How to Plant a Tree in Israel

Awakened by the morning’s first light, an Israeli sunrise will greet your sleepy eyes. After a cup of hot coffee and a warm breakfast fills you with a much-needed boost of energy, you depart for today’s prophetic destination, where you’ll learn how to plant a tree in Israel

As you step out of the bus at today’s tree planting site, you might be met with a prickly reality. The land’s thousands of years of desolation rears its mangled head and the idea of overcoming the fierce desolation can be quite frankly, overwhelming. However there is a hopeful glimmer as the work begins to take place. There are numerous passages in the Bible describing the land of Israel as widows’ garments. During the redemption process however, the widows’ garments will be removed from the land. 

The thorns that viciously greet you are commonly known as “widows garment” due to their vast coverage of the land. This means the next phase of your tree planting experience is this: perseverance and determination.

Before Restoration Comes Desolation

You overcome these feelings of discouragement as you begin to look out over the horizon. Not only are these desolate hills beginning to come to life with agriculture, but the people exiled for 2,000 years are also returning to their homeland.

Just as the beauty of life lies in the process of overcoming and renewing, so does the process of planting trees in Israel.

As the sweat beads off your brow and the thorns draw blood as you remove the seemingly endless sticker bushes from this small plot of land, you begin to wonder if the impact you’re making is worth the price. The answer lies within the deepest parts of humanity. The longing of each person’s heart is to do something worthwhile and to make an impact that stretches farther than themselves. When the sun begins to burn and the pickaxe begins to feel too heavy, this innate human desire to improve the lives of others kicks into a gear that you had long considered imaginary. 

This is not the only shift within yourself that occurs during this strenuous process. As you begin to penetrate the years of neglect that have afflicted the land, the realization that you are changing this lamentable trend ignites an unquenchable passion deep within your heart. This act of rebellion against the historic status quo begins the redemption process and leads to the young start of a forest of trees.

Suddenly, your strength is renewed and zeal for the land becomes the driving force of your labor. As you swing the pickaxe again and again, a familiar parable begins to form, the story of the sower in Matthew 13. As you consider this parable, you begin to understand it in a deeper way. The endless thorns and swinging of the pickaxe describes the effort it takes to create an environment of good soil needed for growth and good fruit. 

Glimpses of Restoration in the Holy Land

After removing the thorns and adequately preparing the soil, you must take a crucial step: add compost to the soil. Due to the mass felling during the Roman and Ottoman eras, the top soil eroded and left much of the mountaintops bare. Without the topsoil, many of the nutrients and minerals conducive to the growth of flora are today scarce. Just as it is essential to richen your life with the adequate supply of God’s word, so also the soil in the Holy Land needs to be richened. 

Once you have renourished the soil, the most exciting part of the process begins. You can now plant your young sapling! 

As you tenderly plant your tree, you may be able to get a small glimpse into the future of this tree’s life. In ten, fifty, a hundred, or even a thousand years from now, this tree may stand as a strong reminder of the faith it took to plant this tree. It begins the process of a new forest, changes the weather, a habitat for native fauna, and a shady place for families to enjoy picnics – maybe your own descendants many generations from now will enjoy its shade!

You may even see yourself in this tree. The ginger placement of this tree may starkly resemble the way God has placed you in each stage of your life for growth and positive change. 

The contrast of this green tree to the brown and barren landscape conveys that the first glimpse at new life is an undeniably beautiful and life changing thing. As you remove the tree from the box it is quickly outgrowing and begin to place it into the prepared hole, the smell of the soil captivates you and it’s’ visible dirt buildup underneath your nails garners feelings of pride and adoration for God’s promises. As the roots of this tree are quickly concealed, the understanding that the priorly constrained roots are now able to grow deeply and unhindered into this specially prepared spot.

Hardship Creates Strong Trees

But just as you face hardships in your life, so will this tree. The next step in the restoration process is to ensure the longevity of this sapling’s life. In Proverbs 4:23-27, it talks about the necessity of guarding and protecting your mind. Similarly, it is essential to guard and protect this young tree. To best ensure this tree’s life, you will place a cage and rocks around it. This will help to ward off hogs, gazelle, and any other large animals seeking after this tree’s life. The cage’s strong defense surrounding the tree causes you to recall God’s hedge of protection over His people.

The work is far from done because upkeep is essential. Without water, the tree would soon wither and succumb to drought. This is a reminder that Yeshua (Jesus) is the living water and without Him, you too would succumb to drought.

How to Plant a Tree in Israel

But more than the act of planting a tree is the feelings it ushers in. Planting a tree in the United States or in England can be a wonderful way to improve the landscape and ecosystem, but an entirely different experience occurs when you learn how to plant a tree in Israel. More than the actions that take place, certain feelings overwhelm people when they plant trees in the Holy Land. 

When you plant a tree in the land of Israel, suddenly you will find yourself feeling unworthy of the greatness of this task, and under qualified to undertake such an incredible act. The sole comfort to this concern is that, despite your shortcomings, God’s faithfulness to His promises will cause this tree to grow. 

You will gaze over this newly planted plot with excitement and anticipation for what it represents, and awe and fascination will overcome you as you ponder the impact this small but laborious act will make. The impact of people returning to the land, the birds nesting in the forest, the families who will call this land “good”, and the soon coming fullness of the redemption will all contribute to your joy.   

A depiction of a seed of hope and redemption and a witness to the fulfillment of God’s promises, this tree is far more than an ordinary gardening project. The forest of young trees depicts a field filled with warriors for the Kingdom, valiantly defending the land. The once-in-a-lifetime chance to directly fulfill prophecy and reverse the desolation by planting forests is potentially the largest impact you will ever be able to make in your life. 

If you want to take part in the fulfillment of prophecy, you can come on one of our trips, or if you can’t come to Israel right now, you can click here to donate a tree.