What does the Bible mean when it refers to holy ground?

Moses was attracted, as well he might be, by "this great sight," and "he turned aside to see." (v. 4.) Then it was that God called to him out of the bush, and called him by name. But he must be reminded of the holiness of the divine presence. "Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." (v. 5. Compare Numbers 5:1-3; Joshua 5:15, etc.) This is the first lesson which all who approach God must learn — the recognition of His holiness. True, He is a God of grace, of mercy, and also that He is love; but He is all these because He is a holy God, and He could never have manifested Himself in these blessed characters, had it not been that in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ mercy and truth met together, and righteousness and peace kissed each other. But unless our feet are unshod — remembering the holiness of Him with whom we have to do — we can never receive the gracious communications of His mind and will. Hence the very next thing we find here is that He reveals Himself to Moses as the "God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." (v. 6.) This revelation was designed to act upon the soul of Moses, and it does — for he is bowed in heart before Him who spake — and he "hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God." (See 1 Kings 19:13.) Thereon Jehovah announces the purpose of His manifestation to Moses.

Here Jehovah manifests Himself as judge of evil in Israel who shall be sustained because of what He is to them, and in no way for their deserts: a greater fact than its wondrous sign. "And God," the Supreme, "called to Moses out of the midst of the bramble, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here [am] I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither; loose thy sandals from off thy feet; for the place whereon thou standest [is] holy ground." His presence is the true power of sanctification. Forms He could and did use under the law, in tabernacle and temple. But He Himself is more than any or all. What a support for Moses in going in to Pharaoh, and in leading His people out, and bearing their frowardness in the wilderness where all perished save the two witnesses, Joshua and Caleb; yet Israel remained unconsumed to enter the land in the generation to come.

In all these cases, and many more which might be adduced, we see the force of that solemn word, "holiness becomes thy house, O Lord, for ever." The moral effect of this will ever be similar to that produced in the case of Moses, as recorded in our chapter. "Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." (Verse 5) The place of God's presence is holy, and can only be trodden with unshod feet. God, dwelling in the midst of His people, imparts a character of holiness to their assembly, which is the basis of every holy affection and every holy activity. The character of the dwelling place takes its stamp from the character of the Occupant.

Shoes are mentioned as early as Ex. 3:5, when Moses was told to put off his shoes, for the ground on which he stood was holy, for God was there. Acts 7:33. The same was said to Joshua. Joshua 5:15. It showed that as yet there was no welcome for man into the presence of God. A standing had not yet been made for him, whatever goodness and condescension God might show towards him. Under grace a standing is found, the shoes were put on the prodigal, he was welcome and at home. The priests ministered in the temple with bare feet, means being given to keep the feet clean. Cf. also John 13:1-17.

But more we may note in passing: observe the force of his quoting the call to unloose his sandal. Holy ground is where God manifests Himself. It was not merely Jerusalem. So Jehovah decided with Moses in Midian; so afterwards with Joshua when he crossed the Jordan. Their idolising the courts of the sanctuary was out of season. But religious pride is like other pride, and often lifts its head higher in abject poverty. And the case of the Jews who charged Stephen falsely with blasphemous words against the holy place was yet more desperate and unfounded. For they had rejected their own Messiah, and God had raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own right hand, far above every principality and authority and power and lordship, and every name named not only in this age but also in that to come, and subjected all things under His feet, and gave Him as Head over all things to the church. Hence the centre of divine glory and attraction is no longer on earth but in heaven. What once had holiness relatively has lost it by unbelieving contempt of the Lord of glory, whom both the Jews and the world's princes crucified. The only holy place God owns now, as faith too accepts, is above where Christ is. But though Stephen does not argue here but simply cites the scripture they all acknowledged, they are thus each way shown without excuse in their petty and malevolent jealousy. God's words exposed and refuted any such charge of blasphemy.

In tending Jethro's sheep Moses came to Mount Horeb, called “the mountain of God,” because it signified Israel's relationship with God as under law. It is also called Sinai. Only after Moses' long years of desert experience does God finally reveal Himself to him, attracting him by the amazing sight of fire raging in a bush without consuming it (vv. 2-3). As he goes closer to observe this miraculous sight, God calls him by name, warning him not to come near, but rather to remove his sandals, for He says, “The place where you stand is holy ground (v. 5).

The bush speaks of Israel, and the fire is significant of the persecution they suffered at the hand of the Egyptians. But God in His sovereign power would not allow Israel to be consumed by all the opposition of their enemies. He would allow the fire, but would limit its power. But the fact of this being holy ground intimates a much deeper lesson than this, for it is a reminder of the cross of Christ, where all the awesome fire of God's judgment fell upon the Lord Jesus because of our sins. But that fire did not consume Him. Animal sacrifices were consumed by fire, but in great contrast, the Lord Jesus bore and consumed all the fire of God's judgment and has come forth victorious in resurrection. This is truly “holy ground.”

But with this use of its privileges we are to honour its claims. For this presence of God is a pure as well as a cheerful element. Of old, the shoes were to be taken from the feet, when that presence was entered, to express the sense of holiness which became it. But that was all. Neither Moses nor Joshua were required to withdraw; only to tread softly. They were welcomed and encouraged, while instructed in the holiness of such intimacy.

"Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground." (v. 33.) We are brought by grace into the place of holiness, and to rejoice in God's holiness. There the soul learns its deepest lessons of what sin is; it sees not only its own nothingness, but its oppositeness to God. There it learns that salvation must be of grace from first to last. These things are only fully learnt in the sanctuary. The moment we are rescued from the world we are brought to stand in the place of holiness, and God deals with us accordingly. The reason for His chastening and admonition is that we may be thereby partakers of "His holiness." He desires that we should be as near Him in spirit as we are in our head.

Moses was the chosen vessel raised and prepared by God for the deliverance of His people Israel. To him God revealed the only ground on which He could bring man into relationship with Himself - that of absolute holiness. He showed it to him before He sent him to the Israelites. The flame of fire out of the midst of the bush in the wilderness was the suited figure for enabling Moses to grasp the great lesson God had to teach him, and to cause the words which were said to him to sink deep into his soul: "Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." (Ex. 3:5.) The God who was here revealing Himself to Moses was the same who had led the fathers in His perfect grace, and could therefore say to him, "I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob;" so that his affections might be drawn to God by the remembrance of His goodness to the patriarchs. Thus was Moses prepared for the reception of all the teaching expressed in the burning bush. We also see through the whole of his subsequent history how deeply this lesson was engraven on his heart, and how it formed the basis of all his relations with God. (Comp. Ex. 33; Deut. 4:24; 9:3, etc.) God said to him, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people … and I am come down to deliver them." This involved the near relationship of the people with God, a relationship which could only exist on the ground of HOLINESS. GOD IS LOVE, and HE IS LIGHT. W. J. Lowe.

In this incident the Angel, or, Messenger of the Lord is the Lord Himself, as we see if we compare verses 2 and 4. This being so, Moses had to keep at a distance and remove his shoes, as a sign that the place was holy, and he but a servant. Distance there had to be, but it was not nearly so pronounced as it was later when the law was given, and this doubtless because at the outset the Lord revealed Himself to him as "the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." The God, who had instituted the covenant of promise, was not so awesome, as when He instituted the law from Sinai.