{"id":46405,"date":"2021-10-22T12:45:56","date_gmt":"2021-10-22T09:45:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/?p=46405"},"modified":"2025-05-20T01:17:48","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T22:17:48","slug":"what-is-cedar-wood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/2021\/10\/22\/what-is-cedar-wood\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Cedar Wood?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Cedar <\/span>wood<\/span><\/strong> refers <\/span>to <\/span>a <\/span>type <\/span>of <\/span>tree <\/span>that <\/span>was <\/span>commonly <\/span>found <\/span>in <\/span>the <\/span>region <\/span>of <\/span>Lebanon, <\/span>located <\/span>north <\/span>of <\/span>Israel. <\/span>While <\/span>cedar <\/span>trees <\/span>grew <\/span>in <\/span>various <\/span>parts <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>ancient <\/span>world, <\/span>they <\/span>thrived <\/span>most <\/span>abundantly <\/span>in <\/span>Lebanon. <\/span>This <\/span>tree <\/span>was <\/span>renowned <\/span>for <\/span>its <\/span>superior <\/span>quality <\/span>and <\/span>durability <\/span>compared <\/span>to <\/span>other <\/span>types <\/span>of <\/span>timber. <\/span>Cedar <\/span>wood <\/span>was <\/span>hard <\/span>and <\/span>resistant <\/span>to <\/span>decay, <\/span>making <\/span>it <\/span>highly <\/span>valuable <\/span>for <\/span>many <\/span>uses, <\/span>especially <\/span>construction.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lebanon <\/span>became <\/span>wealthy <\/span>through <\/span>the <\/span>trade <\/span>of <\/span>cedar <\/span>wood, <\/span>as <\/span>many <\/span>powerful <\/span>nations <\/span>such <\/span>as <\/span>Egypt, <\/span>Assyria, <\/span>Babylon, <\/span>and <\/span>Israel <\/span>imported <\/span>this <\/span>timber <\/span>for <\/span>various <\/span>purposes, <\/span>particularly <\/span>building.<\/span><\/p>\n

King <\/span>David <\/span>famously <\/span>used <\/span>cedar <\/span>from <\/span>Lebanon <\/span>to <\/span>build <\/span>his <\/span>palace:<\/span><\/p>\n

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2 <\/span>Samuel <\/span>5:<\/span>11 (<\/span>ESV)<\/span><\/strong>
\u201c<\/span>Now <\/span>Hiram <\/span>king <\/span>of <\/span>Tyre <\/span>sent <\/span>messengers <\/span>to <\/span>David, <\/span>and <\/span>cedar <\/span>trees, <\/span>and <\/span>carpenters <\/span>and <\/span>masons, <\/span>who <\/span>built <\/span>David <\/span>a <\/span>house.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

David <\/span>also <\/span>mentioned <\/span>his <\/span>own <\/span>humble <\/span>dwelling <\/span>made <\/span>of <\/span>cedar <\/span>wood <\/span>contrasted <\/span>with <\/span>the <\/span>Ark <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>Covenant:<\/span><\/p>\n

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2 <\/span>Samuel <\/span>7:<\/span>2 (<\/span>ESV)<\/span><\/strong>
\u201c<\/span>You <\/span>shall <\/span>say <\/span>to <\/span>my <\/span>servant <\/span>David, \u2018<\/span>Thus <\/span>says <\/span>the <\/span>Lord: <\/span>Would <\/span>you <\/span>build <\/span>me <\/span>a <\/span>house <\/span>to <\/span>dwell <\/span>in? <\/span>For <\/span>I <\/span>have <\/span>not <\/span>lived <\/span>in <\/span>a <\/span>house <\/span>since <\/span>the <\/span>day <\/span>I <\/span>brought <\/span>up <\/span>the <\/span>people <\/span>of <\/span>Israel <\/span>from <\/span>Egypt <\/span>to <\/span>this <\/span>day, <\/span>but <\/span>I <\/span>have <\/span>been <\/span>moving <\/span>about <\/span>in <\/span>a <\/span>tent <\/span>for <\/span>my <\/span>dwelling.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

(<\/span>Note: <\/span>David\u2019s <\/span>house <\/span>was <\/span>of <\/span>cedar, <\/span>while <\/span>God\u2019s <\/span>presence <\/span>was <\/span>still <\/span>in <\/span>the <\/span>tent.)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Later, <\/span>Solomon, <\/span>David\u2019s <\/span>son, <\/span>built <\/span>the <\/span>temple <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>Lord <\/span>using <\/span>large <\/span>amounts <\/span>of <\/span>cedar <\/span>from <\/span>Lebanon:<\/span><\/p>\n

