The Lord is intentional with the words He uses in the Bible. Sometimes when we first look at a verse or a passage, we do a double take and need additional explanation. There are two Bible verses that mention beautiful feet. When we think of feet, beautiful is often not the first adjective that comes to mind. In other places in scripture we see feet being washed because of their filth and all the filth they pick up in everyday life. However, God tells us that feet can be described as beautiful. Why does the Bible refer to beautiful feet?
Isaiah 52:7 says, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings, who proclaims peace, who brings good tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion: ‘ Thy God reigns!’ “
In Isaiah 52, the prophet Isaiah announces the deliverance of Jerusalem. He tells God’s people to wake up and remember that the Lord is God. Then verse 7 comes in and encourages people that the feet of those who bring good news are beautiful. The entire chapter of Isaiah is full of the story of Christ’s redemption. Even though at that particular time Jesus had not come, there is a strong message of salvation. It is a foreshadowing of the coming of the Messiah who would bring freedom to all who put their faith in Him.
Gill’s Commentary on the Exposition says, “The feet are mentioned instead of their whole person, because the instruments of motion, and thus of bringing the news, and running from place to place with them , and though they be filthy and stained with sin; for the ministers of the Gospel are not exempt from it, and are men of passions similar to the others; yet they are beautiful when their walk and their ministry, their conversation and their doctrine agree; and their feet especially, being shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
When we think of beautiful feet, we think of the beauty of going there, the gift of giving, and the hard work it can take to walk alongside someone as you point them to the gospel.
Romans 10:15 says, “And how shall they preach if they are not sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, which bring good tidings of good things!'”
Paul, who wrote Romans 10:15, refers to Isaiah 52:7. He begins with the rhetorical question, “And how shall they preach if they are not sent?” If everyone stays put and never goes to share the gospel with others, how will they hear the message of hope? He said those who start out as missionaries and as a church body remember that the Lord calls beautiful the feet of those who share the gospel. No, they probably didn’t look physically beautiful after much travel and walking in sandals on dirt roads, however, they were beautiful to God because they got messy and went to hard places to share love. love of Jesus.
Romans 10 talks about how the Word brings salvation. If other people do not hear the word, they cannot know the message of forgiveness that we have in Christ. Those with whom we share the gospel have a choice. Some will choose to accept the gift of salvation and some will not. However, we cannot dictate who deserves to hear it. We are called to share Jesus with all. In this specific passage, Paul was concerned that the Israelites would hear and believe that their Messiah had come. (Romans 10:1)
How can I have beautiful feet?
For whom in your life are you charged, praying that they know Jesus? Is it a family member? Is it a group of people? Is it a friend or a colleague? Sometimes our departure can be thousands of miles away while other times it can be literally crossing the street to our neighbor’s house. This verse does not emphasize how far a person has to go to have beautiful feet, but that beautiful feet are the ones that bring good news.
In Ephesians 6 we find the armor of God. There is one specific element that we are called upon to relate to beautiful feet. Ephesians 6:15 says, “and, like shoes on your feet, having put on the preparation given by the gospel of peace.” As believers, we are called to put on the shoes of the gospel of peace. Priscilla Shirer shares in her study Armor of God, “When God‘If peace is locked up in our life, it will become our guard, our protector, our calm and our stability. Christ is our peace. In Jesus Christ we have peace with God.
This means we don’t go after people who hit them over the head with the Bible. We don’t shout from the sidewalk. We come with the peace of God. We are led first by the peace and protection of Christ. We are prepared by the gospel that we were sinners and that Jesus came and died for us and redeemed us to the Father. When we go to meet someone and share the message of hope, we know we don’t have to live in fear of what we’ll say or how they’ll react. We can rest in the work of the Holy Spirit. We can relax knowing that God goes before us and stands behind us. We can remember that he is always with us and that our efforts will not be wasted in another person’s life.
Perhaps you have regrets about how you have approached others with the gospel in the past? Maybe you didn’t lead the gospel of peace? Know that God still wants to use you. That we are all imperfect and that he grows us and teaches us how to most effectively share his message of love and hope with the world. When we surrender our feet to God and ask Him to carry the gospel message to people, we had better be prepared for He will gladly take us on the journey and call our feet beautiful.
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Emma loves to sing and write songs, take fitness classes, try new recipes, do makeover shows and drink tea! During her ministry career, Emma has recorded two worship EP albums, founded and led Polished Conference Ministries, ran Refined magazine, and served in early childhood music education. Currently, she is editing her first published book on celibacy. Emma also had the privilege of being a national spokesperson for Mission Mukti based out of India. Mukti has worked for over 120 years to restore broken lives in India. You can see her articles on her blog at emmadanzey.wordpress.com
