2,000 YEAR-OLD SPROUT

(Ps.92:12-15 ~ The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; He is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in Him”.)

In June of 2006, Israeli doctors and scientists successfully germinated a 2,000 year-old date palm seed. Found at the Herodian fortress of Masada on the west bank of the Dead Sea, the seed was tagged “Methuselah” for the man with the oldest recorded age in the Bible (Gen. 5:27 ~ Altogether, Methuselah lived 969 years,...). In addition to the challenge of awakening a long-dormant seed, the team also wanted to learn more about the tree praised in Scripture for its shade, food, beauty and medicinal qualities.

The date palm has an important role in the Bible. In the Old Testament, the tree is linked to the temple and presence of God. The New Testament describes excited crowds praising God and throwing palm branches at the feet of Jesus as He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.

God’s promise to bless the world through a descendant of Abraham (and line of King David) also lay dormant for 2,000 years (Gen. 12:1-3, Is. 7:14, Is. 9:1-7, Is. 11:1-5). Finally, the Seed of promise sprouted. That Seed was Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah. Soon the story of His resurrected life would go out to every nation on earth.

The miracle is now ours to experience. Time is not a factor. Neither is the barren ground of circumstance. All that matters is that we allow our hearts to be the soil in which Christ is welcomed and worshiped. – Mart De Haan

God’s promise like a tiny seed
May seem to be an empty thing,
But hidden in that tiny seed
Is life that awaits the warmth of spring. – D. De Haan

[read- Psalm 92:12-15]

GOD NEVER MAKES A PROMISE THAT HE WILL NOT KEEP