Topical Bible: The Cedar: Spreading

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Topical Encyclopedia

The cedar tree, particularly the Cedars of Lebanon, holds significant symbolic and practical importance throughout the Bible. Known for its majestic height, durability, and aromatic wood, the cedar is frequently mentioned in Scripture as a symbol of strength, beauty, and longevity. The spreading nature of the cedar is emblematic of growth, prosperity, and the expansive reach of God's blessings.

Biblical References and Symbolism

The cedar is first mentioned in the context of the construction of sacred spaces. In 1 Kings 6:9-10, Solomon uses cedar wood to build the temple, highlighting its value and durability: "So he built the temple and finished it, and he paneled the temple with beams and boards of cedar." The use of cedar in the temple construction signifies the strength and permanence of God's dwelling place among His people.

The spreading branches of the cedar are often used metaphorically to describe the growth and influence of the righteous. Psalm 92:12 states, "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon." Here, the cedar's expansive growth is likened to the spiritual prosperity and steadfastness of those who follow God's ways.

In Ezekiel 17:22-23, the cedar is used in a parable to represent the kingdom of Israel and its future restoration: "This is what the Lord GOD says: I will take a shoot from the top of a lofty cedar and plant it. I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots, and I will plant it on a high and prominent mountain. It will produce branches and bear fruit and become a majestic cedar." This imagery conveys the idea of a small beginning leading to a great and spreading kingdom under God's providence.

Cultural and Historical Context

The Cedars of Lebanon were renowned in the ancient Near East for their quality and were highly sought after for building and trade. Their wood was used not only in the construction of temples and palaces but also in shipbuilding, as noted in Ezekiel 27:5, where the ships of Tyre are described: "They made all your timbers of juniper from Senir; they took a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you."

The cedar's spreading branches also provided shelter and habitat for various creatures, as depicted in Psalm 104:16-17: "The trees of the LORD have their fill, the cedars of Lebanon that He planted, where the birds build their nests; the stork makes her home in the cypresses." This imagery underscores the cedar's role in God's creation as a source of life and protection.

Theological Implications

The cedar's symbolism extends to the spiritual realm, where its spreading nature is seen as a reflection of God's kingdom and His work in the lives of believers. The growth and expansion of the cedar serve as a metaphor for the spread of the Gospel and the increase of God's influence in the world. As believers are called to be "oaks of righteousness" (Isaiah 61:3), the cedar's characteristics of strength, resilience, and beauty are qualities to be emulated in the Christian life.

In summary, the cedar's spreading nature in the Bible is a powerful symbol of growth, strength, and divine blessing. Its presence in Scripture serves as a reminder of God's enduring promises and the flourishing life He offers to those who trust in Him.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 80:10,11
The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Next Morning Dawned with all the Strange Half Mystical Glow of ...
... She was near an ancient cedar-tree whose dark spreading boughs, glistening with
the early morning dew, sparkled like a jewelled canopy in the sun,"at her ...
/.../corelli/the master-christian/xxiv the next morning dawned.htm

The Figurative Language of Scripture.
... And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature [not a lofty cedar, but
a low vine; that is, a tributary king], whose branches turned towards him ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxxv the figurative language.htm

Balaam
... of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside ... sang; the
handsomest, cunningest, most daring of mankind, who are spreading their little ...
/.../kingsley/the gospel of the pentateuch/sermon xiv balaam.htm

Symbolic Ornaments of the Church
... from the edge of the fountain, an enormous tree, with wide-spreading branches, but ...
his burial, and three trees would spring from them"a cedar, a cypress, and ...
/.../regester/the worship of the church/symbolic ornaments of the church.htm

Mount Olivet. The Mount of Olives, 2 Samuel 15:30
... They took long staves of cedar, and canes, and fat-wood, and the coarse ... valley takes
its name"embracing Sion also on the north, and spreading abroad itself ...
/.../lightfoot/from the talmud and hebraica/chapter 40 mount olivet the.htm

The Abiding of the Spirit the Glory of the Church
... and to-day he endeavours to hinder the people of God from spreading the gospel. ... What
are cedar, and marble, and gold as compared with the glory of the Most High ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 32 1886/the abiding of the spirit.htm

Jewish Homes
... the woodwork is of the common sycamore, sometimes of olive or cedar, and in ... for converse,
or else in the court beneath"with its trees spreading grateful shade ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 6 jewish homes.htm

Andromeda
... Then from her gold-strung loom, where she wrought in her chamber of cedar, Awful
and ... a star in the heavens, a sign and a hope to the seamen, Spreading thy long ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/andromeda and other poems/andromeda.htm

The Good Man's Life and Death
... Why dost thou touch the tree beneath whose spreading branches weariness hath rest? ...
Howl, fir tree, for the cedar hath fallen, the godly fail, and the righteous ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/the good mans life and.htm

The Census and the Journey of the Holy Family
... The trunk was smooth and the spreading branches made a kind of roof. ... There were
pine-trees (cedar or terebinth) and other trees with small leaves like our box ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/x the census and the.htm