Sandals Off

Serving – January 2019 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Sandals Off

Moses
In Exodus 3:2-16, Moses came in his curiosity to a bush that burned but was not consumed. As he looked he heard a voice from out of the bush, calling his name. Who could know him on the backside of the desert? God knew him there just as He knows you and me wherever we are.

Moses was instructed, “Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground” (v.5 NKJV). The voice identified Himself as the “God of your father – the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (v.6). We read that it was “the Angel of the LORD” (v.2) – the pre-incarnate Christ. In other words, it was an appearance of the Son of God, who is eternal, before He became Man at His birth.

Why was Moses told to remove his sandals? In the presence of God, the ground was holy, but the sandals were man-made and therefore represented all that is of man. Moses, who “was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians” (Acts 7:22), could not walk in the things of man and at the same time serve God. Neither can we, despite our repeated attempts to do so.

Joshua
Very shortly after the nation of Israel crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land, they were to fight their first battle there. Joshua was leading the people, and he looked at the city before them: Jericho. While he was by the city, “a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, ‘Are You for us or for our adversaries?’” (Josh. 5:13). This Man, whom we perceive to be the pre-incarnate Christ, said He was “the Commander of the LORD’s army” (v.15). This Commander always has complete control.

Once again we hear the kind of instruction that was given to Moses, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy” (v.15). What follows are the unusual instructions about marching around Jericho (Josh 6). We might think Joshua would be saying, “Is this really going to work?”, but his faith and trust in God was of such a nature that he went forward in obedience, leading the nation according to the word of the LORD. May we follow his example.

Stephen’s Message
The same command to remove one’s sandals is quoted in Acts 7:33, as Stephen spoke to the Jewish enemies of Christ, including the high priest, about Moses. It would seem that the hearers needed to remove their sandals, at least in the sense of separating from their man-made ways.

At the end of his speech Stephen saw a vision of Jesus standing in heaven. Surely this was holy ground; yet the men, who refused to receive the message from God through His servant, stoned Stephen to death (vv.57-60).

Where Do You Stand?
Before the cross there were two parts to the temple. The first part, the holy place, was where the priests would go to perform their duties. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would enter through a veil into the second part, the Holy of Holies. The ark in this room in Old Testament days represented the presence of God. The high priest would take blood of a slain animal and put it on the part of the ark called “the mercy seat,” making atonement for the people.

When Christ died on the cross, this veil was torn in two from top to bottom. Access to that most holy place, the presence of God, was opened to all who believe. Hebrews 10:19-20 tells us we have “boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh.” Is this place any less holy than where Moses and Joshua were, also in the presence of God?

Many tend to think that all kinds of college and seminary degrees are needed for ministry. However, such ideas are like sandals which are man-made, for they put man’s achievement over God’s call. Instead, we need to stand in the presence of God with our sandals removed. Only then will we be able to receive the instruction God has for us and follow in full obedience.

Are There Any Shoes To Wear?
There is one pair of shoes to wear in His service. Ephesians 6:15 describes them as “the preparation of the gospel of peace.” This calls for a study of the Scriptures. In them alone we find all that is needed for sharing the gospel, giving both the content and manner. By removing our footwear and putting on what He provides, we will be fruitful in His service.

By Curt Darling