The Glory of the Palm Tree

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Francis Farmer
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1 The Glory of the Palm Tree Psalm 92: The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; 15 To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. Intro The date palm was the stately king of the desert crowned with a rich plumage of great leaves that stayed green in every season. o It was often used to symbolize ancient Israel. It was an important part of their culture; And it was a central part of God s promise. When God told Moses that he would bring his people o to a land that flowed with milk and honey. The honey that he was talking about, the honey that was produced o in that region of the world, came from the fruit of the date palm. o It was a majestic tree that was an integral part of the Promised Land. o It was an impressive tree. They frequently grew to heights of eighty feet. o But, it was also a tree that spoke of longevity. If you planted one today, and watered it o and cared for it every day, You would be lucky if you got your first batch of fruit off of it o 7, 8, or even 10 years later. More likely though, o it would be around 30 years before you would ever see the first fruits of your labors. o Thirty years of watering and tending to the tree before the first fruit began to appear on its branches. o However, once it began to produce fruit, it would continue to be productive for over a hundred years more. Its trunk is straight, tall and unbroken, The Glory Of The Palm Tree 1

2 o and it ends in a circlet of emerald-green leaves, like a crown of gigantic feathers. o These leaves are frequently twenty feet in length, The desert dwellers say that o when a breeze blows through those massive leaves o that it produces a musical melody as the leaves function like giant reeds on a majestic instrument. o The wind that blows against it Never phases the Palm tree. Instead it gives rise to a beautiful song. The palm tree is, in truth, a beautiful and useful tree. o Its fruit was the daily food of millions. Its sap furnished a refreshing juice in a barren desert. The fibers of the base of its leaves o were woven into ropes. Its tall stem supplied a valuable timber. o Its leaves were manufactured into brushes, mats, bags, and baskets. At the feast of tabernacles, o it was the leaves of the palm tree that were woven into shelters. o In the barren desert the shade of the palm tree was a much-needed refuge o from the searing sun. To the thirsty, weary traveler, o When those towering palms appeared on the horizon o it was a testament to the fact that there were springs of refreshing water hidden in the barren dry desert. This one tree, it was said, o supplied, alone, almost all the wants of Ancient Israel. It was so revered in the culture of Israel o that when Solomon built the temple, according to 1 Kings 6:35, he covered all the walls of the "Holy of Holies" The Glory Of The Palm Tree 2

3 o with elaborate gold plated carvings of palm trees. Like a Palm Tree So when David takes pen in hand and begins to write, o under the inspiration of God, that the righteous shall flourish like the palm tree o he invokes in the minds of his original readers an astounding set of imagery that is not so readily available to us today. o In their experience, the palm tree was so much more than just desert landscaping. o It was an incredible source of strength and sustenance. On this Grandparents Day o I want to revisit the palm tree again As I have in the past because it is such perfect illustration o of the golden years of life and it contains such a powerful message o for our grandparents and senior saints. The stately date palm grows in the desert. Rising from the sand, o surrounded by vast oceans of barren dead landscape, o it stands alone as testament to the fact that it is possible to grow and thrive in the difficult places of life. Perhaps one of the most readily available images o drawn from David s statement is the fact that the righteous will grow and prosper in all places. o You see, it rises from the sand, and it is surrounded by the sand, but the sand is not its source o of nourishment. It drives its roots far into the earth until it finds, deep below the sand, o those hidden sources of nourishing water. It may be surrounded by barren dead desert o but it draws its strength and life The Glory Of The Palm Tree 3

4 from rich fountains of refreshing water o that are carried by its deep roots up its vast expanse to feed its elegant leaves. o Though the heavens above yield no rain, though the earth around it falters and dies for lack of water, the palm tree grows and flourishes as it draws its strength o from deeply hidden springs of refreshing. There is no better illustration of the life of the righteous. o Those that are in this world but not of it. We are surrounded by a desolate spiritual landscape. We live in a land of plenty but the riches of this land o are empty and shallow. They do little to nourish the soul. Like the desert Palm o surrounded by vast expanses of wilderness, we live in a world that is spiritually desolate. o A world that will quickly deplete your spirit, a world that will use you up and leave you empty and broken. o But the righteous, as the palm of the desert, realizes that his source of strength o is not in this world. o Faith's penetrating root reaches deep down to the fountains of living waters. o It is this righteous man, who finds his strength and encouragement in the secret place o of the shadow of the almighty, that stands as a testament to the world o that there are, indeed, springs of refreshing in the desolate landscape o of this life. I want to remind you this morning o that the wellspring of your strength flows from the deep refreshing of the presence of God. The Glory Of The Palm Tree 4

