What do Almonds have to do with God watching over His word?

Let's start out with a conversation God had with the prophet Jeremiah... turn to Jeremiah 1:11  

The word of the Lord came saying Jeremiah what do you SEE? 

Jeremiah answers, " I SEE the rod of an Almond tree. 

God says, "You have SEEN well for I am ready to watch over my word to perform it. 

WHAT?

In our English translations, it makes no sense, but in Hebrew, it is the same root word, let's look at an interlinear bible to see what I mean.

mateh = rod, branch, Saqed = of an Almond tree  

soqed = I am ready -  over my word to perform it

This particular rod, though, is an almond branch. Gesenius suggests the significance of the almond branch is connected to the fact that almond trees are the first to wake up after winter. They are "watching" trees, i.e. trees that watch for the approach of spring. So, the branch will be a "watching" rod.

Well, David, that's a cute wordplay but what is the significance?

To answer that question let's go backward in time to Numbers Chapter 17, verses 2-3  

“Speak to the sons of Israel, and get from them a rod for each father’s household: twelve rods, from all their leaders according to their fathers’ households. 

You shall write each name on his rod, and write Aaron’s name on the rod of Levi; for there is one rod for the head of each of their fathers’ households.  

“You shall then deposit them in the tent of meeting in front of the testimony, where I meet with you. “It will come about that the rod of the man whom I choose will sprout. Thus I will lessen from upon Myself the grumblings of the sons of Israel, who are grumbling against you.”  

Moses therefore spoke to the sons of Israel, and all their leaders gave him a rod apiece, for each leader according to their fathers’ households, twelve rods, with the rod of Aaron among their rods. So Moses deposited the rods before the LORD in the tent of the testimony.

Now on the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds.  

seged = almond - segedim = ripe almonds 

soged = I am ready (watching) over my word to perfrom it

God was ready (watching) over his word to perform it and Aaron's rod sprouted, blossomed, and brought forth ripe almonds in one night. 

Let's go back a little further in the biblical account even before the Exodus from Egypt... Exodus 7:9   

and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people, and they believed. Exodus 4:30

 In fact, Aaron's rod appears to be the one used by God to (watch over) perform the first set of signs in Egypt. 

Exodus 7:10, 12 Aaron's rod becomes a serpent, and Aaron's serpent eats all their serpents. 

 

Let's broaden our search where do we  'see' almonds in Scripture? 

In Exodus 25:35 & 37:19-20 the instructions for fashioning the menorah that would reside in the Holy Place are given and 22 bowls shaped like almond blossoms are to be formed on the seven branches. We know that the menorah represents the Holy Spirit and He was sent to remind us of everything Jesus instructed us. He is also sent to give us the power to perform the 'greater things'. 

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