Topical Bible: The Cedar: Powerful Nations

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Topical Encyclopedia

The cedar tree, known for its grandeur and strength, is frequently used in the Bible as a symbol of power, majesty, and the enduring nature of mighty nations. The cedar, particularly the famed cedars of Lebanon, is often mentioned in the Scriptures to illustrate the splendor and might of kingdoms and empires.

Symbolism and Significance

The cedar's towering height and robust nature make it an apt metaphor for powerful nations. In the ancient Near East, the cedar was highly prized for its durable wood, which was used in construction and for crafting fine furniture. Its significance is not only practical but also symbolic, representing stability, longevity, and dominance.

Biblical References

1. Ezekiel 31:3-9: In this passage, the prophet Ezekiel compares the Assyrian empire to a cedar in Lebanon, highlighting its unmatched beauty and strength. "Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest; it towered on high, its top above the thick foliage" (Ezekiel 31:3). This imagery underscores the empire's former glory and the divine judgment that would eventually humble it.

2. Psalm 92:12: The righteous are likened to a flourishing cedar, indicating that those who follow God's ways will be strong and enduring. "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon" (Psalm 92:12). This comparison not only emphasizes the strength of the cedar but also its association with divine blessing and prosperity.

3. 1 Kings 4:33: King Solomon's wisdom is described as encompassing all aspects of creation, including the cedars of Lebanon. "He spoke of trees, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall" (1 Kings 4:33). The cedar here represents the pinnacle of natural beauty and complexity, reflecting the vastness of Solomon's knowledge.

4. Isaiah 2:13: The cedars of Lebanon are mentioned in the context of God's judgment against human pride and arrogance. "Against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up, against all the oaks of Bashan" (Isaiah 2:13). This passage illustrates how even the mightiest symbols of human achievement are subject to God's sovereign will.

Cultural and Historical Context

The cedars of Lebanon were renowned throughout the ancient world. Their wood was used in the construction of significant structures, including Solomon's Temple (1 Kings 5:6). The demand for cedar wood was so great that it became a symbol of wealth and power, often associated with the grandeur of empires and the opulence of royal palaces.

Theological Implications

The use of the cedar as a metaphor for powerful nations serves as a reminder of the transient nature of human power in contrast to the eternal sovereignty of God. While nations may rise and fall, God's dominion remains unchallenged. The cedar's imagery in Scripture calls believers to recognize the ultimate authority of God over all earthly powers and to place their trust in His enduring strength and righteousness.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ezekiel 31:3
Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Amos 2:9
Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Brave Encouragements
... all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come ... people, and that his words
exercised a powerful influence in ... be a temple brave with gold and cedar, or a ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/brave encouragements.htm

Pride of Prosperity
... strengthen his relations with the powerful kingdom lying ... and commercial relations
with heathen nations brought him ... as plenteous as stones, and cedar trees made ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 3 pride of prosperity.htm

The Temple and Its Dedication
... approaches, and lined with carved cedar and burnished ... reign would have exerted a
powerful influence for good over the surrounding nations, nations that had ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 2 the temple and.htm

The Eighteenth Theban Dynasty
... campaigns, and had brought the Egyptians into contact with nations with whom ... haughty
and imperious carriage, the same well-developed and powerful frames, and ...
/.../chapter iiithe eighteenth theban dynasty.htm

From Megiddo to Carchemish, 608-605.
... victory over the heathen, however more powerful the heathen ... bloody, and withal
petty"fussing with cedar, and cutting ... thing to be cursed of all nations of the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/1 from megiddo to carchemish.htm

The King --Continued.
... centuries, asked for a house of cedar, and recalls ... last, his triumphant warfare on
the nations around, are ... burst into prayer, and the most powerful can bring ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/the life of david/xii the kingcontinued.htm

Demonstration v. --Of Wars.
... wicked exalted and lifted up as the cedar of Lebanon ... of the earth and beneath thee
dwell all the nations. ... up against the rich land and against the powerful beast ...
/.../aphrahat/aphrahat select demonstrations/demonstration v of wars.htm

North and South
... The trees of the wood reject heaven's cedar, and choose ... Go among civilised nations,
and, lo, they have only ... are some persons to whom, when the powerful word of ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/north and south.htm

Mason -- Messiah's Throne
... in 1793, he took charge of the Cedar Street Church ... and diffusing His gospel among
the nations, can it ... on the heathen be less speedy, and powerful, and extensive ...
/.../kleiser/the worlds great sermons volume 3/mason messiahs throne.htm

What are the Clouds?
... and there I saw a very powerful steam engine ... the people, being so far from civilized
nations, cannot of ... the lightning storm, a flash rives yon cedar, or splits ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/what are the clouds.htm