I used to live in the desert. For twelve years I called Tucson my home. Moving from the lush, green landscape of my Midwest birth to the Sonoran Desert was quite an adjustment. Admittedly, it took a year for my body and my heart to call that dry and arid location home. But slowly and steadily, I fell in love with the beauty of Arizona. Where else can you find ski resorts, the Grand Canyon, the Saguaro National Monument, an enormous meteor crater, a petrified forest and the red rocks of Sedona in one amazing state?
When friends and family would visit, I couldn’t wait to show off my beloved home. Still, of all the wonderful locations Arizona has to offer, the desert in Tucson has always been my favorite. When visitors would point out the “brown-ness” of the desert, I would be quick to point out the green of the Palo Verde trees and the majestic Saguaro cacti that dotted the land surrounding the city. When people would comment about the rocky terrain, I would direct their gaze to the mountain ranges that surround Tucson. I encouraged friends to visit in the springtime when the desert literally exploded with life and color.
Living in Tucson is a challenge for every living creature, plant or animal. The drought conditions and high temperatures can make survival difficult. Only the hardiest survive. But, oh how they survive. The fight to survive makes the landscape and the people who live there even more beautiful.
Psalm 52 makes me think of Tucson. Why? Because in verse 8 David says, “I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God.” The University of Arizona has an entire street lined with mature olive trees. Ancient Israel, also a desert, was filled with olive trees. Modern-day Israel is, too.
David’s statement about the olive tree really made me stop and think. I mean, what is so great about an olive tree that would make David make such an odd statement? The truth is, I am not a fan of olives. Never have been. I didn’t know much about the tree that grows them, either. I decided to dig deeper.
As it turns out, olive trees are amazing for a myriad of reasons. Let’s explore some of those reasons, shall we?
1. Olive trees live long lives and bear fruit (Yes, olives are a fruit) for most of their lives. These trees start bearing fruit at about the age of 5 years and continue to bear fruit until they are 1600-ish years old. The oldest olive tree was believed to be about 2000 years old.
It’s tempting for us to think that God can’t use us if we aren’t the right age. We may believe if we are too young or too old, we can’t make a difference in the life of our family, friends or world. The olive tree would disagree. It begins making olives in infancy and continues to bear fruit well into its senior adult years.
2. Olive trees are generous. It is not unusual for one olive tree to produce 400 pounds of olives per year. More mature trees birth even greater amounts of olives than that. In the Middle East in the first century, the Hebrew word for generous is “tzedakah”. To this day, the idiom used in Israel to discuss generosity involves having a “good eye.” Matthew 6:22 says, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, you whole body will be full of light.” Generosity breeds light to our lives and to those who are the recipients of our generosity. I want to be known as someone who has a good eye.
3. Olive trees are un-parchable. Even in the worst drought conditions, they still survive. Have you ever felt like you were in a dry season? Maybe the dry season involved your parenting, your job, your finances, or your marriage? If you survived this season, you are like an olive tree.
4. Olive trees are indestructible. Their roots are so robust, even if the tree is destroyed down to ground level, it will regenerate a new tree above ground. This type of regeneration reminds me of the lizards my siblings and cousins would play with as a kid. If you picked the lizard up the wrong way, the tail would literally fall off. But don’t feel too sad for Mr. Lizard. God has given him the remarkable ability to grow a new tail. In terms of regeneration, even lizards can be like olive trees.
5. Finally, there is so much symbolism that comes from the olive tree. Its branch is a symbol of peace. Crowns fashioned from its branches were given to athletes to signify victory at early Olympic games. When its fruit is put under duress and crushed, it produces a pure oil that can be used to promote health through cooking. Its oil can also be used in religious ceremonies as a symbol of consecration or healing.
“But I am like an olive tree,” David said.
David wrote Psalm 52 when he was on the run from King Saul. Saul had been anointed King of Israel by Samuel after the people of Israel revolted, saying they know longer wanted God to be their king. They announced they wanted a human king like all the other kingdoms they encountered. God gave them what they asked for in King Saul. Saul was handsome, standing heads above all others both in good looks and stature. But he stopped listening to God and eventually went literally crazy. In the middle of his insanity, he became very jealous of David and sought to kill him. After learning that a priest named Ahimelech had provided bread and a weapon at David’s request, King Saul had that priest and many others killed. Eighty-five priests in total were executed because that one priest assisted David.
These details form the backdrop of what was occurring when David wrote Psalm 52. While in the desert, both literally and figuratively, David wrote, “But I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God.” The environment was harsh. The ground was parched. The tree was burned to the ground. But David knew the roots remained and the tree would grow again. Years later, when David was king, God referred to David as a man after God’s own heart. He used David to bear much fruit via the Psalms we still can read today. He used David to establish a kingdom that honored him for many years. He used David to bring victory and peace to his people. Finally, God’s very own son, Jesus, was born from the very family line of David.
So, I have to agree with David. He really was like an olive tree.
When all is said and done, I may not like the taste of olives. But, I want to be like David. Why? Because I want to be like an olive tree, too. There really are so many lessons to learn.