Key Verse
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” Isaiah 61:3b
Aim of The Study
The aim of becoming trees of righteousness is to reveal the plans of God to establish us individually, not as bushes in the desert, but as trees planted by the waters with deep and strong foundations that not only withstands in times that are difficult, but have green leaves no matter the season and is constantly bearing fruit. The glory of God is in us and revealed through us into the world.
Key Questions
What happens when we put our faith and trust in man?
What happens when we put our hope and trust in God?
What is this water that is in the river?
Who plants us and why?
What is our reason we are filled with God’s glory?
What causes our roots to go down deep to access the river / water?
How do the hard times, how does it benefit us in helping others?
What is this fruit that we produce?
Conclusion
1.. What happens when we put our trust and faith in man?
In Jeremiah 17:5-6 we learn that we are cursed when we put our trust in man and put our trust and hope in people and not God.
5 Thus says the Lord:
“Cursed is the man who trusts in man
And makes flesh his strength,
Whose heart departs from the Lord.
6 For he shall be like a shrub in the desert,
And shall not see when good comes,
But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness,
In a salt land which is not inhabited. Jeremiah 17:5-6
We will be like a shrub in the desert who:
Does not see good when it comes
Live in a desert with very little refreshing and life-giving rain.
The soil will be impossible to grow well in because of the salt
We cannot share anything or do anything to build up others because the land is not inhabited.
2. What happens when we put our trust and hope in God?
This simile tells us what we will be like when we put our trust and hope in God.
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
And whose hope is the Lord.
8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
Which spreads out its roots by the river,
And will not fear[b] when heat comes;
But its leaf will be green,
And will not be anxious in the year of drought,
Nor will cease from yielding fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 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
We If we trust and hope in God then:
We will be like a tree planted by the waters. They grow strong and tall near rivers.
The roots will be deep and constantly able to access water.
Does not matter what the season is like. Even if it is dry and hot, the roots by the water deep will give strong foundations so if the drought comes or strong winds etc it will not only cope, but it will have green leaves all the time.
The most important thing is that the tree or righteousness will bear fruit constantly.
3. What is this water?
As our roots are searching deep for this water, we need to know what this water is. In Psalm 1 we read about constantly meditating on His Word.:
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
This water is seen in Revelations as flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb.
22 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Revelation 22:1-2
If we drink this water, it not only satisfies us but gives us everlasting life.
14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:14
The water comes from salvation
3 Therefore with joy you will draw water
From the wells of salvation. Isaiah 12:3
The water is the Spirit of God.
13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into[a]one Spirit.1 Corinthians 12:1.
4. Who plants us and why?
In Isaiah we read that we are planted by God to become trees of righteousness, so we can give glory to God.
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” Isaiah 61:3b
We are planted by God to be trees of righteousness
God is planting us so we can give glory to God
We are also planted to bear fruit for food and medicine for the peoples of the world
12 Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.” Ezekiel 47:12
5. Why are we filled with God’s glory?
God's plan is to fill the earth with the knowledge of the glory of God. This is mentioned in over four places in the Bible.
14 For the earth will be filled
With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,
As the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:14 (NKJV)
God's glory filling the Earth is also mentioned in Psalm 57:5, Jeremiah 23:24, Isaiah 6:3, Isaiah 11:9
God wants the Earth to be filled with not only His glory but for everyone to know the glory of God. That is done as we are planted as trees of righteousness and are planted by God to be filled with His glory and for others around us to witness His glory. God wants to plant us all as trees of righteousness and fill His earth with people to are filled with the glory of God and tell everyone about who God is. That is, release the knowledge of the glory of who God is.
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
12 “For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; And it shall be to the Lord for a name, For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
God’s Word is what establishes us as trees and as planted established trees we will go out with joy, be led for the with peace, the earth will celebrate when God’s word goes forth from our mouth. The thorn bushes are what we, which is rebellious people that do not respond to God’s Word like rain. We shall instead become the tree of righteousness and will establish the name of the LORD and so His glory will be established in the earth.
6. The hard things in life cause us to put our roots down deep.
To be a tree of righteousness, we need to have our roots down deep into the river. Tough times or tribulation causes us or forces our roots down deep into the streams of water.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:2-4
5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:1-5
In the world we run away or complain about hard times. When we live in the Kingdom of God we can understand the world in a different way. The hard times we have are actually the things that cause our roots to go down deep and to cause us to access the Word of God and His Spirit.
7. The hard things in life are also a training ground.
In the 2 Corinthians 1:3-6 we learn that God is a God that comforts not only to help us in the tough times we go through, but he uses these times as a training ground. These times are where we can receive help and comfort from God so we can in turn go and help and comfort others with what God gives us through our hard times.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 2 Corinthians 1:3-6
8. What is the fruit that we produce?
As soon as we think of fruit and the Spirit we immediately thing about the fruits of the Spirit we read about in Galatians 5:22-23..
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
The fruit we display also let others know that we are followers of Christ.
33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Matthew 12:33 (NKJV)
35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35 (NKJV)
The fruit we produce will be something that will be good for all. We will be able to feed, shade and support the ones God places in front of us.
12 Its leaves were lovely,
Its fruit abundant,
And in it was food for all.
The beasts of the field found shade under it,
The birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches,
And all flesh was fed from it. Daniel 4:12 (NKJV)
Our good fruit can be the good works that God calls us to do.
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. James 2:14-18
14 And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful. Titus 3:14(NKJV)
We were chosen by God to bear fruit, and this is fruit that remains or is eternal. With seeds that come from fruit, we are producing trees after our own kind. From what we do trees of righteousness are to be planted through God's fruit and seed He gives us.
16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. John 15:16 (NKJV)
Conclusion
God is calling us to put our trust fully in God and not in man. When we do God says:
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” Isaiah 61:3b
As we trust in God, allow the hard times to shape us to be what God has made us to be, we can become the trees of righteousness He is planting. As we do this we are filled with His glory which naturally flows from us into where God plants us and everywhere we go. This is how the earth will be filled with the glory of God. The hard times we go through both shape us and train us and give us what we need to minister to others in tough situations. They force our roots down deep into the Word, to cause us to seek the Spirit and to ensure we have our foundations on Jesus. As trees of righteousness with roots deep into the Word and roots that access the Spirit, we produce fruit that is eternal, that feeds, grows and supports those around us. This is not our work, but the Spirit working through us.