Page 91 - Through New Eyes

Trees and Thorns 85
There are several important things to notice here. First, this
takes place on God’s mountain. We have already taken note of
the prophecies of Ezekiel and Hosea concerning God’s planting a
tree on His mountain, and we have associated this with the
wood of the Temple. There are topological parallels between
those later statements and this event.
Second, the burning fire in the bush is to be correlated with
the burning fire of God’s glory-cloud as it later appeared on this
same mountain at the time of the giving of the law (Exodus
19:16-18; and cf. Genesis 15:17). It is God’s glory that is in the
midst of the bush (Deuteronomy 33:16).
Third, the environment around the bush is said to be holy
ground. This is only true of God’s sanctuary. Later, Mount Sinai
will be ho] y ground, and then the Tabernacle and Temple
precincts. These things stand in a topological line: The burning
wooden bush of glory on Mount Horeb becomes the burning
glory atop Mount Sinai (same mountain), then the glory-cloud
inside the wooden Tabernacle, and then the glory-cloud inside
the wooden Temple on Mount Moriah (Zion).
Thus, God reveals Himself in connection with trees and
wood frequently in the Bible, because the Tabernacle and the
Temple, made of wood, are themselves arborescent theophanies.
As we have already mentioned, and as will become clearer as we
proceed, the Tabernacle and Temple are actually symbols of
God’s host gathered around Him. Trees stand for people, and
thus the wood of the Tabernacle and Temple stand for people.
The gold overlay on this wood means that God’s host is glorified.
God’s cloud is made up of His heavenly host around Him.
God’s people are like stones of fire arrayed as a rainbow around
Him. Now we see that God’s people are also like a planting of
trees around Him. With this in mind, we can understand one
more dimension to the burning bush. The bush represents Israel
in the furnace of Egyptian affliction, an affliction actually caused
by God’s refining fire. The fire of God’s glory would purify them
in the furnace of Egypt (cf. Exodus 3:7).
Once we see that wood cut from trees can represent God’s
presence among His people, we can see Moses’ and Aaron’s rods
as arboraceous manifestations of God’s glory and power, partic-
ularly of the arm of God (plagues: Exodus 4:2-5; 7:10-12, 15, 17,