Cedars

 

 I was reading Leviticus 14 this morning and was struck by the use of cedar wood to be burnt with certain offerings -- specifically those pertaining to being cleansed from leprosy, which is a kind of rot.

Here's what I know about cedar -- it's high in oil, which means that it's resistant to rot. You can cut down a cedar tree, lop off its branches, and use it for a fence post without having to cure it, which is why a LOT of old fence posts around pastures are cedar trunks. They'll last a long time just stuck in the ground like that.

Also, because of that oil content and how aromatic it is, certain bugs hate it, especially the kinds that get into your clothes and ruin them, like moths. This is why cedar chests are popular for storing sweaters, and if you have the resources for it, a cedar-lined closet is ideal.

All this reminds me of the passage that says, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt . . . "

Cedar being used the way it is, including in the Temple, seems to point us to the Resurrection where there will be no more death.