It was under the trees of Eden that the first dwellers on earth had chosen their sanctuary. There Christ had communed with the father of mankind. When banished from Paradise, our first parents still worshiped in the fields and groves, and there Christ met them with the gospel of His grace. It was Christ who spoke with Abraham under the 291 oaks at Mamre; with Isaac as he went out to pray in the fields at the eventide; with Jacob on the hillside at Bethel; with Moses among the mountains of Midian; and with the boy David as he watched his flocks. It was at Christ's direction that for fifteen centuries the Hebrew people had left their homes for one week every year, and had dwelt in booths formed from the green branches "of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook." Lev. 23:40.

Det var under træerne i Edens have, at jordens første beboere havde valgt at have deres helligdom. Det var der, at Kristus havde haft fortroligt samkvem med menneskeslægtens fader. Da vore første forældre blev forvist fra Paradiset, tilbad de stadig i markerne og lundene, og der mødte Kristus dem med sin nådes evangelium. Det var Kristus, der talte med Abraham under Mamres ege; med Isak, da han gik ud på marken for at bede ved aftenstid; med Jakob på bjergskråningen ved Betel; med Moses blandt Midjans bjerge og med drengen David, medens han vogtede sin hjord. Det var på Kristi bud, at hebræerne i femten hundrede år havde forladt deres hjem en uge om året og havde boet i hytter, der var dannet af "palmegrene og kviste af løvtræer og vidjer fra bækkene". 3Mos. 23,40.