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1 <\/span>Kings <\/span>5:<\/span>5-<\/span>6 (<\/span>ESV)<\/span><\/strong>
\u201c<\/span>Behold, <\/span>I <\/span>intend <\/span>to <\/span>build <\/span>a <\/span>house <\/span>for <\/span>the <\/span>name <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>Lord <\/span>my <\/span>God, <\/span>as <\/span>the <\/span>Lord <\/span>spoke <\/span>to <\/span>my <\/span>father <\/span>David, <\/span>saying, \u2018<\/span>Your <\/span>son, <\/span>whom <\/span>I <\/span>will <\/span>set <\/span>on <\/span>your <\/span>throne <\/span>in <\/span>your <\/span>place, <\/span>shall <\/span>build <\/span>the <\/span>house <\/span>for <\/span>my <\/span>name.\u2019 <\/span>So <\/span>now <\/span>command <\/span>that <\/span>cedars <\/span>of <\/span>Lebanon <\/span>be <\/span>cut <\/span>for <\/span>me. <\/span>My <\/span>servants <\/span>will <\/span>be <\/span>with <\/span>your <\/span>servants, <\/span>and <\/span>to <\/span>you <\/span>will <\/span>I <\/span>give <\/span>whatever <\/span>wages <\/span>you <\/span>say, <\/span>for <\/span>you <\/span>know <\/span>that <\/span>there <\/span>is <\/span>no <\/span>one <\/span>among <\/span>us <\/span>who <\/span>knows <\/span>how <\/span>to <\/span>cut <\/span>timber <\/span>like <\/span>the <\/span>Sidonians.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Even <\/span>after <\/span>Solomon\u2019s <\/span>temple <\/span>was <\/span>destroyed <\/span>by <\/span>King <\/span>Nebuchadnezzar, <\/span>the <\/span>second <\/span>temple <\/span>rebuilt <\/span>by <\/span>Zerubbabel <\/span>also <\/span>used <\/span>cedar <\/span>wood <\/span>imported <\/span>from <\/span>Lebanon:<\/span><\/p>\n

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Ezra <\/span>3:<\/span>6-<\/span>7 (<\/span>ESV)<\/span><\/strong>
\u201c<\/span>From <\/span>the <\/span>first <\/span>day <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>seventh <\/span>month <\/span>they <\/span>began <\/span>to <\/span>offer <\/span>burnt <\/span>offerings <\/span>to <\/span>the <\/span>Lord, <\/span>but <\/span>the <\/span>foundation <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>house <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>Lord <\/span>was <\/span>not <\/span>yet <\/span>laid. <\/span>So <\/span>they <\/span>gave <\/span>money <\/span>to <\/span>the <\/span>masons <\/span>and <\/span>carpenters, <\/span>and <\/span>food <\/span>and <\/span>drink <\/span>and <\/span>oil <\/span>to <\/span>the <\/span>Sidonians <\/span>and <\/span>Tyrians <\/span>to <\/span>bring <\/span>cedar <\/span>logs <\/span>from <\/span>Lebanon <\/span>by <\/span>sea <\/span>to <\/span>Joppa, <\/span>according <\/span>to <\/span>the <\/span>grant <\/span>that <\/span>they <\/span>had <\/span>from <\/span>Cyrus <\/span>king <\/span>of <\/span>Persia.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Cedar <\/span>Wood <\/span>as <\/span>a <\/span>Symbol <\/span>of <\/span>Prosperity <\/span>and <\/span>Righteousness<\/span><\/h3>\n

In <\/span>biblical <\/span>symbolism, <\/span>cedar <\/span>wood<\/span><\/strong> represents <\/span>wealth, <\/span>strength, <\/span>and <\/span>endurance, <\/span>much <\/span>like <\/span>gold. <\/span>Two <\/span>valuable <\/span>materials <\/span>frequently <\/span>mentioned <\/span>in <\/span>the <\/span>construction <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>temple <\/span>are <\/span>cedar <\/span>wood<\/span><\/strong> and <\/span>gold<\/span><\/strong> \u2014 <\/span>both <\/span>signifying <\/span>divine <\/span>beauty, <\/span>glory, <\/span>and <\/span>preciousness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Just <\/span>as <\/span>cedar <\/span>trees <\/span>stand <\/span>tall <\/span>and <\/span>flourish <\/span>in <\/span>Lebanon, <\/span>the <\/span>righteous <\/span>are <\/span>promised <\/span>to <\/span>prosper <\/span>and <\/span>endure <\/span>before <\/span>God:<\/span><\/p>\n

