God makes promises. He doesn’t make them casually that we should take them lightly. He faithfully and steadfastly keeps his word for the sake of his great name. One of the drawbacks to claiming the promises God makes to us is simply remembering them. Sometimes we need reminders, for the fulfillment of those promises may not come in our lifetimes.
Abraham was called by God to walk the length and breadth of Canaan. For him it was the Promised Land. Everywhere he looked in all directions was the future land of his descendants. It was not yet his except by the promise of God. So, Abraham walked and walked. In some places he built altars to the Lord but when he came to Beersheba he planted a tree. The location is significant for Beersheba was at the southern edge of Judah, the gateway from the desert to cultivated land. He was planting a memorial at the edge of the Promised Land.
The tree itself also is significant for it was not a typical desert tree which could survive on its own such as the acacia or the broom tree but a tamarisk; one that requires a bit of human care. Its tap root goes deep into the ground to find water in arid conditions. Perhaps the most significant feature of the tamarisk is its longevity. It will continue to grow for generations, certainly outliving the one who planted it. Abraham was planting a tree which seems never to die as a reminder to his future generations of the promises of God, “and there he called upon the Lord, the Everlasting God.”
Are you, figuratively speaking, planting a tamarisk to remind your future generations of the promises of God? Make it a goal to do something which will outlive you and speak to others of the promises of God.
Bryce Whiting
Extended Scripture: Genesis 21–22
