Hay, Stubble and / or Straw
This imagery relates also to green healthy grass and flowers because grass and flowers, eventually, when they die, fade to a brown and lifeless colour.
We see under the heading “Grass” that green grass can mean something very good, but dead grass is just that – a symbol of deathly tendencies and work – even though our life and work may look good to us.
Words related to this are “straw” and “stubble”. While hay is dried grass, straw has no nutrients left in it and stubble, likewise is what is left when the head of grains has been cut off. It often speaks of the uselessness of human carnal nature; or the nature we are born with before God renews one’s spirit in Christ. In particular it speaks of the work one does apart from that which is done in the new created spirit of Christ’s power. If we do things by our human effort, God counts it as hay to be burnt (symbols of destroyed) because it is tainted by the sin nature or fallen soul.
Hay, stubble and straw, along with dead leaves can burn easily and even cause a ravaging fire to destroy many good things.
Primarily we see how this is symbolised in the Bible in 1 Corinthians 3:11-13: “ For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each one’s work.”
- The quality of the work means whether it is done in the strength of the Holy Spirit or independently.
- The foundation is symbolic of the building of one’s life. Jesus is the only way; the only foundation that works. Otherwise on “the day” which is judgment day at the end of your life, you will be found wanting.
- (Remember that the fire in the Bible is most commonly symbolic of destroying those things that harm God’s kids.)
Horse
The Bible uses the image of a horse / horses to represent power. It is often human power; although Jesus is depicted as riding a horse also, which may speak of his power as “The Son of Man” in that only a perfect human can rescue fallen humanity.
Exodus 14 Paraphrased: “The Egyptians chased after them with all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and they came near the Israelites. The Israelites were very afraid as they had the Egyptian army on horseback and in chariots coming from behind and the sea in front. They had nowhere to go. But the Lord heard their cry and His angel went between the Egyptians and Israelites in a cloud to protect His people through the night. Then He parted sea for them to walk across. Yet the horses and Egyptians were drowned as they attempted to follow.
Often, in the Bible, God draws attention to His great power by contrasting horse power as much weaker. Horses are strong; so how much more is the strength of God.
This verse speaks of the strength of horses: Job 39:19 “Do you give the horse his might? Do you clothe his neck with a mane?”
While this one puts natural strength as inferior to the Lord: Psalm 20:7 “Some praise their chariots and some their horses, But we will praise the name of the Lord, our God.” Just as some make their car (chariot) a god today.
In Bible times, a horse represented a level of wealth and status, especially if you commanded horsemen in your army. Just so today, a car can be a status symbol.
Horses can also be symbols of human stubbornness or lack of discernment: Psalm 32:9 “Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, Otherwise they will not come near to you.”
Psalm 33:17 “A horse is a false hope for victory; Nor does it rescue anyone by its great strength.”
Sometimes, in a dream, the point is made more clearly by the use of a woman called Roslyn or Rosalind or similar spellings. If you have a relative / friend called by that name, it won’t be about her. More likely it will be a description of your own carnal nature: Etymology is from Old German hros, which means “horse” and lind which means flexible. Not standing firm.
The extreme in carnal nature being shown here in the idolatry of Judah: Jeremiah 5:8 “They were well-fed lusty horses, Each one neighing at his neighbour’s wife.”
House / Home
House speaks of the tabernacle / temple in the Old Covenant. See Mark 11:17; Luke 2:49.
In the New Covenant (New Testament) house or home speaks of our indwelling fellowship with God the Father and Jesus Christ, His son in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Believers in Christ become the temple of God, i.e., the temple of the Holy Spirit when the person is born again of the seed of God. It means giving up our self-effort at righteousness and taking the free gift of righteousness won by the life and death of Jesus Christ. The believer then is enabled, at will, to live out of the spirit within him/herself and not the old Adam nature.
The main scriptures for these images are as follows:
Acts 7:48-50 – the Father’s intention was always to live intimately with humans. The temple was only a shadow to show what was to come after humanity was rescued from their sin nature and transferred back to the Kingdom of the Son of His love.
John 14:2 Jesus is comforting His disciples who hear He is going to leave them. He promises to come back to them. He is going to prepare many mansions, rooms or dwellings (μονή -monē) where they can be together. These chapters, John 14 to 16 are not about going to heaven. Yes, the “mansion” or room is in heaven, but it is the “temple”, where Jesus will abide with them in the form of the Holy Spirit. We can see this clearly if we read on to verse 23, “If anyone loves Me, he will follow My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him.” The believer, while still on earth in his / her body, is spiritually seated with Christ in Heavenly realm; this is a greater reality to the sincere believer than his earthly surrounds. See Ephesians 2:6.
Therefore, the condition of a house in dreams is symbolic of how effective the believer is in living in Christ’s way and not the old nature. Matthew 23:38 speaks of a house that is about to become obsolete because Jesus is fulfilling all the law of the old temple sacrifice system in the cross, resurrection and Atonement Day return. An old broken-down house says it all – “desolate”. A newly painted, newly furnished house with gleamingly clean windows speaks of the new nature being lived – with Christ indwelling.
Further scriptures which may have symbols related to houses in the same dream are: Matthew 7:24; 12:4; 12:25; 15:24; Mark 3:27; Luke 1:31; 6:48; 11:24 and 25; John 2:16 and 17; Hebrews 3:6; 1 Timothy 3:15 1 Peter 2:5.
