Like the green olive tree forever

 

While doing my devotion this morning, I found an interesting description of the olive in Psalm 52:10. 

”וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ כְּזַ֣יִת רַ֭עֲנָן בְּבֵ֣ית אֱלֹהִ֑ים בָּטַ֥חְתִּי בְחֶֽסֶד־אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים עוֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד׃“

(Psalm 52:10 HMT-W4)

https://accordance.bible/link/read/HMT-W4#Psa._52:10

        Here, the Hebrew seems to emphasize the COLOUR of the olive, whereas the Septuagint translation into Greek uses the word κατάκαρπος (meaning, being fruitful) is used instead. 

        On one hand, this appears to be a mistranslation by the Septuagint scholars. However, we have to understand the difference in the demographics of the Old Testament Jews and those living in other areas. 

        In the Tropics, an evergreen tree is very common. We look at beauty from a different perspective. If there colourful flowers on the tree, we say it is beautiful. But, for a country like Israel, where trees do not always grow or remain green all year round, the olive is "beautiful" because its green leaves symbolises its fruitfulness. Abundance of fruits means wealth and prosperity. The olive tree can grow even on land that has little soil.         

        For that reason, the psalmist describes himself like an olive (tree) that is green and fruitful. In some Mediterranean countries like Spain, if given enough nutrition, the olive tree can live for over a thousand years and still remain fruitful. Hence, we now understand that the psalmist knows that he will only be fruitful (or green) for as long as he remains in the house of God. 

        This brings to mind two texts of the Scriptures: 

(1) When the Lord Jesus spoke to His disciples: 

““Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.”

(John 15:4 NAS95)

https://accordance.bible/link/read/NAS95S#John_15:4

(2) When Paul described Israel as a cultivated olive tree: 

Rom. 11:17 ¶ But if some of the branches (referring to Israel) were broken off, and you, being a wild olive (referring to the non-Jews), were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree,

        The Gentiles are referred to as the wild olive tree: 

Rom. 11:24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?

        This text does not speak about grafting as us, Gentiles becoming Jews or trying to live like the Jews; rather, in the same light of what the Lord Jesus said in John 15, and what the psalmist in Psalm 52 mentioned, we are to be fruitful. 

        To be fruitful, we are to abide in Christ (John 15: 4, 5).