The Ground Is Holy

Read: Exodus 3:1–12; John 17:11–17, using the King James Version.

What comes to mind when you hear that God is holy? Perhaps you think of something sacred, or of a purity so great that you feel unfit to approach Him. The word can awaken reverence, but it may also leave us wondering whether there is room for us in His presence.

Moses' encounter at the burning bush gives us a place to consider that question. Here we meet a God who calls a man by name while teaching him how to stand before Him.

An ordinary task interrupted

Moses was caring for his father-in-law's sheep in a region called Midian. Earlier in his life, he had fled Egypt, where the Israelites were living under slavery. Now, while leading the flock near Mount Horeb, he noticed a bush burning without being consumed.

When he turned aside to look, God called to him. Moses answered. Then came an instruction:

“put off thy shoes from off thy feet” — Exodus 3:5, KJV

The ground was holy because God was making His presence known there. Moses had to respond to the One who spoke. God identified Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Israel's ancestors. Moses hid his face, afraid to look upon Him.

The One who sets the terms

Holiness speaks of God's unique sacredness and purity. He is above His creation, free from its corruption, and worthy of worship. We cannot measure Him by our own preferences or reshape Him to fit what we find comfortable.

At the bush, Moses was given a simple, concrete instruction. Removing his shoes expressed reverence. It reminds us that approaching God involves listening and responding to Him.

We can bring our questions, needs, and fears before the Father. But knowing Him also means allowing His word to question us. What does He ask us to lay aside? Where have we grown careless? What have we continued to defend when He is calling us to change?

Reverence begins to deepen when His will carries weight in our decisions.

Holiness and compassion together

In this same encounter, God spoke of Israel's suffering and commissioned Moses to help bring them out of Egypt. When Moses questioned his ability, God promised His presence.

Notice how these belong together. The holy God knew His people's pain. His compassion did not diminish His holiness; His holiness did not make Him indifferent to their distress.

That matters when we are learning to trust Him. His goodness is not mixed with deceit or cruelty. We may not understand every instruction or every circumstance, but His character gives us reason to take His word seriously.

Moses was afraid, yet God continued speaking to him and entrusted him with a task. Reverence could become the beginning of faithful service.

The Holy Father Yeshua reveals

In John 17:11, Yeshua—Jesus—addresses God as “Holy Father” and asks Him to keep His disciples. Holiness remains part of the Father's character as the Son reveals Him. In the same prayer, Yeshua asks that His followers be made holy through the truth of God's word (John 17:17).

The reverence Moses learned belongs within our relationship with Him too. Through Yeshua, we learn to approach the Father and receive His truth as direction for our lives.

Making room to listen

Our lives can become crowded with words, demands, and noise. Even prayer can become a hurried list of things we want God to do. The burning bush invites us to pause and remember whom we are addressing.

We do not need to recreate Moses' experience or remove our shoes whenever we pray. We can respond with the humility his encounter teaches: the Father is worthy of our attention, and His instructions deserve our obedience.

You might begin by slowing down enough to read a short passage of Scripture carefully. Ask what it reveals about Him before asking how it serves your plans. If it exposes something that needs to change, bring that honestly before Him.

Knowing the Father draws us into a relationship in which we learn to honour Him. His presence calls for more than our curiosity. It calls for our response.