Psalm 92:12a

Psalm 92:12a

All about Palm trees

The palm tree described here in the Psalm was likely a date palm, which was commonly grown in the Middle East. (And I quote) Date palms are slow-growing trees that do not bear fruit immediately. Patience is needed for them to grow tall and reach maturity. Patience is also needed for the fruit. It takes five to eight years before the palm tree will bear fruit. The tree will produce approximately 22 pounds of fruit in its first crop, but then it will rapidly increase the fruit it bears, yielding upwards of 200 pounds of fruit when it’s 30 years old! While its productivity declines after 60 years, a date palm can still produce fruit when it’s 80 years old.

Like a palm tree, the righteous are pictured as bearing fruit. This is also reiterated in the New Testament, where Jesus referred to the righteous as the seed that fell on the good ground and bore fruit (Matthew 13:8, 23). To produce spiritual fruit, we must work on our spiritual garden—turning the soil with prayer and Bible study so that we can continuously produce. God expects Christians to produce fruit, the spiritual characteristics that are highlighted in Galatians 5:22-23.  Love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 

Jesus warned that those without strong roots are easily shaken by trials and fall away (Matthew 13:5-6, 20-21). The date palm has a vast and complex root system that makes it incredibly flexible when strong winds blow. It can bend over double and still return to its upright position, even in hurricanes. Without strong roots, a Christian will be unable to endure the storms of life, the truly righteous, by contrast, are not easily shaken.

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