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By William Van Zyl
Published on May 30, 2026
“Feel This Soil…”
The evening wind moved softly through the trees as John bent down and scooped up a handful of dry soil.
“Feel this soil,” he said to Ben. “Touch the soil… can you feel anything different?”
Ben rubbed the dirt between his fingers and laughed softly. “No… I don’t feel anything.”
John smiled. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his mobile phone, switched on his Bluetooth speaker, and opened Spotify. A soft worship melody began to flow into the air — Terry MacAlmon’s For the Lord Is Holy.
[LYRICS OF THE SONG:
“For the Lord is holy, for the Lord is worthy,
For the Lord lovely, lover of my soul;
For the Lord is holy, for the Lord is worthy,
For the Lord lovely, lover of my soul;”
*Dear reader: I include the link to the song at the end of this post]
The atmosphere shifted.
The sound of worship filled the silence.
Ben suddenly became still.
“I feel something happening,” he whispered. “But it’s not the soil in my hand… it’s something stirring in my heart and soul.”
“Yes,” John replied quietly. “That is the holy and sacred atmosphere I’m talking about.”
John looked at Ben carefully.
“How holy are you, Ben? Are you sanctified?”
Ben paused.
“Yes… I guess so.”
John nodded.
“Then maybe the holiness was never in the soil itself. Maybe it was always about the presence of God.”
Naaman and the Holy Soil
One of the most fascinating moments in Scripture is found in the story of Naaman and Elisha.
Naaman was a commander of the Syrian army. He was powerful, respected, and wealthy — but he suffered from leprosy. Desperate for healing, he came to the prophet Elisha in Israel.
At first, Naaman became angry because Elisha instructed him to wash seven times in the Jordan River. Yet after humbling himself and obeying, Naaman was completely healed by God.
Then something unusual happened.
Naaman asked for soil.
Scripture Focus
“Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules’ burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD.”
— 2 Kings 5:17 (KJV)
Naaman wanted to take soil from Israel back to Syria so he could worship Yahweh, the God of Israel.
Why?
Why would a healed man ask for dirt?
WHAT NAAMAN’S ALTAR MAY HAVE LOOKED LIKE:
NAAMAN’S ALTAR TO YEHWEH
Let Us Explore How Naaman Could Have Used the Holy Soil from Israel
2 KINGS 5:17 (KJV)
“Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules’ burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD.”
HOW NAAMAN MAY HAVE USED THE HOLY SOIL
1. SACRED GROUND
He may have spread the soil around the altar as holy ground dedicated to Yehweh.
2. HOLY MORTAR / MUD BRICKS
He may have mixed the soil with water and straw to make mud bricks or mortar to build the altar.
3. STANDING ON SACRED SOIL
He may have stood on the soil while praying and offering sacrifices to Yehweh.
4. PLACE OF SACRIFICE
Naaman would offer sacrifices, like lambs, sheep, bulls, doves, to Yehweh; instead of pagan sacrifices to his or their gods.
A PAGAN TURNED WORSHIPPER OF YEHWEH
- Naaman, a Gentile, builds an altar to the God of Israel.
- The soil from Israel connects his worship to the true God.
- The altar becomes a place of covenant, faith, and devotion.
SPIRITUAL LESSON
“Just as Naaman set apart soil to worship Yehweh, we are called to set apart our homes, hearts, and lives as holy ground for God.”
Scripture at Bottom
“Be ye holy; for I am holy.” — 1 Peter 1:16
The Meaning of Holy Ground
In the ancient world, land was often associated with the presence and authority of a god. Naaman had encountered the true and living God in Israel, and now he desired to honour Yahweh alone.
The soil represented covenant, remembrance, worship, and sacred devotion.
Naaman may have believed that worshipping the God of Israel should be connected to the land of Israel itself. The soil became symbolic of the place where he encountered God’s power and mercy.
This idea appears elsewhere in Scripture.
Moses and Holy Ground
“Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.”
— Exodus 3:5 (KJV)
The ground near the burning bush was holy because God’s presence was there.
The dirt itself was ordinary — but the presence of God made the place sacred.
What Did Naaman Do With the Soil?
The Bible does not explicitly tell us how Naaman used the soil after returning home. However, historians and Bible scholars have explored several possibilities.
1. Soil Around an Altar
Naaman may have spread the earth around an altar as sacred ground dedicated to Yahweh.
This would symbolically connect his worship in Syria to the land where he encountered God.
2. Holy Mortar or Mud Bricks
It is possible that the soil was mixed with water and straw to create mud bricks or mortar for constructing an altar.
Ancient altars were commonly made from:
- Earth
- Uncut stones
- Clay bricks
- Packed soil
Scripture even supports altars made of earth.
