Plants play important role in history

God’s creation of every factor of earth was for a definite purpose – minerals and plants are no exception.



Every where you look in the countryside, flora is seen.



The Bible relates to its readers that plants played a part in the lives of folks whose life occurrences are recorded in the scriptures.



The apple for Adam and Eve sentenced mankind to a struggle for existence. Other stories of plant involvement in Genesis are recorded in the Bible.



One big turning point in Hebrew history was a bush becoming the oracle through which God commanded Moses. Later Moses’ rod changed to a serpent, and still later Moses parted the Red Sea with his rod. Moses’ encounter with the bush was not the only time a plant-related order came from God. David was commanded to begin his attack on the Philistines by a balsam tree.



What this relates to me is that through plants from God, health and medicine are placed there for our benefit.



Many early herbalists were not true Christians but employed plants for myth, magic and knowledgeable health aids. Plants were therefore thought by unknowing Christians to be tools of Satan.



Later in history, many plants, especially flowers, were exorcised by a newer association of Christian leaders, saints and martyrs. The rose was believed by pagan Greeks and Egyptians to be sacred. Rather than destroy the beauty of roses the church fathers reconsecrated it to the Virgin Mary. Therefore as Christian missionaries spread their faith across Europe they converted flowers as well as people.



Vervain is thought by many to have been used to staunch Christ’s wounds on Calvary. The holly, revered by Druids and Celts for their religious beliefs, was converted to be the symbol for Christ’s sacrifice. The spiny leaves resemble the spines in Christ’s crown of thorns and the red berries the blood of His passion.



Early Christians compared the alchemilla which seeds set without fertilization due to the fact male parts wither before female parts mature – a characterization of Mary’s virgin birth of Christ.



Early Christian missionaries associated special plants periods of bloom with holy feasts. Michaelmas daisies bloomed for the feast of St. Michael, Sept. 29. Monks who could read a calendar were aware of the holiday. St. Johnswort, renown by many users, has a pagan origin. Totem worshipers knew of the summer solstice by its blooming date. Romans burned it in bonfires celebrating their Midsummer Day. Christians symbolized its blooming time with solstice also, June 21, the believed birth date of John the Baptist.



Christian priests rededicated the plant to his name and birth date. At first St. Johnswort was hung in doorways to repel evil spirits, a pagan related custom.

Christ said “consider the lilies of the field” for the God given beauty.



Now mankind benefits from God’s love to us and our health via medicinal plants and the available knowledge that has been given to illiterate natives in South America passed onto our educated scientists.