Myrtle trees form the framework from which this little essay hangs. As trees go, they’re pretty important in the Old Testament. Isaiah tells us that when God would replenish the barren desert with greenery, this was one of the plants he would use. Myrtle branches were among those used by the Jews in their Feast of Booths.
Esther was one of the great women of the Bible. “Esther,” however, was her Persian name. Her Hebrew name was Hadassah which is “Myrtle.” She was named for the desert myrtle, common throughout Bible lands.
These same desert myrtles figure in one of Zechariah’s night visions, one of the many striking passages in his prophecy.
During the night I had a vision—and there before me was a man riding a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown, and white horses.
It was explained to the prophet that these were “the ones the Lord has sent to go throughout the earth. And they reported to the Angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, ‘We have gone throughout the earth and found the whole world at rest and in peace.’” (Zechariah 1:8-11). In the picturesque imagery of prophecy, God sends his patrols throughout the earth and they report to his angel as he stands among the myrtle trees.
It’s a comfort and a blessing just to know that God keeps up with what’s going on in the world. If the whole world is at rest and in peace, God knows. He also knows when, where, and by whom the peace of the world is being disturbed. God keeps current with the earth’s happenings. We have not been left alone to deal with life.
Trying to follow Zechariah’s prophecies can be a pretty complex undertaking. But this night vision taken on the simple level with the horsemen reporting to the Lord among myrtles, and knowing that he cares, leaves us with a good feeling.
The desert myrtles in my front yard need trimming really badly, so I’ll be standing among them soon with a step ladder and clippers. I won’t be on a horse, and I doubt the Lord will call on me for a report on the status of the world. But if I happen to see a man on a red horse standing among the myrtles, you’ll be the first to hear about it.