Deuteronomy 19 - 21

Trees
In today's reading, Moses reiterates the laws concerning cities of refuge, crime investigation, war regulations, unsolved murders, marriage, firstborns, rebellious sons, and other legal matters.  What is interesting is that all three chapters mention trees: 19:5, 20:19-20, and 21:22-23.

Trees are important in the Bible, full of symbolism, and representative of nations (the olive tree and fig tree type Israel), sources - the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge in the garden of Eden,  and men as in Psalms 1:3 where a righteous men are likened to a trees planted by rivers.  Trees were used to construct Noah's ark.  Aaron's rod was from a tree.  Jesus cursed a tree that gave no fruit when He wanted it. Trees were used to burn the sacrifices. Clearly trees perform a major role in the scripture.

Returning back to our reading we find that these three references to trees form a common thread through this portion of Deuteronomy in that all are related to death.  In the first usage, a tree is being cut by an ax blade that mistakenly detaches from the handle and kills a person.  The death is an accident bearing no malicious forethought by the person responsible for the death. This is where the cities of refuge come into effect allowing  safe havens for the killer from those who would avenge their slain brother. In this example, the tree is indirectly connected to the death of a person in an accident who does not deserve to die.

In the second usage, trees are provided a place in the regulations of war. When a battle lingers on for a long time, the Israelite warriors are forbidden to chop down fruit trees in enemy territory. They may partake of the fruit and they may chop down non-fruit trees to provide for tools, weapons, etc. for the war effort. But, they must not denude the land of its trees. In this example, the tree is indirectly connected to the death of a person in war, who may or may not deserve to die but is a casualty.

The final usage directly connects the tree to the criminal, someone clearly deserving of death.  If a person is hung on a tree to die for a capital offense, they must not be allowed to remain there overnight and must be buried immediately. This is the scripture that relates to Jesus on the cross who though He did not deserve to die, took upon Himself the sins of the world, which did cause Him to deserve death. The Bible states, "For anyone who is hung on  a tree is cursed in the sight of God."  Jesus became the curse for our sins and died in our place that we may live through Him.

In the first usage, trees are being chopped down symbolic of the man chopped down by the errant blade.  In the second usage certain trees cannot be chopped down and other may.  Just like in war, some men are killed and some are not - to me the metaphor is unmistakable. In the third usage the tree is used to kill the guilty person and that person must be removed, i.e. chopped down.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.