Get Clean — Founded on the Bible

Genesis 15:7-9 NLT
Then the LORD told him, “I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as your possession.” But Abram replied, “O Sovereign LORD, how can I be sure that I will actually possess it?” The LORD told him, “Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”

I've covered the significance of the heifer in Full of Life and the female goat in Hindsight is 20/20. Today, I'll talk about the ram sacrifice.

A ram is a guilt offering
In Leviticus 5:15, the priest is to present a guilt offering of a ram when someone unintentionally defiled sacred or 'holy' property. It's true that, in Leviticus, the sacred property referred to was either the Temple itself or items used by the priests for Temple service. However, I believe in this instance, the sacred property may refer to the land or property designated to Abram and his descendants.

Territory boundaries
Genesis 15 establishes the fact that God gifted to Abram the land of Canaan. The territory boundaries are as follows,
Genesis 15:18-21 NLT,
So the LORD made a covenant with Abram that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt [Hebrew the river of Egypt, referring either to an eastern branch of the Nile River or to the Brook of Egypt in the Sinai (see Numbers 34:5).] to the great Euphrates River—the land now occupied by the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”

God's Holy Land
In fact, Zechariah 2:12 calls this property ‘God’s Holy Land’. This territory is consecrated as sacred for the worshipers of the One True God. These people were to be a light and live a lifestyle that contrasted from the peoples of the surrounding nations. This land was dedicated or tithed to God for the purpose of blessing all the other nations and peoples of the earth.

Forgiveness for unintentionally defiling land
Can you imagine what passed through Abram’s mind? Canaan was filled with idols and the people participated in all types of vile and wicked practices. They really didn’t know any better and this holy land was defiled. How was this all suppose to change? The sacrifice of the ram would signify the forgiveness of the people unintentionally defiling the Lord’s sacred property, God’s Holy Land.

How can we apply this concept in everyday life?
God is still territorial. If we are not careful, we can unintentionally allow what is permissible in today's society to affect our decision making process. Inadvertently, we can find ourselves making moral compromises. God desires to consume and occupy our minds and hearts. We are to continually meditate on God’s Word and have the utmost respect and regard for His Person. Get clean. He lives in us and He will not tolerate us defiling ourselves with idols, intentionally or unintentionally.

1 John 5:21 AMP,
“Little children (believers, dear ones), guard yourselves from idols—[false teachings, moral compromises, and anything that would take God’s place in your heart].”

Let's Pray:
Father,
You are merciful and You are holy. This world is so corrupt, it is easy to be contaminated by idols and not even realize it. I ask for Your forgiveness for anything that has taken Your place in my heart. Help me to stay clean and be a light to those around me. I want my life to be such a contrast to those who do not know You, that they can’t help but desire to meet Jesus. My heart and mind are Your's and by Your grace, I will keep myself holy. In Jesus Name, Amen.