The Sign of Almond Blossoms
- Hannah Tekle
- Apr 1
- 3 min read
Tents of Mercy Congregation
Kiryat Yam, Israel
During the second half of February, almond trees all over Israel burst into breathtaking bloom for a few weeks – right at the height of the winter. Isn’t that like God? To give us hints and evidence of His faithfulness in the deepest moments of darkness!
Catching almond flowers in their glory can be tricky because the extravagant display is so transient. Last year, by the time we went out to see the blooms, only a few trees and only a few branches were still adorned in white. This year we visited an almond orchard nearby, in time to see many trees that had yet to exchange their puffy white gowns with the much more practical green “work-clothes” of a fruit-producing orchard. From a distance, only the cottony white of the flowers can be seen; closeup the full range of colors becomes visible– light pink, fuchsia, yellow and orange at the tips of the stamen. And only as you draw near can the subtle sweet smell be detected – like fresh almond cookies baking in the oven.
The almond tree is our first hint that spring is coming. It coincides with the holiday of Tu B’shvat that Israel celebrates by planting flowers and trees. This year’s “KKL-JNF” tree plantings were held in the North and the South in the areas especially damaged by the war, and where farmers have had their orchards and livelihoods severely damaged. The excitement of the general public to participate in the restoration was obvious.
Two of the recently-returned hostages, Eli Sharabi and Omer Shem Tov (who were freed right around the time of Tu B’shvat), have both given detailed accounts of the darkness of their captivity – lasting 491 and 505 days respectively. It was unfathomable to hear them describe the horrors, among them lack of light, running water and food. Eli chided viewers to be grateful for the most basic daily act of opening the refrigerator to see what’s there and take food. Omer recounted that after receiving a beating on his birthday, he had wished a simple birthday wish for himself – that on his next birthday he wouldn’t be beaten.
Once again, the reality of darkness and terror juxtaposed with the beauty of God’s creation stops us in our tracks. It poses a challenge to perceive these entirely incongruous things at the same time, and yet points toward the solution…
Two biblical passages mention the almond tree – in Jeremiah and in Numbers. In Jeremiah the almond tree is a symbol of the diligent faithfulness of God.
“And the word of the LORD came to me, asking, ‘Jeremiah, what do you see?’ ‘I see a branch of an almond tree,’ I replied. ‘You have observed correctly,’ said the LORD, ‘for I am watching over My word to accomplish it.’” (Jeremiah 1:11-12)
The passage in Numbers has God using the supernatural blossoming of the almond wood staff to direct the people and show them God’s design for leadership and future.
“The next day Moses entered the tent and saw that Aaron’s staff, which represented the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds.” (Numbers 17:8 NIV)
We have come such a long way since the beginning of the war, and we have witnessed so many faithful, miraculous things. Yet we are still in desperate need of the diligent faithfulness of God to release the remaining captives, and provide direction for our leaders to walk forward in wisdom and brave and humble leadership.
May the sight of the almond blossoms remain in our mind – God’s sign to us of His faithfulness and direction.
