What manner of shoes did God ask Moses to remove?Was God referring to to the sandals Moses wore on his feet?Or was he speaking of shoes to draw a spiritual implication?
Let us read Exodus 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.”
During the Old Testament times, cleanliness before God was symbolised through observing external (outward)practices such as washing of hands and clothes, bathing,removal of shoes,etc.,. For example, did not eat unless they had first “cleaned” their hands.Eating with unwashed hands was seen as an act of being unclean before God and men.
Mark 7:2-4;” And when they saw some his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashed hands,they found fault.
For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands,eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.”
This is how the Lord journeyed with the people of the old testament.Where outward cleanliness signified purity.This is why God told Moses to put off the sandals from his feet.When God wanted to speak to the children of Israel,he would instruct them to wash their clothes clean before assembling in his presence on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:10).
Now,why did Moses have to remove his shoes?
Shoes tread ,as usual,on dirts of various kinds like garbage,dust,human and animal wastes and are therefore unclean.It’s for this reason that God told Moses to remove his sandals because he was standing on a holy ground.
Today, unlike in the O.T times,we can go to church without bathing or washing hands.For this doesn’t make us to be with defilement before God.We are no longer ruled by the law which demanded observance of external traditions as during the old testament times.We don’t have to remove our shoes when we enter the places of worship because even in this there is no defilement.
Observing physical hygiene does in no way draw us nigh to God.Going to our places of worship without bathing doesn’t make us be rejected by God.Neither does entering God’s house with shoes on our feet make us to be defiled.
The Lord said,
Matthew 5:16-20;” Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Think not that l am come to destroy the law,or the prophets:I am not come to destroy but to fulfill.
For verily I say unto you,Till heaven and Earth pass,one not or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law,till all be fulfilled.
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments,and shall teach men so,he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven:but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
For I say unto you,That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees,ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
However, the scripture does not give us a reason to neglect our personal hygiene.We are to maintain cleanliness at all times.We also have a duty to ensure that the places of worship are kept clean.Where necessary, let’s practice common sense.For example,when our shoes are muddy,it is just good manners to to clean them outside before we enter the church than carrying dirt inside God’s house.But this basically doesn’t bring us close to God.
Therefore,we need to get rid of the underlying spiritual filthiness (shoes) from our hearts and not the coverings we wear on our feet.From the hearts of men is where all sorts of evils spring.They include slander,deceit,malice, adultery, arrogance, sexual immorality, and the like.These are what defiles a person.
Have you gladly invited Christ as your personal Saviour?Are you washed by the blood of the Lamb,having your heart cleansed from evil.Remove every shoe from your life that makes you unclean.The Lord is at hand!
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