THE PREACHERS’ BEAUTIFUL FEET
WHAT ARE ‘BEAUTIFUL FEET’?
WHAT ARE ‘BEAUTIFUL FEET’?
Romans 10:15
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
who bring glad tidings of good things.
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
who bring glad tidings of good things.
Preachers have ‘beautiful feet’. That is a strange statement. I read, re-read, and studied it, and tried to figure out what it meant. My feet are not so pretty. I have seen many feet in my life, and have not found a ‘pretty’ set yet. So, what is the Scripture saying?
The calling of ‘preacher’ elevates one to a spiritual state of having beautiful feet, at least in some spiritual way. One that comes with ‘good news’ was welcomed in those days. Messages did not arrive on one’s smart phone, their computer, their mail box, etc... No, messages were sent by foot, to run to the recipient, perhaps miles away. To watch a runner coming, to anticipate their soon arrival, to see that lonely, tired, runner coming from the valley, up to the mountainous home, was a pleasant sight, if the news were good. The foot washing sign of welcome that was done, made the recipient of the message to see the tired, aching, blistered, and dirty feet of the messenger. While he was washing those feet, his thoughts were ‘how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news of peace.’
In our age, we don’t see the tired achy feet of the preachers. The pulpit hides their feet from us. Shoes cover better than sandals of old. The pulpit holds up the tired minister that spent hours with the Lord, and with His Written Word, getting this gospel of peace that he is delivering in his sermon. His spiritual feet are still beautiful.
Romans 10:15 starts with ‘how shall they preach except them be sent?’ The word for ‘preach’ there is “kerusso”, meaning ‘to herald as a public crier’, to proclaim divine truth.’ This is the ministry of one called to preach.
The spiritual feet of such a ‘preacher’ are ‘beautiful.’ The word for ‘beautiful is the Greek word ‘horaios. This means ‘timely, flourishing, beautiful.” Because the message of preachers is timely, and God’s Word brings ‘life’ to make it flourishing, it is a beautiful message.
The words ‘those that preach the gospel’ is actually one Greek word, the word ‘euaggelizo.’ We get from it, the word ‘evangelize’. It means to preach, proclaim, declare glad news’.
The news in a sermon is ‘peace’. Peace is the Greek word ‘eirene’ meaning quietness, rest, set as stable again.’
The result of the message of preachers is always to be ‘peace’.
Jesus said ‘peace’ to the storm on the sea, and the waves calmed, the wind stopped, the boat made it to shore. His goal with us is the same. The waves of life, the winds of changing and threatening events, are meant to be made to ‘peace’ by the sermons of preachers.
Romans also said it is to bring us ‘good things’ which is the Greek word ‘agathos’. This word means ‘of benefit, beneficial’.
God calls some to bring messages, that may sound scary as they describe the problem, but the solution to the problem discussed in the sermon is always ‘beneficial, good, and engenders peace.
Paul likened himself to a ‘runner’ with a message several times in Scripture.
Philippians 3:14
“I press toward the mark for the prize of the highcalling of God in Christ Jesus.’
Paul rushed with a message, given by God, for him to preach. He calls that job to be a ‘high calling’. The ministry of preaching is a ‘high calling’. It should be appreciated, loved, and supported by the recipients. But even if it is not, it is a calling from God, and He loves, blesses and rewards the ones who use their spiritual feet to get the message of good, peaceful news to the world.
II Timothy 4:7
“I have run my race...’
Paul compares his run with the sermons he preached to an olympic race. He knew the crowds were watching, and he knew that God was also observing.
Hebrews 12:1
“...so great a cloud of witnesses, so let us run with patience (endurance) the race...’
The race is one that takes patience and endurance. The recipients of the messages in the past sometimes stoned, or crucified the one with the message. Sometimes there were no ‘ears to hear’ the messages, and the ones there seemed deaf. This is a ministry that takes patient endurance.
QUOTE FROM ISAIAH AND NAHUM
Paul was quoting from Isaiah’s words when he spoke of the ‘beautiful feet’. Isaiah was also quoted by Nahum. So, the illustration of ‘feet’ being ‘beautiful’ in that day, due to the message being carried being so desirable, is one that is not so easily observed today. Yet the truth remains, and we need to understand this passage better, for it is important enough, that God had it put in Scripture three times.
Isaiah prophesied from the death of Uzziah, through the life of Hezekiah, and into the reign of Manasseh. Nahum was from Galilee, and prophesied until the fifteenth year of Hezekiah. Since Nahum lived in the same years as Isaiah was prophesying, the words of Isaiah must have been carried about, by messengers, or Nahum must have visited Isaiah, for they were contemporaries. Joel and Micaiah also were from that period, and the words of one prophet seems to have been heeded and studied by the various prophets.
Isaiah 52:7 (KJV)
7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
Nahum 1:15 (KJV)
15 Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.