5 o It is incredibly important to the believer that you drive your roots deep down into the word of God o and into the presence of God until you tap into that rich abundances that nourishes your soul. o We may be in this world, but we aren t of it. o We may spend much of our time feeding and nourishing this old flesh, but the source of our strength o lies deep within the wells of spiritual refreshing. o Blessed is the man or woman that learns that the wellspring of life comes from being in the presence of God o on a daily basis. That individual will be like the desert palm. The palm tree is beautiful, with its tall and vibrant canopy. Its picturesque, unfading leaves o made it an emblem of victory in the ancient world. o The leaf of the palm is always the same it does not fall in winter or turn brown in the heat of the summer. o The desert Palm is an evergreen tree. The arid hot blasts of merciless summers don t affect it and the cold killing freeze of winter s night o can t get a grip upon on it. Because its source of strength and substance o isn t influenced by the seasons, this majestic tree stands apart from the normal cycle of life. It endures the same seasons o as all the other plants, it goes thru the same harsh conditions as all others, but it emerges unscathed and untouched because it s source of strength o isn t affected by the events of this life. What a beautiful illustration, this morning, The Glory Of The Palm Tree 5

6 o of the righteous man or woman that is sustained by the secret springs of Divine grace and lives and grows when all others are overwhelmed o and falter and fall. When David penned the words, like the Palm, o he was saying that you and I will go thru the seasons of this life, but the seasons will have no sway over us. We will see our barren times, o we will walk thru lonely valleys and climb difficult mountains but those trying times o will leave no permanent mark upon us. Like the desert palm, o when the storm has passed we will still stand straight and true as testimony to the fact that our God is well able to keep that which is committed to his hand. David was saying of the righteous o that they will be blessed in all seasons, under all circumstances. o Unmoved by temptations and persecutions, like the desert Palm, the righteous are evergreen, always showing forth the praises of him who has brought them o out of darkness and into his marvelous light. By divine grace they live and thrive o where all others perish and die. This is the promise of God, o He will be your strength and shelter in trying times. He will keep you and sustain you. The storms will rage, o the droughts will come, trials will happen but you can rest assured that the same God who brought you to the valley o will carry you to the mountain top! The Glory Of The Palm Tree 6

7 That s why the prophet could write, o Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me. o (Micah 7:8) The palm grows slowly, but steadily, from century to century o uninfluenced by the changing of the seasons. Seasons come and they go o but the Palm tree remains. It is the same in times of plenty as it is in times of want. The abundant spring rains o don t change its course, nor does the burning sun of summer. Thru it all the palm tree grows o steadily and surely, day by day, getting further from this world o and closer to heaven. The urgency of the wind may bend it o but it will never break and when the storms of this life pass it will still stand upright and true o lifting it s majestic branches to heaven. There it stands, looking calmly down o upon the world below, and patiently yielding its large clusters of golden fruit o from generation to generation. Of all the imagery that could have been drawn o from the majestic desert palm, David narrowed his focus to what is perhaps the single, o most important, trait of the desert Palm o They bring forth fruit in old age. Bring forth fruit in old age The palm tree produces its fruit even in its old age. But that, within itself, isn t what makes it so unique. o The key to understanding The Glory Of The Palm Tree 7

8 the importance of what David is saying lies in the knowledge o that the best fruit is produced when the tree is at its oldest. Each year the fruit of the palm tree gets richer and more abundant. Dates may start being produced o by a tree as young as 7 or 8 years old. However, the really good fruit wasn t produced o until the tree was at least 30 years old. And from that point, through the decades that would follow, each year the dates got better and better as the harvest became bigger and bigger. A mature date Palm would produce o over 300 pounds of rich dates a year. Up to five generations of men may pick their fruit o from the same date tree and each generation found the fruit to be richer and sweeter o than anything that the previous generation had ever experienced. I have a message for the elder saints this morning. o God isn t finished with you yet! Your greatest work remains yet undone. David said that the righteous are like the palm tree, o they bring forth fruit in old age. Old Age is bad word in our society, carnal flesh looks at the decline of later years o with dread and fearful anticipation. But David makes a profound statement o that Age may make others decay, but it makes the righteous flourish. o The Date palm produces its best fruit in the twilight season of its life. o That s why, when we look at our elders in the Lord, we look for something more excellent in their lives, some testimony of the longevity of the grace of God. Grandparents, I want you to know today, o that you possess an unmatched experience with God. o While society tells you The Glory Of The Palm Tree 8

9 that you have entered the unproductive years of your life, o that your best days are behind you o I want to encourage you to hear the word of the Lord this morning that declares that the best is yet to come. The Psalmist said of the Palm tree: "They shall still bring forth fruit in old age." Fruit, as far as nature is concerned, o belongs to days of youth; but in God s economy the righteous bear their sweetest fruit o in the latter years of their life. When the world would try to convince you o that it is time to sit back and take your ease, o let me admonish you this morning that you are standing in what could be the most productive years o of your walk with God. o Sarah laughed when God told Abraham that, in her elder years, she would conceive a child. Don t brush off what I m telling you this morning. o The father of the faithful brought forth the child of promise in the twilight years of Sarah s life. o The righteous shall bring forth fruit in their old age. I want to read verse 14 from the Amplified Bible: o 14[Growing in grace] they shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap [of spiritual vitality] and [rich in the] freshness [of trust, love, and contentment]. There is, within the life of the aged saint of God: more experience o with the provisions of God more wisdom that flows o from years of walking with God; more of a willingness o to make sacrifices for the sake of peace; more maturity of judgment o in divine things; more confidence in God; The Glory Of The Palm Tree 9

