阅读经文 

西部红柏常见于加拿大西海岸的温带雨林中，它们为温哥华的建立提供了自然资源。如果不了解温哥华的历史，就无法理解它严重依赖砍伐百年老树来获取巨大利益。幸好有少数市民有先见之明，保护了剩余的几块老林，否则今天的森林可能就不存在了。

《圣经》中经常提到的香柏木，它在古代也提供了类似的丰富资源，并被用来建造神的殿。在今天的黎巴嫩，这些树木现在受到严格的保护，它们仍然是该地区历史的重要组成部份。那时和现在一样，香柏木是力量、坚韧和长寿的象征。

那么，我们可以假设，神的子民可能会被比作香柏。但在以赛亚书44章中，得着神的灵祝福的后裔被比作 “溪水旁的柳树”，而香柏和其他名贵的树木却被描述为柴火和制作偶像的材料。

在这里，主是在哀叹有些人走自己的路，远离了真神。但主也呼召以色列（雅各）民来事奉祂，说祂已经涂抹了他们的过犯。最后祂命令整个受造物，包括森林和它们的树木，要为神的慈悲救赎而感恩。

Western red cedars are common in the temperate rainforest on the western coast of Canada, and they provided the natural resources for the establishment of Vancouver. It's impossible to understand the history of Vancouver without appreciating that it relied heavily on felling centuries-old trees for great profit. Fortunately, a few citizens had the foresight to protect remaining parcels of old-growth forest, or the forest might not be there today.

Cedars, which are mentioned often in the Bible, provided a similar wealth of resources in ancient times and were used to build the temple of God. In Lebanon today these trees are now rigorously protected, and they remain an important part of the area's history. Then, as now, cedars were a symbol of power, resilience, and long life.

We might assume, then, that the Lord's people might be compared to cedars. But in Isaiah 44, the descendants who have the blessings of the Spirit of God are compared to "poplar trees by flowing streams," while cedars and other valuable trees are described as firewood and material for making idols.

Here the Lord is lamenting that some people go their own way and turn away from the true God. But the Lord also calls the people of Israel (Jacob) to serve him, saying that he has swept away their sins. And he closes with a command to the whole creation, including the forests and their trees, to give thanks for God's compassionate redemption.