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Psalm <\/span>92:<\/span>12-<\/span>15 (<\/span>ESV)<\/span><\/strong>
\u201c<\/span>The <\/span>righteous <\/span>flourish <\/span>like <\/span>the <\/span>palm <\/span>tree <\/span>and <\/span>grow <\/span>like <\/span>a <\/span>cedar <\/span>in <\/span>Lebanon. <\/span>They <\/span>are <\/span>planted <\/span>in <\/span>the <\/span>house <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>Lord; <\/span>they <\/span>flourish <\/span>in <\/span>the <\/span>courts <\/span>of <\/span>our <\/span>God. <\/span>They <\/span>still <\/span>bear <\/span>fruit <\/span>in <\/span>old <\/span>age; <\/span>they <\/span>are <\/span>ever <\/span>full <\/span>of <\/span>sap <\/span>and <\/span>green, <\/span>to <\/span>declare <\/span>that <\/span>the <\/span>Lord <\/span>is <\/span>upright; <\/span>he <\/span>is <\/span>my <\/span>rock, <\/span>and <\/span>there <\/span>is <\/span>no <\/span>unrighteousness <\/span>in <\/span>him.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This <\/span>passage <\/span>beautifully <\/span>connects <\/span>the <\/span>flourishing <\/span>life <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>righteous <\/span>to <\/span>the <\/span>strength <\/span>and <\/span>longevity <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>cedar <\/span>tree. <\/span>The <\/span>cedar\u2019s <\/span>durability <\/span>and <\/span>grandeur <\/span>metaphorically <\/span>illustrate <\/span>the <\/span>spiritual <\/span>vitality <\/span>and <\/span>lasting <\/span>honor <\/span>given <\/span>to <\/span>those <\/span>who <\/span>walk <\/span>in <\/span>righteousness.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Who <\/span>Are <\/span>the <\/span>Righteous?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Being “<\/span>righteous” <\/span>in <\/span>Scripture <\/span>does <\/span>not <\/span>simply <\/span>mean <\/span>claiming <\/span>to <\/span>do <\/span>good <\/span>works <\/span>or <\/span>moral <\/span>deeds <\/span>outside <\/span>of <\/span>a <\/span>relationship <\/span>with <\/span>Christ. <\/span>True <\/span>righteousness <\/span>is <\/span>positional <\/span>and <\/span>relational<\/span><\/strong>, <\/span>granted <\/span>by <\/span>faith <\/span>in <\/span>Jesus <\/span>Christ. <\/span>It <\/span>means <\/span>having <\/span>been <\/span>justified <\/span>by <\/span>grace <\/span>through <\/span>faith, <\/span>receiving <\/span>the <\/span>Holy <\/span>Spirit, <\/span>and <\/span>living <\/span>in <\/span>obedience <\/span>empowered <\/span>by <\/span>God.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201c<\/span>But <\/span>now <\/span>the <\/span>righteousness <\/span>of <\/span>God <\/span>has <\/span>been <\/span>manifested <\/span>apart <\/span>from <\/span>the <\/span>law, <\/span>although <\/span>the <\/span>Law <\/span>and <\/span>the <\/span>Prophets <\/span>bear <\/span>witness <\/span>to <\/span>it\u2014 <\/span>the <\/span>righteousness <\/span>of <\/span>God <\/span>through <\/span>faith <\/span>in <\/span>Jesus <\/span>Christ <\/span>for <\/span>all <\/span>who <\/span>believe.\u201d<\/span><\/em>
\u2014 <\/span>Romans <\/span>3:<\/span>21-<\/span>22 (<\/span>ESV)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Anyone <\/span>who <\/span>trusts <\/span>in <\/span>their <\/span>own <\/span>efforts <\/span>apart <\/span>from <\/span>Christ <\/span>is <\/span>not <\/span>truly <\/span>righteous <\/span>before <\/span>God. <\/span>Only <\/span>those <\/span>who <\/span>have <\/span>received <\/span>Jesus <\/span>by <\/span>faith, <\/span>who <\/span>have <\/span>been <\/span>baptized <\/span>into <\/span>Him, <\/span>and <\/span>who <\/span>walk <\/span>by <\/span>the <\/span>Spirit <\/span>can <\/span>be <\/span>counted <\/span>as <\/span>righteous.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Final <\/span>Blessing<\/span><\/h3>\n

Just <\/span>as <\/span>cedar <\/span>trees <\/span>were <\/span>highly <\/span>esteemed <\/span>for <\/span>their <\/span>strength <\/span>and <\/span>beauty, <\/span>so <\/span>too <\/span>will <\/span>those <\/span>who <\/span>are <\/span>righteous <\/span>in <\/span>God’s <\/span>eyes <\/span>flourish <\/span>and <\/span>be <\/span>honored. <\/span>May <\/span>God <\/span>bless <\/span>us <\/span>all <\/span>to <\/span>be <\/span>firmly <\/span>rooted <\/span>in <\/span>Him, <\/span>growing <\/span>strong <\/span>and <\/span>flourishing <\/span>like <\/span>the <\/span>majestic <\/span>cedar.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n