He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.
The image of rain falling on mown grass and showers watering the earth portrays a righteous king's rule as gentle, life-giving, refreshing, nourishing, renewing, and sustaining to the people under his care. It belongs to the picture of Solomon's hoped-for reign of righteousness, marked by justice, flourishing righteousness, and abundant peace. That reign was one Solomon could have had by following God's instruction.
The verse is part of an inspired prophecy of the righteous reign Solomon was to have, and his whole history could have accorded with it. For a time he fulfilled it by heeding David's wise counsels and bringing glory to the God of Israel. Then pride, self-sufficiency, self-exaltation, desire for political power and self-aggrandizement, alliances with heathen nations, procuring the silver of Tarshish and the gold of Ophir at the cost of integrity and sacred trust, conformity to worldly customs and standards, marriage with worshipers of false gods, and finally idolatry corrupted his faith, weakened his moral power, and marred his reign. His step-by-step separation from God broke down God's barriers and kept the blessed reign from being fulfilled, warning followers of Christ to refuse conformity to the world's standard and hold to God's law in Scripture.
The verse belongs to glorious promises to David and his house that look to the eternal ages and find complete fulfillment in Christ's Messianic reign. In that reign He judges the poor, saves the children of the needy, and breaks the oppressor in pieces. He is feared while sun and moon endure through all generations, causes the righteous to flourish with abundance of peace, and has dominion from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth.
The verse shows Christ coming like life-giving, refreshing rain to the earth, so that to those who trust in Him He is what rain and other gifts of nature are to plants, ministering to their life and enabling spiritual growth. It describes how Christ spoke on the mountainside, with teaching coming down gently and refreshingly with the sweetness of divine love from His presence, holding hearers spellbound without flattering pride or feeding ambitious hopes. It reveals One who reads the secrets of the soul yet draws near in tender compassion so hearts open to Him, while the Holy Spirit unfolds the lesson humanity in all ages needs to learn. The verse shows Christ coming down like showers on fruitful earth to give His precious grace, making the fruitful earth fruitful. His help is often nearer than people think, unseen until it falls and wholly unexpected, surprising its recipients as He surprised the woman of Samaria at the well, and it is received by having faith and waiting patiently for a little while.
The verse shows God's Spirit settling upon believers gently and refreshingly like dew on mown grass and making their hearts joyful in God. The same coming down as rain is the refreshing latter rain soon to come from God upon all who are zealous of good works. Receiving it requires being fully prepared and fitted to stand in battle in the day of the Lord, doing up work for eternity and having it done and well done, searching the heart carefully, having every wrong purged away, being pure and holy, and standing in God's clear light where a holy influence can be shed.
The image of rain falling on mown grass and showers watering the earth portrays a righteous king's rule as gentle, life-giving, refreshing, nourishing, renewing, and sustaining to the people under his care. It belongs to the picture of Solomon's hoped-for reign of righteousness, marked by justice, flourishing righteousness, and abundant peace. That reign was one Solomon could have had by following God's instruction.
The verse is part of an inspired prophecy of the righteous reign Solomon was to have, and his whole history could have accorded with it. For a time he fulfilled it by heeding David's wise counsels and bringing glory to the God of Israel. Then pride, self-sufficiency, self-exaltation, desire for political power and self-aggrandizement, alliances with heathen nations, procuring the silver of Tarshish and the gold of Ophir at the cost of integrity and sacred trust, conformity to worldly customs and standards, marriage with worshipers of false gods, and finally idolatry corrupted his faith, weakened his moral power, and marred his reign. His step-by-step separation from God broke down God's barriers and kept the blessed reign from being fulfilled, warning followers of Christ to refuse conformity to the world's standard and hold to God's law in Scripture.
The verse belongs to glorious promises to David and his house that look to the eternal ages and find complete fulfillment in Christ's Messianic reign. In that reign He judges the poor, saves the children of the needy, and breaks the oppressor in pieces. He is feared while sun and moon endure through all generations, causes the righteous to flourish with abundance of peace, and has dominion from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth.
The verse shows Christ coming like life-giving, refreshing rain to the earth, so that to those who trust in Him He is what rain and other gifts of nature are to plants, ministering to their life and enabling spiritual growth. It describes how Christ spoke on the mountainside, with teaching coming down gently and refreshingly with the sweetness of divine love from His presence, holding hearers spellbound without flattering pride or feeding ambitious hopes. It reveals One who reads the secrets of the soul yet draws near in tender compassion so hearts open to Him, while the Holy Spirit unfolds the lesson humanity in all ages needs to learn. The verse shows Christ coming down like showers on fruitful earth to give His precious grace, making the fruitful earth fruitful. His help is often nearer than people think, unseen until it falls and wholly unexpected, surprising its recipients as He surprised the woman of Samaria at the well, and it is received by having faith and waiting patiently for a little while.
The verse shows God's Spirit settling upon believers gently and refreshingly like dew on mown grass and making their hearts joyful in God. The same coming down as rain is the refreshing latter rain soon to come from God upon all who are zealous of good works. Receiving it requires being fully prepared and fitted to stand in battle in the day of the Lord, doing up work for eternity and having it done and well done, searching the heart carefully, having every wrong purged away, being pure and holy, and standing in God's clear light where a holy influence can be shed.