The plant life on the land was generated. The lowest life, a life without consciousness, came into existence (Gen. 1:11-13; cf. Mark 4:8; Hosea 14:5-7). This is the generating of life and happened on the third day, after the land emerged out of the death water. At that time, there was no growth of life, only the lowest form of life, a life without any consciousness. If we talk to the grass or to the trees, the grass cannot understand and the trees will not react because they have no feeling, no consciousness. They have no emotion, thought, or will because they are lives without any consciousness. This is the lowest life.
When we received Christ into us, Christ appeared out of the death water within us. Christ appeared and now we have life, the generating of life. We are saved and we have life. At the time we were saved, we received life, but the life within us was very low. This is signified in the record of Genesis by the life of the grass, the life of the herbs, and the life of the fruit trees.
Even with the plant life there are three levels: grass, the lowest plant life; the herbs which yield seeds, a higher level; and the fruit trees, an even higher level. If we read Genesis 1:29-30, we will see that God gave the herbs and the fruit trees to man for his food. Then, God gave the grass to the beasts and to the cattle for their food.
When you became a Christian, you received life, but that life in you was very low. Perhaps the life within you is similar to grass: it is life and it grows; yet it is the lowest life. Even when compared with the other plant life, grass is quite low. Although last week you might have been like the grass, today you have grown a little higher and you have become the herb yielding the seed. I hope after two months, you will be a tree bringing forth fruit. How would you liken yourself—to the grass, the herb, or the trees? Suppose the Lord Himself would ask you, "How about you? Are you like the grass or the herb or the tree?" Today you may be an herb, but after a certain period of time perhaps you will be likened to a fruit-bearing tree. But when you become a tree, don't become satisfied. This is not the last verse of chapter 1; it is something which happened on the third day.