In biblical contexts, the term "clearings" can refer to the act of making a space free from obstructions, often for the purpose of cultivation, habitation, or worship. While the Bible does not frequently use the term "clearings" explicitly, the concept is present in various passages that describe the preparation of land or spaces for specific purposes.

Agricultural Clearings

The Bible often speaks of land being prepared for agricultural use, which would involve clearing the land of stones, trees, and other obstacles. In Isaiah 5:2, the prophet describes the preparation of a vineyard: "He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines." This imagery highlights the care and effort involved in making the land suitable for planting, symbolizing God's work in preparing His people for spiritual fruitfulness.

Clearings for Habitation

In the context of settlement, clearings would be necessary for establishing homes and communities. The Israelites, upon entering the Promised Land, would have engaged in clearing land to build their cities and dwellings. Joshua 17:18 mentions the need for the tribe of Joseph to clear the forested hill country: "but the forested hill country will be yours as well; clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours." This directive underscores the importance of human effort in claiming and cultivating the land God had given them.

Clearings for Worship

Clearings also play a role in the preparation of spaces for worship. In the Old Testament, the construction of altars and the establishment of places for worship often required the clearing of land. For instance, when Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down, which would have involved clearing the area of debris (1 Kings 18:30).

Symbolic Clearings

The concept of clearing can also be understood symbolically in Scripture. Just as physical land must be cleared for productive use, so must the human heart be cleared of sin and idolatry to be a suitable dwelling place for God. In Jeremiah 4:3, the Lord calls His people to spiritual renewal: "Break up your unplowed ground and do not sow among thorns." This metaphorical language encourages believers to remove spiritual obstacles that hinder their relationship with God.

Clearings in Prophetic Imagery

Prophetic literature sometimes uses the imagery of clearings to convey messages of judgment or restoration. In Isaiah 40:3-4, the preparation of a way for the Lord involves making straight paths and leveling uneven ground: "A voice of one calling: 'Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rugged land a plain.'" This passage, later applied to John the Baptist, speaks of the spiritual preparation required for the coming of the Messiah.

In summary, while the Bible may not frequently use the term "clearings," the concept is woven throughout Scripture in various forms, emphasizing preparation, cultivation, and the removal of obstacles for both physical and spiritual purposes.

His Earliest Oracles. (ii. 2-iv. 4. )
... wouldest return unto Me? Rede of the Lord. Lift to the clearings thine
eyes, 2 Where not wast thou tumbled? For them by the roads ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/1 his earliest oracles ii.htm

Lost in the Woods.
... As she had passed through several clearings in her search for the cows, she had
no little difficulty in finding her way; but the moon rose early and gave her ...
/.../byrum/the value of a praying mother/chapter xix lost in the.htm

"If we Say that we have no Sin, we Deceive Ourselves, and the ...
... How prove ye that? I seek nothing else to prove it, than your own ordinary
clearings and excusings of yourselves. Ye confess ye ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xvi if we say.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... But with a cultivator of the ground the case would be different: the farm, clearings,
and homestead upon which he had spent such arduous and continued labour ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

The First Theban Empire
History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 2. <. ...
/.../chapter iiithe first theban empire.htm

Clearings (1 Occurrence)
...Clearings (1 Occurrence). Isaiah 10:34 and he shall make clearings in the thickets
of the forest with iron; and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one. (DBY). ...
/c/clearings.htm - 6k

Clearing (11 Occurrences)

/c/clearing.htm - 11k

Improvement (2 Occurrences)
... 4. (n.) Increase; growth; progress; advance. 5. (n.) Valuable additions or betterments,
as buildings, clearings, drains, fences, etc., on premises. ...
/i/improvement.htm - 7k

Clearly (67 Occurrences)

/c/clearly.htm - 25k

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