The Message

So we see that a shoe had a special significance in Bible times. Boaz redeemed property and his wife, and sealed the transaction by taking off his shoe. I would like to speak tonight on the subject of ``New Shoes''.

What is a shoe?

A shoe is first and foremost protection for the feet. Why do feet need protection? Because each step they take brings them into contact with the ground, the planet Earth, the world. Remember when Moses saw the burning bush.

Exod

3:4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

3:5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

He was told to take off his shoes. On holy ground, you don't touch the world and so you don't need that protection. We see this again when the captain of the angels came to Joshua before the battle of Jericho.

Josh

5:13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?

5:14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?

5:15 And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

What are shoes for?

Shoes are to walk in.

Exod

12:11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD'S passover.

Israel had 40 years worth of walking to do, so they had to get ready. They put on their walking shoes.

Who has shoes?

Captives and prisoners do not have shoes.

Isa

20:2 At the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.

20:3 And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;

20:4 So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.

The needy don't have shoes.

Amos

8:6 That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat?

What kind of shoes?

Old worn out shoes.

Josh

9:3 And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,

9:9 And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the LORD thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,

9:12 This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is mouldy:

9:13 And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey.

Durable shoes.

Deut

29:5 And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot.

Deut

33:25 Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.

Beautiful shoes.

Song

7:1 How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince's daughter! the joints of thy thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning workman.

Why take them off?

In Bible times, shoes were taken off symbolicly from a man who was the rightful husband of a woman to show that he refused to have her for a wife.

Deut

25:7 And if the man like not to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband's brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother.

25:8 Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand to it, and say, I like not to take her;

25:9 Then shall his brother's wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother's house.

25:10 And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed.

Contrast this with John the Baptist's statement.

Acts

13:25 And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.

Here John is refering to the fact that he, John, will be accepted as the bride of Christ, so he cannot loose the Lord's shoe. Likewise, we all will be accepted as His bride, for the church is the bride of Christ, and he will refuse no one.

Taking off of shoes signifies making a change. Why do we take off shoes? To put on new shoes.

Where do they come from?

They are a gift from the Father when we repent. Remember the Prodigal son.

Luke

15:21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

15:22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

What do they look like?

These new shoes are unique. They are perfectly beautiful. They last forever! They provide complete protection as we walk through the world.

Eph

6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

The gospel protects us and makes us look good at the same time. But to get this gift from the Father, we must repent and be baptised.

Ezek

16:9 Then washed I thee with water; yea, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.

16:10 I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk.

Only then are we promised that wonderful oil. You see, shoe leather needs to be rubbed down regularly with neat's foot oil if it is to last a long time. Likewise, we need the frequent anointing with the oil that is the Holy Ghost if our new Gospel shoes are going to last forever. You can only keep them looking and feeling new with the regular and frequent application of that wonderful oil.