Lessons From the Almond Tree

“Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.” Then the LORD said to me, “You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.” Jeremiah 1:11,12

In the land of Israel, the almond tree doesn’t mind the cold of January. That is when the gnarled, leafless tree begins to bloom. With the fragrance of her pinkish white flowers she beckons the wild bees to an abundant feast.

The almond belongs to the peach family and grows wild in Israel, reaching a height of 4.5 to 6 meters.
The fruit has a soft, velvety cover around an inner shell that contains the nut. Many locals consider the unripe, greenish fruits a delicacy, but most prefer their almonds fully ripe and dried, which are eaten salted or ground into a sugary pulp known as Marzipan.

In Bible times Almonds were an important food item and feature in many stories. For instance, Aaron’s rod miraculously sprouted leaves and almond blossoms at the same time - God’s sign that Aaron and his tribe was chosen as priests. Because of their beauty, the buds and blossoms of the Almond modeled for the Tabernacle’s candelabra. During the seven years of famine, Jacob sent almonds – considered a delicacy - to the Egyptian ruler.

In Ecclesiastes, the almond symbolizes old age - its white blossoms are reminiscent of white hair.
The biblical town Luz, mentioned in Genesis 28:19, probably received its name because their hills abounded with almond trees. Still today, around this time of year, the hills around Jerusalem are dotted with blooming almond trees.

The root from the Hebrew word shaked – almond - is the word shoked, meaning to watch diligently or to wait.
In Jeremiah, Israel’s watchman, it’s used as wordplay. The LORD asks him, what he sees.
“An almond (shaked) tree-branch”, he answers.
The LORD replies, “I will watch (shoked) over my word to perform it.”

God often uses nature to teach us spiritual lessons.
The almond tree is the first to blossom (in mid-winter) and the last to bear its fruit (late fall).
We may trust God to be faithful to His promise that He will watch over each and every season in our lives.