Gentiles to make them (Israel) jealous", "I will make you (Israel) jealous by that which is not a nation (Gentiles)" ~ "that I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them".

The natural olive branches, Israel, were at one time broken off for their unbelief. Paul speaks with grief for his brethren, his kinsmen according to the flesh, "who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ in the flesh" ~ "What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened" ~ "God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew" ~ "My heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation" ~ "from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers" ~ "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes to see not and ears to hear not" ~ "a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in" ~ "By Israel's transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles" ~ "their rejection is the reconciliation of the world" ~ "If they do not continue in their unbelief, they will be grafted back in, for God is able to graft them in again".

The partial hardening happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. Will the "partial hardening" then be removed? Will Israel then have eyes to see and ears to hear? Is it time? Could it be the "fullness of time"?

Can you imagine it!?

"how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree!" ~ "if their rejection was the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?!

"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!"

Pray For Israel

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