#12 – I See Men as Trees Walking – Apple Tree
Mark 8:22-26
(TY200 – Lesson 12)
By Kathy L McFarland
7/7/2024
The Mysteries of Trees – Algum/Almug Tree
Mark 8:22–26 (KJV 1900)
22 And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. 24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. 25 After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. 26 And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.
TY200 – INTERPRETATION CONFIDENCE CHART
- Typology known as fully God’s Truth concerning trees walking as recorded in Mark 8:22-26 (Those specifically, typologically identified in Scripture)
- Trees in Scripture identify the different Spiritual Lives that are lived on this Earth
- Different parts of the trees walking with Christ are fully represented in Scripture as God’s Truth
- Tree – Spiritual Lives of forgiven followers walking with the Lord Jesus Christ and producing powerful fruits of His.
- Root – The foundation of a tree from firstfruit that is secured by a lump of clay that can grow and produce living works of fruit
- Leaves – The preparation that LORD God makes for the coming events of living works.
- Fruit – Living works of the LORD God, done through followers (Branch) of the Lord Jesus Christ (Vine) at the guidance of the Holy Spirit with the spiritual life of a walking tree.
- Seed – Word of God.
- The fruit of righteousness is a Tree of Life.
- Typology Known Confidently (Those represented in Scripture with enough frequency, sufficiency, and accuracy to reveal their typological meanings with full Truth of God unchallenged and supported by the Holy Spirit’s teachings)
- Almond Tree – The believer, as an almond tree, is a Christian leader, chosen by God, that watches over the works of Christians guided by the Lord, and the people he serves.
- Algum/Almug Tree – The Spiritual Life works that honors the LORD God and guides Believers to come closer to Him toward the beauty of His Holiness through the Lord Jesus Christ. Musical worship and high praise are often expressed through these types of Christian works.
- Typology Known Probably (Knowledge of Scripture, God’s Way, Logic and common sense in the typological meaning can NOT be confirmed fully with the Word of God and the moving of the Holy Spirit)
- Typology NOT Known (Can NOT make even simple assumptions of the typological meaning because there is NOT enough frequency, sufficiency, or accuracy recorded in Scripture, and the Holy Spirit is NOT teaching deeper meaning)
Apple Tree – 9515 I. תַּפּוּחַ (tǎp·pûaḥ): n.[masc.]; ≡ Str 8598; TWOT 1390c—1. LN 3.2–3.12 apple tree, i.e., a tree with fragrant blossoms, good shade, and sweet, delicious fruit, Malus pumila or Pyrus malus, i.e., the red or dwarfed apple (SS 2:3; 8:5; Joel 1:12+), note: other sources argue for other identifications; 2. LN 3.33–3.46 apple, i.e., the fruit of the apple tree (Pr 25:11; SS 2:5; 7:9[EB 8]+); also, a part of a compound name, Beth Tappuah, see 1130; En Tappuah, see 6540[1]
Teachings of Kathy L McFarland
Since we are all mature Christians here, let us touch briefly on the canonical book of Song of Solomon. Oh my! Highly sexualized, difficult Hebrew words, and a general difference from other canonical books in Scripture pretty well guarantees that we are not going to understand it completely. Scholars of both Judaism and Christianity, in all denominations, struggle often to understand and usually fail to conclude accurate interpretations.
We are going to get it all right, because we are just going to take a snippet and look at the words that were chosen by Solomon. This Song that Solomon wrote speaks of lovers. The loving, infatuated, beautiful lady sings of the beautiful, glorious man amongst many men that have grabbed her eye. The four lines of this Song that Solomon wrote chose very specific words to portray the great connected relationship that the girl experienced with the man.
Why did Solomon choose these specific words? Because he was the wisest man among creation, and he thought on a very high level. He definitely knew that the apple tree was the best among the trees of “the wood” as he sang his song of love. He imagined the maiden experiencing the love of the man as they met together with wise words that show that Solomon understood what he was singing.
Solomon loved women and had many wives to prove it. He loved his sons; cherished them with great affection if the wisdom of the Song is analyzed. He understood LOVE! The LORD God moved through Him, using the wisdom given to him at his request, and wrote this canonical work for us.
Let us enjoy a portion of that which God gave us to understand the poetic lines that show great use of symbolism that can be applied to understand the apple tree and the apple better.
