Topical Bible: Holy Ground

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Definition and Significance:
The term "Holy Ground" refers to specific locations that are set apart by God as sacred and are often associated with His divine presence. These places are marked by God's direct interaction with humanity and are considered sanctified due to His presence. The concept of holy ground underscores the holiness of God and the reverence required when approaching Him.

Biblical References:

1. Exodus 3:5 · The first and most notable mention of holy ground occurs in the account of Moses and the burning bush. As Moses approaches the bush, God calls out to him, saying, "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." . This encounter signifies the sanctity of the location due to God's presence and serves as a pivotal moment in Moses' life, marking the beginning of his mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

2. Joshua 5:15 · Another significant mention of holy ground is found in the account of Joshua. As Joshua prepares to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land, he encounters the commander of the LORD's army. The commander instructs Joshua, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so. . This event parallels Moses' experience and emphasizes the continuity of God's presence and guidance with His people.

Theological Implications:

· Divine Presence: Holy ground is intrinsically linked to the presence of God. It is not the physical location itself that is inherently holy, but rather the manifestation of God's presence that sanctifies it. This underscores the belief that God's holiness transforms ordinary places into sacred spaces.

· Reverence and Worship: The command to remove sandals in both Moses' and Joshua's encounters signifies an act of reverence and humility before God. It serves as a reminder of the appropriate posture of worship and respect when in the presence of the divine.

· God's Initiative: The designation of holy ground is initiated by God, not by human action. This highlights the sovereignty of God in choosing when and where to reveal Himself and sanctify a place.

Symbolism and Application:

· Sanctification: Holy ground symbolizes the process of sanctification, where God sets apart people, places, or things for His purposes. It serves as a metaphor for the believer's life, which is to be set apart and consecrated for God's service.

· Encounter with God: The concept of holy ground invites believers to seek and recognize moments of divine encounter in their own lives. It encourages an awareness of God's presence in both extraordinary and everyday circumstances.

· Pilgrimage and Sacred Spaces: Throughout Christian history, the idea of holy ground has influenced the practice of pilgrimage and the veneration of sacred spaces. While the New Testament emphasizes that worship is not confined to specific locations (John 4:21-24), the reverence for places where God has revealed Himself remains a significant aspect of Christian spirituality.

In summary, holy ground in the Bible represents the intersection of the divine and the human, where God's presence transforms the ordinary into the sacred. It calls for reverence, humility, and a recognition of God's holiness and sovereignty.

Topical Bible Verses

Exodus 3:4-6
And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the middle of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
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1 Corinthians 3:16
Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
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1 Corinthians 6:19
What? know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own?
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1 Corinthians 6:11
And such were some of you: but you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
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1 Thessalonians 5:23
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Hebrews 1:3
Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:
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Greek

3453. mueo -- to initiate into the mysteries, hence to instruct
... of the Holy Spirit enables the ... [In 2 Pet 1:1, the mighty apostle Peter makes it clear
that every believer-priest lives on "level (equal) ground" through the ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3453.htm - 7k

Library

That Christ is the Bridegroom, Having the Church as his Bride ...
... And the leader of the Lord's host said, Loose thy shoe from thy feet, for the place
whereon thou standest is holy ground." [4058] Also, in Exodus, Moses is ...
/.../cyprian/three books of testimonies against the jews/19 that christ is the.htm

Very Lately it Happened Thus: While the Bounty of Our Most ...
... At once he put away the heavy cloak, his disburdening commenced; he loosed from
his foot the military shoe, beginning to stand upon holy ground; [382] he gave ...
/.../tertullian/the chaplet or de corona/chapter i very lately it.htm

Third Commandment
... We forget that we are on holy ground. Do you know how often the word "reverend"
occurs in the Bible? Only once. And what is it used in connection with? ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/weighed and wanting/third commandment.htm

The Bible --The Background and the Picture.
... Friend, travel slowly over this ground. "Take the shoes off thy feet, for it is
holy ground." Go into the Bible and look! God is there. You knew it not. ...
/.../the biblethe background and the.htm

His Past Work.
... We must approach it in the spirit of deep reverence. "Take off thy shoes from thy
feet for the ground whereon thou standest is holy ground!" In the first ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gaebelein/the work of christ/i his past work.htm

The Domain or Province of Science.
... Has science no prerogatives above the physical? Tread lightly here; you
might step on holy ground. Do you use the old cry that all ...
/.../the domain or province of.htm

The Voice from the Bush
... Moses answered, "Here am I." Then God said, "Do not come near; take your shoes off
your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." He also said ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/the voice from the bush.htm

How to Read the Bible
... At times it were well for us to stop before we open the volume. "Put off thy shoe
from thy foot, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." You have ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 25 1879/how to read the bible.htm

Man's Own Character no Ground of Peace
... of the Holy Spirit for purposes of self-righteousness. It says that the Spirit works
the change in us, in order that he may thereby furnish us with a ground of ...
/.../bonar/gods way of peace/chapter ii mans own character.htm

A Memorable History to Make Clearly Understood in what the Force ...
... whom thou has not denied, yea thou hast confessed his holy name before many ... of execution,
where yet again Nicephorus, casting himself upon the ground before him ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter viii a memorable history.htm