THE AMAZING ACACIA TREE
Connie and I arrived home yesterday afternoon, after traveling for close to thirty hours from Tel Aviv, Israel. It is great to be back— to see two of our three kids (Rachel is on a mission trip this week), sleep in our own bed, and see a landscape of vibrant green again. It is also nice to not have to hunt for bathrooms anymore!
We have learned so much in the last few weeks. I started to go through some of my notes this morning and realized that I have already started to lose track of some things that we’ve picked up along the way. My notes brought me back to the Jeep ride that our group had in the Sinai. Faraq, our Bedouin host, stopped the Jeeps long enough to teach us about the amazing acacia (pronounced ah-KAT-sya) tree, pictured above. He described the tree as only a keen-eyed wilderness lover like a Bedouin would.
The acacia tree is mentioned frequently in scripture, and Faraq called it one of God’s greatest gifts. As all Bedouins know, the seeds that fall plentifully to the ground from the acacia tree make a wonderful food source for camels. The sap that bleeds profusely from any wound on the acacia tree often falls in clumps to the ground, and it can be pounded into a salve that has healing properties when applied to the skin. Acacia wood burns long and hot since it is so dense (acacia trees grow very slowly in such an arid climate— the tree in the picture is several hundred years old), but the Bedouin never cuts down an acacia tree. To do so would be to put an end to many of the benefits of the acacia tree. Bedouin do collect branches and twigs which fall from acacia trees and use them for cooking and for heat in the winter. Acacia trees are often found in wadis (the mountain valleys through which torrents of water flow in the rainy season), and their roots can go down seventy feet in search of water. If you see an acacia tree that is reliably green for a number of seasons then you know that a good place to dig a well would be nearby.
The Bedouin love the acacia tree. They have learned what it offers and how strong it is. They have eyes to see what God has done and what he has given in this deceptively simple-looking plant.