Paul had left out the “mountains part”, but the runners with messages had to often be running up the mountains to the cities. The ones watching the ascent of the tired carriers of the messages, would appreciate the hard w ork of the messenger. This passage from Isaiah, Nahum, and Paul is reflective of that appreciation.
The Hebrew word for ‘beautiful’ is ‘naa’, meaning ‘to be pleasant, suitable, beautiful.’ The thing they saw as ‘beautiful’ were the ‘feet’. Isaiah said that those that ‘bring good tidings’ and ‘publish peace’, and ‘bring good tidings of good’, that publish salvation, and that announce ‘God reigns’ are the ones with the beautiful feet.
‘Basar’ means to ‘announce good tidings’. Shama means ‘to publish’ peace (shalom, happiness, peace, safety).
The ‘good things’ discussed are ‘tob’ meaning good things, good men, good women. The gospel preached does promote the good results of this message, there are good men, good women, and good results to the message.
The ‘salvation’ that Isaiah prophesied about being the ‘message’ is the Hebrew word ‘yeshua’, which is the same word as the word we call ‘Jesus’. Knowingly, or unknowingly, this was a prophetic announcement of the message of all preachers today. Then we are told in this passage that our ‘God reigns’, meaning that this ‘Yeshua’ we preach will reign (Hebrew, malak, meaning ‘to ascend the throne’. Our Jesus has ascended the throne, and is seated now next to God the Father, ruling and reigning.
THE NEED OF KEEPING OUR FEET CLEAN
Jesus said in John 13:10:
9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.
So, the feet need frequent washing. This was true literally, for they wore sandals, and the roads were dusty, dirty, muddy. So, often they had to clean their feet. Spiritually, this is also true, for we walk in a dirty world of sin and rebellion against God. We are defiled by the contact with the world. So the frequent washings spiritually help make us the preachers with beautiful feet that God wants us to be.
The word for ‘clean’ is ‘katharis’, meaning ‘pure, clean from anything that soils or corrupts.’ We are ‘clean’ from sin and its curse at salvation. But there is the often defilement from our own sins, and from the sinful environment of the world around us.
In the Old Testament, God had them build a laver, a wash basin made from the shiny brass looking glasses of the women. These bronze mirrors were items of luxury. The laver made from these held water for the priests to wash their hands and feet, whenever they noticed soil or dust upon them. If they failed to wash their hands and feet when they noticed the soil upon them, they would drop dead. God would not allow the priestly ministry to be done by soiled priests.
God is still adamant on having His preachers to be pure and clean. No preacher is perfect though. Thus we must constantly re-clean our hands feet in the laver of the Word of God. Study of, love for, obedience to ... the Word of God will cleanse us over and over during the preaching ministry.
Ephesians 5:26-27 (KJV)
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
The washing of the preachers’ feet is a mandatory feature of those in this preaching ministry.
Another passage of the Word, instructs preachers who go about preaching that if they come to a place where the preaching is rejected, to ‘shake the dust off’ and depart. Preachers do not preach to those who do not want to hear, who refuse the message of the preacher. One needs to shake that dust of rejection off, and move on. We force no one to accept, we do not waste our time on rejecters. We find those who will listen, will accept, and we disciple them to do the same.
Luke 9:5 (KJV)
5 And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.
THESE BEAUTIFUL FEET NEED SHOD
Ephesians 6:10-18 (KJV)
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
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.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
We need to ‘whole armor’ but we also need to remember that the ‘feet’ need ‘shod’ with the ‘preparation of the gospel of peace.’ If we are to proclaim, as preachers, the ‘peace’, we need to be prepared in the Word of God.
The truth of the Word protects our feet as we walk in this defiling world. We are stronger and more prepared for the battle, when our feet are shod.
Psalm 91:13 (KJV)
13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
Luke 10:19 (KJV)
19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Preachers need to be stomping with these beautiful feet all over the serpents and scorpions (devils and demons). We are not to be intimidated, we have the feet shod with the Word, and we can walk over the enemy.
We do not need to fear being hurt by these demons, for our feet are not unprotected.
In fact, the devil is scared, for we are going to use these ‘beautiful feet’ to bruise his head.
Romans 16:20 (KJV)
20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
WE NEED TO GET OUR FEET SET UPON THE ROCK
Psalm 40:1-2 (KJV)
1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
God has changed us from being guilty in sin, to being cleansed of all filth of sin. As preachers’ with ‘beautiful feet’, we are now standing on the solid Rock, i.e. Jesus, the Rock of Ages. We can now, in this preaching ministry have more than ‘beautiful feet’, we can have feet upon the Rock. We are safe, secure, assured, rejoicing in our Lord. We preach the gospel of peace, of Jesus our Yeshua.
more to come on the Charismatic / Pentecostal preacher
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