Flourishing Palms

Have you ever wondered about the meaning of Palm Sunday?  Why were palm branches used instead of branches from another tree?  What is the importance of palm trees in the Bible?  I pretty much knew the meaning from Bible stories; but until now, I never realized the importance of palm trees and their branches.

      Jesus began His last week on earth by riding on a donkey into Jerusalem with the crowds spreading palm branches before Him and shouting “Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that comes in the name of the Lord (John 12:12-13).”  “Hosanna” means “O saves!” which comes from Psalm 118:25-26. During the Passover the Hallel from Psalm 113-118, was regularly sung, so these words were fresh in everyone’s minds.  This stirred high hopes for the restoration of the Davidic kingdom especially at this time of year. Jesus chose this particular time for His royal entrance procession, making sure that all Israel would be gathered at Jerusalem for the Passover season. He made an obvious way of proclaiming that He was indeed the Messiah.  That is why on Palm Sunday we celebrate Jesus’ Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem.

      Palm branches were waved or spread in honor and reverence to rulers or royalty.  They were consistently used to celebrate military victories and carrying branches was also part of the worship at the feast depicted in Psalm 118:27. So when Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowds became caught up in a loud, joyous celebration; proclaiming victory and honor, reverence and worship to Jesus their King!

      Scripture teaches that palm trees are important because they are likened unto the way we are to live our lives.  The title of this study and the explanation of this importance can be found in Psalm 92:12-14, reading from the Amplified Bible:

 The uncompromisingly righteous shall flourish like the palm tree

(be long-lived, stately, upright, useful and fruitful);

he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon

(majestic, stable, durable and incorruptible).

Planted in the house of the Lord,

they shall flourish in the courts of our God. 

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 abundance of trust, love and contentment;

     To flourish like palm trees means to stand tall, to live long, be stately, upright, useful and fruitful.  It is interesting to note that the greatest majority of mansions and large estate homes have palm trees either lining the driveways or they are a part of the lavish landscape.  In other words, to be stately is to display prosperity in a dignified and grand way.

      Notice that in each of these verses, the righteous are to flourish or be in abundance.  How can you get to the point where you are flourishing like this?  Here are three points to accomplish just that:

BE UNCOMPROMISING

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,

nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful (Psalm 1:1)

The righteous man (one who is in right standing relation with God) is not to compromise in any way, shape or form. For what you compromise to keep, is that which you will lose, but the righteous man that does not compromise will truly flourish in every area of his life. The uncompromisingly righteous shall flourish… (Psalm 92:13 AMP)

BE PLANTED

But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.

He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water

that brings forth its fruit

in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither;

and whatever he does shall prosper. (Psalm 1:2-3)

Just like a tree has to take root to become established and must daily take in nutrients from the soil in order to grow and blossom; the righteous man also flourishes when he lives a consistent lifestyle of daily meditation of the Word of God. The righteous man also flourishes when he is firmly established in the fellowship of believers, and in the praise and worship of the Lord in the sanctuary.  Those who are planted in the house of the Lord, shall flourish … (Psalm 92:13)

BE GROWING

He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,

that brings forth its fruit in its season,

whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.

(Psalm 1:3)

A tree must grow and reach a certain level of maturity before it can begin to produce fruit.  Here is a promise that the uncompromisingly, firmly established righteous man can be fruitful even in old age, and not just fruitful, but be full of spiritual vitality and rich in the abundance of trust, love and contentment.  The icing on the cake is that whatever he does shall prosper! 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 abundance of trust, love and contentment; (Psalm 92:14, AMP)

      I don’t know about you, but I want to live long and prosper by being upright and fruitful all the days of my life.  I want to maintain my right standing relation with God without compromise, deeply planted in the things of God, and being fruitful and prosperous in whatever I do!  If you also want to be blessed and prosperous; then join me and become like the FLOURISHING PALMS.