10 o and more richness of experience. o They shall be full of spiritual vitality and rich in trust and love o and contentment. Even when they are bedridden, o they bear the fruit of patience; Even when they are poor they are content in the wealth o of experience and offspring. Nature falters with age o but Grace does not leave the saint of God. The promise is still sure though the eyes can no longer read it; The voice of the Spirit in the soul is still loud and clear o even when the ears struggle to hear. When the hands are weak the heart is strong o the Lord sustains those that grow old in righteousness. Living memorial Let me tell you where your fruitfulness lies. Going back to the Amplified Bible, reading verse 15: o 15 [They are living memorials] to show that the Lord is upright and faithful to His promises; He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. Your fruitfulness springs from your testimony. o You are living memorial to the faithfulness of God. o No one else can declare the goodness of God like you can. When you stand and say o that God is good and He is faithful to keep his promises, there are years of experience o that stand behind it. o Your testimony gets richer as the days go by. You can tell, like no one else can, of the great grace o of this good God that we serve. This is where your fruitfulness springs from. This is the wellspring of your later years. o You ve got a story to tell, The Glory Of The Palm Tree 10

11 A testimony that is unique to you, And you are fruitful in your old age o When you share that testimony! o Tell somebody about the grace of God. Take your precious grandkids upon your knee and share with them all o that God has done for you. o Allow the stories of faith and perseverance to be preserved from one generation to the next. This is where your fruitfulness lies. You have the singular ability o to plant the seed of faith in the generations that follow you. You have the singular ability o to be a living memorial to the grace and the goodness of God. The end of verse 15 o tells us that the elders will declare of the Lord, He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. The elders can say, o like no one else can, God has been to me, all that he ever said he would be. o He has tried us, but he has never allowed us to be tempted above o what we are able to bear: o He has walked with us through long dark valleys. o He has carried us to lofty mountain tops. o He has been there for us, every step of the journey. o I ve never thirsted that he didn t make me a spring in the barren place. o I ve never hungered that he didn t provide me with the bread of life.. o He is a friend without fault, a helper without fail. o His promises are true. God has never been anything but good to me! The Glory Of The Palm Tree 11

12 These words carry their greatest impact o when they fall from the lips of an elder saint of God. Grandparents, I came to tell you this morning o that you have a unique ministry. You can tell of the goodness of God o like no one else can. Share it. Share it with your grandchildren. Share it with the young lady at the grocery store. Share it with the bank teller, Share it with the postman. o Share it with anyone that will listen. o God has given you a testimony that is unmatched. This is the fruitfulness of age, o go tell everyone that you can what God has done for you. Close Just as the trunk of the great Palm tree o grows straight up the root grows straight down. It is this quickly descending straight root o that is able to tap into underground water sources and sustain the tree o through its long and productive life. However, there is some danger o in having a straight root that grows ever downward o because it doesn t provide much stability against the storms of life. The mighty oak has a root system o that spreads out underground to match the tree that exists above the ground. o This is how it stands up to the great storms. One might ask, then, how the Palm o stands the test of time. The Glory Of The Palm Tree 12

13 What happens is that, o as the root descends to the depths of the earth in search of water it is also reaching for an underground rock. Deep within the bowels of the earth o that root will finally find a buried boulder o and it will wrap itself around it before it continues its downward plunge. It is the rock that acts o as an anchor to the Palm tree. When the fierce storm wind blows o it may very well lay it over on its side, but it will not tear it up by its roots because its roots are anchored in the rock! As we come to a close, this morning, o I want to remind you that perhaps the greatest testimony that you have is contained within the final verse of this Psalm. He is my Rock, David writes. o In the storms of my life, he is the one that has sustained me. o When everything came crashing in, when the storm winds blew against my soul, he was the anchor that preserved me. This morning we honor the Grandparents. o We want you to know that we are looking up to you. o Your life and your faithfulness to God is a living memorial to the fact that God is your rock. And those of us who have not yet walked o the long lonely roads of this life take confidence from the fact that the same God who has been your rock through every storm, o he is our rock too. o Thank you for your living testimony. Remember, you will bring forth fruit in your old age. The Glory Of The Palm Tree 13

14 This morning, I would like to ask the elder saints of God, those that are over 60, to come to the front of this auditorium. I understand that there are some grandparents here that are younger than that. However, I just want the elders for the closing of the service. These are folks who have walked the long road. Their life is characterized by a long journey in the same direction. Their testimony is rich in the evidence of what God has done for them. There are others here this morning that may not have the depth of experience that these precious saints have. You may not have found that solid rock in your life. The Glory Of The Palm Tree 14

Psalm 92 9 Do the Wicked Really Prosper?

Psalm 92 9 Do the Wicked Really Prosper? An Overview The message of Psalm 92 addresses an ageold question: What about the prosperity of the wicked? The early part of the psalm reflects the tension that