In this word study, we will examine the scriptural usage of the word ‘grass’ as we seek to deepen our understanding of how God uses the word and thus gain a better appreciation of how the Spirit speaks.
Grass in often used in scripture in symbolic reference to flesh, to people:
The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: [7] The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
Isaiah 40:6-7 KJV
With this understanding that grass is people, grass is flesh, let’s examine other places where grass is used and gain a deeper perspective of what God was saying:
God clothes the grass of the field
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Matthew 6:30 KJV
Scripture tells us that the field is the world: Matthew 13:38 KJV The field is the world….
Therefore, “grass of the field” is people of the world or worldly people. This is not a reference to all mankind but those who are both in and of the world, hence the distinction being made by God of clothing the grass (worldly people) vs clothing those who trust in Christ.
Effectively, God is saying that he provides for (cloths) those who reject him (grass of the field) and therefore, those of us who trust him, can know that he will “much more” cloth us.
Withered grass
For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
James 1:11 KJV
The sun that rises with a burning heat is Christ coming into this dark world and being raised on the cross:
But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
Malachi 4:2 KJV
He is the sun that rose on behalf of all mankind:
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Matthew 5:45 KJV
When the light of the Sun/Son rises and shines his heat on fleshly man (grass), that is, when we come to the cross, the flesh dies. The whithered grass is the scriptural equivalent of flesh dying, and when he speaks of “the grace and fashion of it also perisheth”, he’s telling us of the change that comes when flesh dies. “The fashion” of who we are is altered:
As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
1 Peter 1:14 KJV
We are no longer found in the fashion of “grass and the flower of it”, which is, flesh and the lust of it, because we are now being fashioned like unto the Lord:
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
Philippians 3:21 KJV
Rain upon the grass
He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.
Psalm 72:6 KJV
The “he” that will come down like rain, to water the earth and upon the “mown grass”, is Jesus Christ – The Word of God.
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: [11] So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Isaiah 55:10-11 KJV
The rain/shower of God’s Word began to fall upon “grass” (people), when Jesus came. For he is the Word of God (rain) sent to water the earth. He came down as rain for the benefit of all men:
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Matthew 5:45 KJV
The rain of God’s Word began when the Spirit of God was manifested in flesh (Jesus) but he continues to pour out when the Spirit of God manifest in us, and moves us to speak his Word (rain) to people (grass).
Recommended read: Bright clouds that rain
And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.
Micah 5:7 KJV
Ox that eats grass
Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.
Psalm 106:20 KJV
The children of Israel is who “they” refers to in the above scripture. The “change” mentioned, refers to when they forgot God and built an idol to worship as their saviour. When they chose to serve an idol vs the true and living God, that’s how they changed to be considered an ox.
Biblically, an ox is a beast, and when they chose to abandon God for an idol, they were effectively moving away from walking in the light/glory of God, to walk in the light/glory of flesh and the glory of flesh is beastly in nature.
I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.
Ecclesiastes 3:18 KJV
All sons of men who walk according to the beastly nature will eat grass (flesh). Because carnal/beastly men only feed their flesh, whilst sons of God seek to starve the flesh and feed their spirit.
When Nebuchadnezzar was judged, he ate grass as an ox:
That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
Daniel 4:25 KJV
Nebuchadnezzar judgment being set to last till “seven times” is a shadow of how mans’ walk as a beast eating grass, did/will persist till Christ. For it’s only when he came/comes, do we shift from beastly/carnal/earthy (6) to heavenly (7).
