LOGOS TRADING POST - OLIVE WOOD BRACELETS

Olive Wood & Adoption into the Family of God

Paul the apostle writes in Romans 11:17, “But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree.” As we appreciate these Christian bead bracelets made of olive wood, it is a blessing to remember that we are a part of God’s family, added like branches grafted into an olive tree. It is a great joy to think about our connections with God in this way, and it promotes a healthy understanding of our roles as individual believers.

After all, Paul continues in verses 18-24, “Do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree?”

In this instance, Paul is talking about the chosen people of God, the people of the Holy Land of Israel, and how at that time they had rejected the Savior that God sent to them, being “cut off” by their unbelief. As a result, the Gentiles - which, odds are, make up most of the people reading this - were able to become people of God by this “grafting” process, a process initiated and made possible by the sacrifice, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. All of this is to say, let us be grateful for all that God has done for us, making us a part of His family and continuing to nourish us, the branches, through Himself, the root. A branch can only be strong if the tree it is attached to is strong. Let us acknowledge Him in all of our ways, remembering that we were adopted and grafted in, but nonetheless we are totally loved and cherished by Him.

The Olive Tree of Scripture

Now, Paul’s analogy of an olive tree makes more sense and takes on an even deeper meaning when we look at it in the greater context of scripture and Israelite / Jewish belief. In general, the olive tree was seen as a symbol of God’s blessing and continual providence for those who believe in Him. As such, it makes a lot of sense why Paul would describe our dependent relationship with God through the olive tree; by His strength, we can be strong; when His Kingdom flourishes, so can we!

The first instance of the olive tree being mentioned in scripture is in Genesis 8, chronicling the receding of the flood in the story of Noah’s Ark. Verses 8-11 tell us, “Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground. But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him. He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth.”

In the aftermath of all the destruction wrought by the flood, God showed Noah that He had still preserved creation for him and his family to live upon after it was all over, and He did this using a leaf from the olive tree. In general, the olive tree instills peace in scripture; it is like God saying, “Don’t worry, though your trial has been hard, it has not been in vain; I am here, and I will provide for you.” After all, centuries after the flood, God’s people took the Promised Land, and it was filled with olive trees. From then on, the olive tree, olive oil, and olive wood were recurring images in Israelite writing, such as Psalm 52:8, which says, “But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.

The Olive Tree Endures

Even to this day, the olive tree is an important part of life in the Holy Land, Holy Land Olive Wood being an important aspect of their commerce and economy. We wish to support the business of our fellow Christian brothers and sisters in the Holy Land, so we are very happy to stock hand-carved Holy Land Olive Wood products such as these olive wood bead bracelets. We are not only providing high-quality Christian bead bracelets to our customers, but we are supporting Christian business and ministry in the Holy Land through our support. We are glad to engage with such an important resource in such a historically rich part of the world. As such, we encourage you to see and feel for yourself the quality of hand-carved olive wood bead bracelets from the Holy Land!