Healing a Defiled Land

The Law and the Prophets show us a number of things that defile (corrupt, pollute and profane) the land, that bring curse, destruction and fruitlessness upon it.

Sexual Immorality
Leviticus 18 lists various forms of sexual immorality: fornications, adulteries, homosexuality, and bestiality. Then it says,

Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you. For the land is defiled; therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants. (Leviticus 18:24-25)

Bloodshed

So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it. Therefore do not defile the land which you inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel. (Numbers 35:34-35)

Idolatry

For my eyes are on all their was; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity hidden from My eyes. And first I will repay double for their iniquity and their sin, because they have defiled My land; they have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable and abominable idols. (Jeremiah 16:17-18)

The Broken Covenant

The earth mourns and fades away,
The world languishes and fades away;
The haughty people of the earth languish.
The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants,
Because they have transgressed the laws,
Changed the ordinance,
Broken the everlasting covenant.
Therefore the curse has devoured the earth,
And those who dwell in it are desolate.

(Isaiah 24:4-6)

The laws, ordinances and covenant refers not only to the law of God revealed through Moses, but even the laws written on the conscience of those who did not have the Law of Moses. As Paul said,

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, ad their foolish hearts were darkened. (Romans 1:18-21)

For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law. For not the hearers of the law are just I the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified. For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them. (Romans 2:12-15)

Healing the Land
But God has never left the world without a way of redemption. In 2 Chronicles, as Solomon dedicates the Temple to Him, the LORD said,

When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people, who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

For the land to be healed, there must be repentance and confession, renouncing and turning away from sin and back to God, seeking His face. One generation may even need to confess the sins of their fathers, agreeing with God that the evildoing of the previous generations should never have been done. If the fathers failed to renounce those things, then the sons may have to do it for them, canceling the invitation given to demonic entities and influences. When the conditions of this promise are met, then God will hear, forgive and heal the land and its inhabitants.

This forgiveness and healing is based on the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, who took our sins upon Himself so that, through faith in Him, we can be reconciled with God. His blood atones for all the things that defile the land, but it must be applied by faith. It is healing both for us and the land, and all creation waits for this revelation.