It was not just by coincidence that God created vegetation and trees before He created the other living things. This way birds, animals and fish created on the fifth day, and man on the sixth, had food waiting for them. This food came from the vegetation created on the third day. There is an important fact about trees. In God’s newly made atmosphere, a continuous supply of oxygen was needed. This, of course, was for the “animal kingdom” which cannot live without oxygen. In God’s master plan, He designed trees and all other green vegetation to produce great quantities of oxygen, which is given off through the leaves. Air-breathing creatures (including man) help the trees in return by giving off carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide is used by the trees in the process of making oxygen and food for our use. This whole process is called photosynthesis.
Trees also cycle large amounts of water. A tree may have up to 50% of its total volume made up of water. The growth of one ton of wood requires about 1,000 tons of water. This comes mainly through the roots, with a complicated and wonderful tube system carrying water and minerals up to every branch, leaf and needle. How amazing that such a great volume of water can rise as much as 200 feet and be distributed in correct amounts to each part of the tree. Much of this water then evaporates into the air.
When the water reaches the leaves, it is utilized in the process of photosynthesis where, combined with carbon dioxide and using sunlight energy, food (glucose) is produced. Oxygen is also produced, which is released into the atmosphere.
The inner wood of the tree trunk is called heartwood. It gives the main strength to the tree. Next to the heartwood is the sapwood, which carries water from roots to branches and leaves. Surrounding this is the thin cambium layer, the most active part of the trunk, producing new sapwood and bark. The next layer is the inner bark, which carries the glucose produced in the leaves down to the cambium layer and some down to the roots. The bark, of course, is the only visible part of the whole trunk structure.
I think you will agree that trees are a most important part of creation. Not only do their beautiful structures aid in supplying the breath of life, but they also furnish food, fuel, lumber and shade, besides adding many nutrients to the soil.
There is a tree that is far more important than the trees we see. It is called the “tree of life.” See Genesis 2:99And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:9) and Revelation 22:22In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. (Revelation 22:2). The tree of life represents the Lord Jesus Christ. God’s created trees are essential for life to exist on earth, but the Lord Jesus Christ is essential for eternal life. Have you taken Him as your Saviour? “This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent” (John 17:33And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (John 17:3)).
JULY 9, 1995
ML-07/09/1995