“An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me…”
— Exodus 20:24 (KJV)
Naaman may have literally built an “altar of earth” using the holy soil from Israel.
3. Standing on Sacred Soil
Another possibility is that Naaman stood upon the soil while praying or sacrificing.
This would symbolise standing in covenant relationship with Yahweh.
In the ancient mindset, the ground itself represented spiritual belonging and identity.
4. A Place of Sacrifice
Naaman declared that he would no longer sacrifice to false gods.
This means the altar likely became a place where animals such as lambs, sheep, bulls, or doves were offered to Yahweh according to the sacrificial customs of the ancient world.
Holy Sand in the Modern World
Today, Christians do not build animal-sacrifice altars.
Jesus Christ became the final and perfect sacrifice.
“Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
— John 1:29 (KJV)
The cross replaced the ancient altar.
Yet the principle behind Naaman’s holy soil still speaks powerfully today.
The question is no longer:
“Where is the holy ground?”
The question now becomes:
“Who is carrying the presence of God?”
Our Homes Can Become Holy
A surrendered Christian home can become a sacred atmosphere of worship, prayer, peace, purity, and the presence of God.
Not because the walls are magical.
Not because the carpet is holy.
But because people inside are consecrated to God.
A house filled with prayer, worship, Scripture, forgiveness, purity, and love becomes spiritually different.
Just as worship changed the atmosphere for John and Ben, worship transforms environments today.
Scripture
“As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
— Joshua 24:15 (KJV)
Holy Cars, Holy Clothes, Holy Living
Could a car become “holy”?
In one sense — yes.
Not because of the metal or paintwork.
But because the person driving it belongs to God.
A Christian may worship while driving, pray for others, listen to Scripture, or minister to hurting people during a journey.
The ordinary becomes sacred when surrendered to God.
Even our clothing can reflect holiness.
“And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
— Ephesians 4:24 (KJV)
Holiness is not merely external appearance — it is a transformed life.
We Are the Temple
The greatest shift from the Old Testament to the New Testament is this:
God no longer dwells in temples made with hands alone.
Through Christ, believers become the temple.
Scripture
“Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you…”
— 1 Corinthians 6:19 (KJV)
This changes everything.
Our bodies become living sanctuaries.
Our lives become living worship.
Our hearts become altars.
A Living Sacrifice
Naaman offered animal sacrifices.
Today, Christians offer themselves.
Scripture
“Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
— Romans 12:1 (KJV)
This is modern worship.
Not dead sacrifices.
Living surrender.
We lay down:
- Pride
- Lust
- Bitterness
- Greed
- Idolatry
- Unforgiveness
- Selfish ambition
And we offer:
- Obedience
- Purity
- Compassion
- Prayer
- Worship
- Service
- Love
Sanctification in Modern Life
What does a sanctified life look like today?
It means being set apart for God.
A Sanctified Person:
- Watches what enters their mind
- Guards their speech
- Pursues purity
- Loves truth
- Worships sincerely
- Walks humbly
- Repents quickly
- Forgives others
- Serves faithfully
- Seeks God daily
Sanctification is not perfection overnight.
It is daily surrender.
Scripture
“Be ye holy; for I am holy.”
— 1 Peter 1:16 (KJV)
Comparing Naaman’s World to Ours
Naaman carried holy soil.
Today, believers carry the Holy Spirit.
Naaman built an altar of earth.
Today, our hearts become altars of worship.
Naaman sacrificed animals.
Christians offer living obedience.
Naaman travelled home with sacred dirt.
Believers walk daily with God’s presence dwelling within them.
The external symbols of holiness have become internal realities through Christ.
Conclusion: The Real Holy Ground
Perhaps John was right.
The holiness was never truly in the soil itself.
It was always about God’s presence.
The ground became holy because God was there.
Today, a surrendered believer becomes a carrier of that holy presence.
A prayer room can become holy.
A family dinner table can become holy.
A classroom can become holy.
A workshop can become holy.
A car ride can become holy.
Not because of rituals or sacred dirt — but because the Spirit of God dwells within surrendered people.
The challenge for modern Christians is not to search for holy soil.
The challenge is to become holy people.
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”
— Hebrews 12:14 (KJV)
May our homes, conversations, worship, work, creativity, and daily lives become living testimonies of the holy presence of God.
And may we remember:
The greatest altar God desires is the surrendered heart.
I conclude the post with the link to the most precious song by Terry:
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Copyright © 2026 by William Van Zyl
Holy Sand.
All rights reserved. This eBook/article or any portion
thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner
without the publisher’s permission, except for using brief quotations in a book review.
Published by Five House Publishing (New Zealand)
First Publishing, May 30, 2026
More eBooks and articles are available at https://fivehousepublishing.com/
More about the author at http://williamvanzyl.com/
