As
the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I
sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my
taste. (Song
2:3)
When I was a toddler during WWII, I remember hearing a song
recorded by Glenn Miller only two months after Pearl Harbor entitled, Don’t
sit Under the Apple Tree with Anyone Else but Me. In my infancy, I could
not comprehend the romantic meaning of the song, but have come to love all of
those innocent and sweet songs of love of the past. To the lovers mentioned, the Apple Tree had a
special, and perhaps sentimental, meaning. It also bore such a meaning to
the Shulamite lassie of Song of Solomon. The fruit and shade of the Apple Tree reminded
her of the joy and comfort of the company of her Beloved.
The Song of Solomon is practically a parable of the
courtship of our Lord Jesus Christ and His betrothed, the Church.
The Roman natural philosopher, Pliny the Elder[1], wrote
of the apple tree: “There were many about the city of Rome that were set at a
yearly rent of two thousand sesterces per year; yielding more profit per year
to their owner than a pretty good farm.” The apple tree is far and above more
precious to man than any of the trees of the forest. Trees of the forest may
produce nuts of a single variety, but the apple tree produces a variety of
types of apples – far more variety than any other tree known to man.
The apple tree in many ways is like our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our Lord yields more profit to His Father, and brings more glory to Him, than
all of the angels in Heaven, or all of the saints on this earth. But He also is
of enormous and immeasurable benefit to His people who partake of His Mercy and
Grace. His fruit not only satisfies the thirst with the pure nectar of the
apple, and its meat satisfies the hunger. It seems to be a physical type
of the Tree of Life now in Paradise that brings forth an abundance and variety
of fruits. 1 And he shewed me a pure
river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God
and of the Lamb. 2 In the midst of the street of
it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare
twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of
the tree were for the healing of the nations. (Rev
22:1-2)
The poetic language of this Book of the Songs of Solomon no
doubt influenced the writings of the great Persian Sufi mystic and poet of the
11th and 12th centuries, Omar Khayyam. The
Shulamite lady (the Church) reflects on the deep love she has for her Beloved
(our Lord): He brought me to the
banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. Stay me with flagons,
comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love. (Song 2:4-5) Would it not be wonderful if
the modern church became “sick with love” for her Redeemer and Savior?
Every good thing for the appetite is satisfied in the apple
tree. It is sweet, full of delicious resin, and filled with fiber. The Gospel
of Our Lord, too, is sweet and healthful to all who are drawn to its benefits.
When I was a lad, the fruit was free for the taking. Apple trees lined the
roads of rural America and provided refreshment for the taking. The Gospel of
our Lord Jesus Christ is also free for the taking, and should be available all
along the highways and byways of life.
The merits and appeal of the apple tree is perhaps the
reason that popular legend claims that the fruit Eve partook of from the Tree
of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was an apple! But I doubt that claim for
several reason which exceed the scope of this devotion.
Every man or woman of my age remembers the apple as a bribe for the teacher.
She probably received more than she could eat, but graciously accepted them
anyway in order not to offend small hearts. Our Father in Heaven hears oft
repeated prayers that may even already have been answered, but He never rejects
the one thousand prayers offered by the sincere Christian no matter the
repetitions.
The apple tree is considered such a special tree that a kind and generous
fellow named John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed) planted apple trees all over the
mid-west and Ontario, Canada. Many offspring of such trees are still plentiful
along the trail of Johnny Appleseed after more than 100 years – he died in
1845. How I long for such planters for the Lord to send to sow His Gospel in
wide swaths of America today.
The apple tree not only bears beautiful and delicious fruit, but is also
beautiful in its flowering stage. Christ too is beautiful in the eyes of the
beholder – whether at His incarnation at Bethlehem, or His exaltation and
Ascension. His fruit is tasty, edifying, and healthful to the soul as the apple
is to the body.
The matured apple, as well as the earlier blossoms of the tree, provides a
sweet and lovely savor. His Elect should also reflect that sweet savor. 15 For we are unto God a sweet
savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: 16 To the one we are the savour of
death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is
sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not as many, which
corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of
God speak we in Christ.
(2 Cor
2:15-17) If the
apple fruit is not plucked at its maturation, it will sour and rot. So the
Gospel of Christ cannot long remain in hearts that are not vibrant with the
love and sharing of it. When men do not devour the Word of God as the inerrant
and plenary Word of God, they are led by their vain pride to question every
word of it and to devise new and changed versions of it tainted by their vain
belief they understand Greek better than the ancient Greeks did.
Pliny the elder also described the apple tree as the tenderest of all trees. So
is Christ the tenderest of all to His people. 2 For he shall grow up
before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground. . . . . (Isaiah
53:2)
The lush leaves of the apple tree provide an abundant shadow to shield from the
heat, and to grant a refreshing pause for the traveler on his way. I remember
the shade of an apple tree to be a welcome delight when visiting my
grandmother’s farm. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his
fruit was sweet to my taste. (Song 2:3) 7 Because thou hast been my
help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. (Psalms
63:7) We used to
sit down under the apple tree, often eat of its fruit, play games and rest in
its shade as children. We are children of God, and we do the same in the shadow
of the wings of the Almighty. It is there that we enjoy security, love, and
peace.
The backwoods of our land is comprised of rough pine, oak, maple, and all
manner of trees. These forests are like the world. We will seldom come across
an apple tree flourishing among the wild ones of the forest; but when we do, we
are delighted at the find. Jesus was like that apple tree among the trees of
the forest (us) as He came among us so that we might know God.
Another seldom understood benefit of the apple tree is the health benefit of
its leaves. According to a Polish study: “The Apple Tree of Life? Adding leaves to juice boosts
health potential: Study By Ben Bouckley+, 05-Feb-2013
“Adding
apple tree leaves to cloudy apple juice to boost polyphenol content could prove
a reliable and cheap way for manufacturers to produce functional beverages with
disease-preventing potential.” http://www.beveragedaily.com/R-D/The-Apple-Tree-of-Life-Adding-leaves-to-juice-boosts-health-potential-Study
The leaves, like the salt of the Gospel, serves as a preservative
to the nectar of the apple. . . . . and the leaves of the tree were for the
healing of the nations. (Rev 22:2) The apple itself is considered
to have medicinal properties. My mother swore by the adage, “An apple a day
will keep the doctor away,” and I believe it. The vitamin and nutrient rich
fiber alone can prevent many disorders of the intestinal tract.
Unlike the fruit of the apple tree, the fruit that our Lord Jesus Christ offers
will never decay or corrupt. His Word is sure, unchanging, and pure! Unlike the
apple tree whose leaves offer shade and shadow for only a season of the year,
our Lord Jesus Christ offers His shadow of peace and comfort perennially.
The Apple Tree offers sustenance and nutrients for the body only, but our Lord
Jesus Christ (that is the Tree of Life) offers life eternal.
The Tree of Life (which our Lord is) does not flourish only in season, but out
of season as well. Its fruit is abundant and unfailing – never lacking in
quality. Perhaps that Tree of Life is much like the lesser tree mentioned by
Daniel the prophet: 10 Thus were the visions of
mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and
the height thereof was great. 11 The tree grew, and was strong,
and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of
all the earth: 12 The leaves thereof were fair,
and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field
had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof,
and all flesh was fed of it.
(Dan 4:10-12)
