Topical Bible: The Cedar: Graceful and Beautiful

◄ The Cedar: Graceful and Beautiful ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

The cedar tree, known for its grace and beauty, holds significant symbolic and practical importance throughout the Bible. Its majestic stature and enduring quality make it a fitting representation of strength, nobility, and divine creation. The cedar is frequently mentioned in the Scriptures, highlighting its prominence in the ancient Near East and its spiritual symbolism.

Biblical References and Symbolism

The cedar tree is often associated with strength and durability. In the construction of the Temple, King Solomon used cedar wood extensively, underscoring its value and the reverence it commanded. 1 Kings 6:9 states, "So he built the temple and finished it, and he covered the temple with beams and boards of cedar." The use of cedar in the Temple signifies not only its physical robustness but also its spiritual significance as a place of worship and divine presence.

The Psalms frequently use the cedar as a metaphor for the righteous. Psalm 92:12 declares, "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon." Here, the cedar symbolizes the flourishing and enduring nature of those who live in accordance with God's will. Its deep roots and towering presence serve as a metaphor for spiritual stability and growth.

Cedar of Lebanon

The "cedar of Lebanon" is particularly noted in the Bible for its grandeur and beauty. These trees, native to the mountains of Lebanon, were renowned for their height and the quality of their wood. Ezekiel 31:3 describes the Assyrian empire with the imagery of a cedar: "Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest; it towered on high, its top among the clouds." This passage illustrates the cedar's association with power and majesty.

Cedar in Prophetic Imagery

Prophets often used the cedar to convey messages of judgment and restoration. In Isaiah 2:13 , the cedar is mentioned in the context of God's judgment against human pride: "against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up, and against all the oaks of Bashan." The cedar's lofty stature becomes a symbol of human arrogance that will be humbled by divine intervention.

Conversely, the cedar also appears in prophecies of restoration and blessing. In Ezekiel 17:22-23 , God promises to plant a tender sprig from the top of a cedar, which will grow into a majestic tree: "I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it, and it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a majestic cedar." This imagery reflects hope and renewal, with the cedar representing the establishment of God's kingdom.

Cedar in Ancient Culture

Beyond its biblical symbolism, the cedar was highly valued in ancient cultures for its practical uses. Its wood was prized for construction due to its resistance to decay and insects. The fragrance of cedar wood was also appreciated, and it was used in religious rituals and as incense. The cedar's significance in both sacred and secular contexts underscores its multifaceted role in the ancient world.

Conclusion

The cedar tree, with its grace and beauty, serves as a powerful symbol throughout the Bible. Its presence in Scripture as a representation of strength, righteousness, and divine majesty reflects its enduring significance in the spiritual and cultural life of the biblical world.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 80:10
The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ezekiel 17:23
In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Hiram, the Inspired Artificer
... They had to supply the cedar wood, iron, copper, brass ... have made proverbial the
sumptuous and beautiful raiment and ... Like some tall palm, the graceful fabric grew ...
/.../milligan/men of the bible some lesser-known/hiram the inspired artificer.htm

The Dew and the Plants
... The lily, the cedar, the olive, are in my text. ... men, to try to make Christianity
look as beautiful in people's ... grow more like a lily, and to be graceful in the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/the dew and the plants.htm

The Next Morning Dawned with all the Strange Half Mystical Glow of ...
... cluster of white narcissi waved their graceful stems to ... watching her furtively from
between the cedar-boughs,"and ... this book are as pure and beautiful as they ...
/.../corelli/the master-christian/xxiv the next morning dawned.htm

The Two Talents
... there are, ranging from the cedar of Lebanon ... tiny lichen, God hath made everything
beautiful, but everything ... his wisdom was profound, and his speech graceful. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the two talents.htm

Fruits of Recognized Union
... of the tall and upright palm, of the graceful and clinging ... He shall grow like a cedar
in Lebanon. ... the emblem of victory; it raises its beautiful crown towards ...
/.../taylor/union and communion/section v fruits of recognized.htm

"Let not Your Heart be Troubled"
... will present it to the Father without one awkward, stammering word, beautiful and
fragrant ... Instead of choosing the graceful palm, the lofty cedar, or the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 73 let not your.htm

Striking Similes
... As beautiful as the purple flush of dawn. ... As graceful as a bough. ... As the fair cedar,
fallen before the breeze, lies self-embalmed amidst the moldering trees. ...
/.../kleiser/fifteen thousand useful phrases/section viii striking similes.htm

Naparima and Montserrat
... doorless doorways, and the walls were of cedar and other ... was said by as pretty, gentle,
graceful a lad ... and past more sugar estates, and past beautiful bits of ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter x naparima and montserrat.htm

The Northern Mountains
... with here and there an equally tall Cedar, and on ... Indians of the Main, or among the
graceful Coolies of ... and carefully the more striking and beautiful of these ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter xi the northern mountains.htm

Pagan Cemeteries.
... proposed to him, the poetry being as graceful and pleasing ... The form of the body was
beautiful in the extreme ... thick, composed of myrrh, balm, and oil of cedar. ...
/.../lanciani/pagan and christian rome/chapter vi pagan cemeteries.htm