Song of Solomon 2:3 (KJV 1900)
3 As the apple tree among the trees of the wood,
So is my beloved among the sons.
I sat down under his shadow with great delight,
And his fruit was sweet to my taste.
WORKSHEET #1
1. What do the blossoms on the apple tree smell like?
a. Fragrant
b. Prickly
c. Sweet
d. None of the above
2. What type of shadow does the apple tree cast?
a. Small shadow
b. No shadow
c. Good shadow
d. Bad shadow
3. What type of fruit does the apple tree produce?
a. Sweet and delicious
b. Sour and good
c. Bitter and puckery
d. Rich and pleasant
4. What status does the apple tree hold amongst the trees of the wood to the woman?
a. Team player
b. Popular and pretty
c. Beloved
d. None of the above
5. Who did the woman compare the apple tree?
a. Solomon’s Kingdom
b. Jesus Christ
c. Wisdom
d. Best among sons
6. What quality of Solomon assures us that his classification of the apple tree is probably representative?
a. His many wives
b. The size of His Kingdom
c. His relationship with David
d. His wisdom above all others given to him by the LORD God
7. What brings the woman great delight with the apple tree?
a. Sitting in its shadow
b. Watching it grow
c. Pruning its growth
d. None of the above
8. What did the woman do in her beloved’s shadow?
a. Eat the fruit
b. Make love
c. Sit
d. Praise God
9. How does the maiden describe the fruit of the apple tree?
a. Tasty
b. Sweet to the taste
c. Bitter
d. Sour
Teachings by Kathy L McFarland
Now wasn’t that easy! Make sure you brag to your Pastor that you analyzed a bit of Song of Solomon, and you did a very good job with the Holy Spirit’s help! I always like to challenge the Pastors! You did so well on the Song of Solomon, I think we can do more! Are you ready?
Song of Solomon 2:5 (KJV 1900)
5 Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples:
For I am sick of love.
Flagons – 862 אֲשִׁישָׁה (ʾǎšî·šā(h)): n.fem.; ≡ Str 809; TWOT 185a—1. LN 5.1–5.22 cake of raisins, i.e., a brick of dried, compressed grapes, as an energizing and valued food (2Sa 6:19; 1Ch 16:3; SS 2:5+); 2. LN 5.1–5.22 sacred raisin cakes, i.e., a food offering to pagan gods (Hos 3:1+)[2][3]
Love – 173 I. אַהֲבָה (ʾǎ·hǎḇā(h)): n.fem.; ≡ Str 160; TWOT 29c—LN 25.33–25.58 love, i.e., a state or condition of strong affection for another based on relationship (Ge 29:20; 1Sa 20:17; 2Sa 1:26; 13:15; 1Ki 10:9; 11:2; Ps 109:4, 5; Pr 5:19; 10:12; 15:17; 17:9; 27:5; Ecc 9:1, 6; SS 2:4, 5, 7; 3:5, 10; 5:8; 7:7[EB 6]; 8:4, 6, 7; Isa 63:9; Jer 2:2, 33; 31:3; Hos 11:4; Zep 3:17+), note: this relationship can be familial, as a friend, properly romantic, or based in covenant; see also domain LN 34.1–34.21; note: this form may also be the inf. form of 170, for another interp in Hos 11:4; SS 3:10+, see 174[4]
Teachings by Kathy L McFarland
What is the condition to be sick of love? I suspect all of you mature Christians know exactly what this illness feels like. Possibly you fell in love with your first as a young person; I think sometimes that is the most intense experience of love sickness there can be. There are the failed relationships, when sadly, after the partner has left, the one left behind suffers greatly as the love sickness continues to burn inside.
Then there are the deaths of spouses, children, parents and siblings. Those loved by their family members in their lifetime experience a great loss during the transition of passing over or dying. The love illness strikes deep, and for months and sometimes years afterwards, the entire life of the mourner is changed through the pangs of love sickness.
Eventually, when you start looking at Songs of Solomon deeply, you will naturally try to progress the interpretation to our Lord Jesus Christ. Ultimately, He is our first most important love! Amen? As we mature in our Christian faith, we become more lovesick for His presence.
