The Gospel message in olive wood

We have already said that oil from the olive tree was used to anoint kings and priests in Israel to create the holy anointing oil. In Jeremiah 11:16-17, Israel is described as the olive tree that was planted by God to bear fruit in the land.

In the Bible, we are told about the rod, the staff, because all these pieces of wood come from the same trunk (the holy seed). Already in Romans 11:17-24 it is considered that Christians, both Greeks and other Gentiles, are compared as wild olive trees in relation to the chosen olive tree (Israel), into which we were grafted against nature by the saving grace of Christ, all for the purpose of belonging to the house of the Lord.

Also in Judges 9:8-9, in the famous parable of the trees seeking a king, the olive tree tells them that its greatest glory is to produce fruit (olives for the elaboration of the oil with which God is honored). This oil was also used as fuel for the lamps used to light the Temple, as food and also with medicinal properties, which is why olive oil is sometimes compared to the Spirit of the Lord.

From the many references in the Scriptures, the olive tree symbolizes for Israel prosperity, fertility, abundance, permanence, peace, and light. Christians should aspire to live our lives following the characteristics of the olive tree: to be fruitful, to have peace and calm, light and beauty, productivity and longevity.