Question: Why does God command Moses and Joshua to take off their sandals, "for this is holy ground" (Ex 3.5, Josh 5.15)? Some unfinished thoughts:
James Jordan's explanation doesn't seem quite satisfactory. He says that shoes symbolically protect our feet from the cursed ground, and "holy ground" isn't cursed, rendering such protection unneccesary.
My objection: JBJ's theory might explain why Moses could have taken off his shoes, but it doesn't explain why he had to. The most he can say about sandals is that they are unneeded or superfluous on holy ground.
Or, to put it another way, I think holy ground is more than just "uncursed" ground. There's something substantial about holiness that requires barefeet.
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