We feel less and less a part of this world. We watch the filthy and sinful activities surround us on all sides, and desire with all that we are to have the righteous Lord come down one last time and raise us all to His place. We are tired, discouraged, persecuted, oppressed, which often leads to declining hope (never lost faith). Our love pangs seem sometimes unendurable when we cry out to the Lord to see our tremendous difficulties in this life. The hurts of love for Him are severe sometimes; the mere separation from Him causes our souls to cry out “how much longer must we endure?!? Come Lord Jesus, quickly!
In the Song of Solomon, verse 2:5, the woman speaks of the loss of energy and the loss of comfort. The loss of energy she hopes to supplement with the flagons, food made from raisins into a cake can restore her energy. But it is the apple that can comfort her love sickness. That is an important fact for us to remember as we continue our study of the apple tree!
Worksheet #2
10. What are flagons?
a. Cakes of raisins
b. Cakes of grapes
c. Vessel containing wine
d. None of the above
11. What does the woman in Solomon’s Song seek for comfort?
a. Apple
b. Apple Tree
c. Apple Pie
d. Anything apple
12. What do apples provide to us according to Scripture?
a. Comfort
b. Comfort
c. Comfort
d. 100% Comfort
Deuteronomy 32:9–10 (KJV 1900)
9 For the Lord’s portion is his people;
Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.
10 He found him in a desert land,
And in the waste howling wilderness;
He led him about, he instructed him,
He kept him as the apple of his eye.
Psalm 17:8–9 (KJV 1900)
8 Keep me as the apple of the eye,
Hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
9 From the wicked that oppress me,
From my deadly enemies, who compass me about.
Proverbs 7 (KJV 1900)
7 My son, keep my words,
And lay up my commandments with thee.
2 Keep my commandments, and live;
And my law as the apple of thine eye.
Zechariah 2:8 (KJV 1900)
8 For thus saith the Lord of hosts;
After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you:
For he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.
13. Who are the apples of God’s eye?
a. Jacob
b. David
c. Solomon’s Son
d. Israel
e. A, b
f. A, b, c
g. A,b,d
h. None of the above
14. Who were the apple(s) of Solomon’s eye?
a. Jacob
b. David
c. Solomon’s Son
d. Israel
e. A, b
f. A, b, c
g. A,b,d
h. None of the above
Eye – 6412 עוֹנהָ) ʿôꞏnā(h)): n.fem.; ≡ Str 5869; TWOT 1612a, 1613—LN 88.289–88.318 sin, iniquity, i.e., an act. or state contrary to the will of God[5]
Teachings by Kathy L McFarland
Uh-oh. Now we have a really difficult, really deep part. The meaning of the Hebrew Word in the instance when it speaks of being the apple of God’s eye, it is speaking about sin, iniquity, an action, or state contrary to the will of God.
Jacob, David, and Israel are all part of the apples of God’s eyes. Yet, as we know, all of them followed the law in the early Covenants with the LORD God. They were not forgiven, redeemed, or born again through their belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. They came before that glorious covenant of our Lord was given.
Jacob, David, and Israel were all declared as apples of God’s eye. Therefore, be very cautious in how you speak and act toward the things of Jacob, David, and Israel. Especially Israel.
Though they are outside of the LORD God’s grace, they remain an apple of His eye. As for me, and those I love, we stand with Israel in their right to exist. The attempted obedience that spiritual Israelites have for their LORD God have kept that apple in His eye, regardless of their sinful iniquities and doing things contrary to the will of God.
I am not making a political statement that is turning my back on the injustices of an oppressed Palestine. I am making a spiritual statement about how we must always support those that God loves dearly, and spiritual Israelites are those people, regardless of what they do wrong in God’s eyes.
Comfort. When you are part of the apple of God’s eye, you receive great comfort. When a person is in the spiritual life of an Apple Tree, they give comfort to others, regardless of being far away from God.
Apple Tree – A Spiritual Life that can comfort those that love God, regardless of their status of sin. These Spiritual works provide protection, sweetness of life; the Christians doing these works are often beloved amongst the worldly receivers. (Believers from the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, Lutheran, Baptist, and Methodist Social Services, and other Missionary and denominational efforts to house the homeless, feed the hungry, and provide comfort in despair are excellent examples of this type of spiritual lives lived in duty toward their works for God.)
[1] Swanson, James. 1997. In Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament), electronic ed. Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[2] Ibid.
[3] It is interesting to note that a flagon is also known as a container that holds wine. Raisins are dried grapes, and the Hebrew word has interesting connections. Likely a very profitable typological connection for study another day.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
