"Take of your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." Joshua 5:15
If Pastor Jack wasn't so blog challenged I would have him post today. I was sharing with him about our study in Joshua and he went on to tell me about the law of the loose sandal. In our reading today Joshua receives the same instruction Moses did at the burning bush. The other time this occurs is when Jesus himself asks his disciples to take off there sandals at the last supper. I wish you all could witness Jack's passion and excitement as he tells that it is only the Lord that asks for us to take of our sandals. What are your thoughts on why Moses and Joshua are asked to take off there sandals because they are standing on holy ground? Let's get some discussion and we'll get Jack to chime in today!
11 comments:
I know we often hear this being taught as God asking Moses and Joshua to take off their sandals because He wants nothing in between them but I sit back and think that there has to be a better way to get closer to them. I really believe that it was just God seeing if they would be obedient to Him or not. After reading this title I have to believe that there is some history between taking off ones sandal when they are in or at a special place. Because of that I believe God was letting them know that this place that they are at, where He is present is no ordinary place.
Sorry, I posted and then deleted my post because I realized it didn't make a ton of sense. Here is a revised version:
Hmmm..
Here's an interesting thought (that may or may not be related at all):
We submit to the Lord in many different ways according to the many facets of His character.
When Jesus told the disciples to take off their sandals, their obedience was an act of submission to His service (washing their feet). Because Jesus truly did come to serve and He continues to serve us today.
In our two Old Testament examples, Moses and Joshua were both submitting to God, but in a different way (to His power [the bush] and His authority [the Commander of God's Army]). Perhaps these stories are painting a picture of the many facets of God's identity and character and how we must submit to all of them. When we do, we are submitting to an all powerful God who wants to take authority over our lives in power and loving service :)
Feel free to tear this apart should you find it heretical.
--nate dogg
I'd liked to continue with Nathan comment about our God wanting to take authority in service. My understanding of the law of the loose sandal is God direction for them to take of there shoes is because they are about to enter into a place that they could not go or do. God wanted them to be aware that it was Him and Him only that would 1. Free the people with Moses. 2. Win the Battle at Jericho with Joshua 3. Go the way of the cross at Calvary in His son Jesus. It is God and God alone who saves and brings the victory we are walking on holy ground where it is not I who walk, but the Lord. Sense and feel today the ground you are walking on is Holy because it is not you who walk but Him, if you have loosened your sandal and allowed him to consume your being.
Sorry misspelled something in that last post:
I think that in this portion of scripture He's showing Joshua that he is having a close face to face encounter with the Presence of the Lord, as was He showed Moses, and as Jesus showed His disciples. I've read that this is a Christophony or an appearance of Christ before His birth as a human, in the spirit. Proof is shown that He is no mere angel by His receiving direct worship from Joshua. Super interesting and challenging portion of Scripture.
Robby
This is actually Pastor Jack:
It is very interesting to me that God shows up several times to people in the Old Testament but in most of those times He does not ask them to take off their sandals. Not even the times when God talks to Abraham and shows up as three people or when he shows up as Melchizedek or any other times. Even when the priests were to go into the Holy of Holies they are not told to take off their sandals. He does not require Moses to again take off his sandals when He goes to the Holy Mountain to receive the law. Or other times when he directly deals with Moses, just these two (and I maintain three times) God says take off your sandals for you stand on Holy Ground.
In the book of Ruth the nearer kinsman law is explained. It is the law that Boaz uses takes responsibility for the life of Ruth. He claims her as well as the land that was her father in laws by the kinsman-redeemer law. It was the law that allowed one man to take the responsibility for a brother or a kinsman and pay for the deeds of the other brother and claims his wife or land and therefore save the family and reputation of the family member. In essence he is taking the responsibility and the place of that kinsman and paying for him. The way the law was done was the one who was going to take the responsibility for the other took the sandal of the other and therefore accepted the responsibility of the problem or dept of the other.
Ruth 4:7-8
7(Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.) 8 So the kinsman-redeemer said to Boaz, "Buy it yourself." And he removed his sandal.
I think God is saying to Joshua “take off your sandals for the responsibility of the battle of Jericho is mine I am the kinsman redeemer and I redeem you”. I think He said the same to Moses when he asked him to go to Egypt “Take off you sandals the responsibility of Israel’s redemption is mine”. Just as I believe when Jesus was at the last supper and he removed the sandals of the disciples to wash their feet He was claiming the kinsman redeemer law as he was going to the cross to redeem them.
John 13:6-8
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" 7 Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." 8 "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."
Pastor Jack
?And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed." OUCH but anyways the day after passover they didnt need gods help for food, because they had their own. Is there a relationship between this and when jesus died?!
LIKE God gave them mana is like how he spoke to them b4 jesus....and them producing their own fruit is like how jesus is in them after he died and they can go around a tell people about jesus and produce fruit? IDK might sound confusing
That was awesome insight from Pastor Jack. Does anyone agree with me that this is a place in the Old Testament that Jesus appears???
Pastor Jack that was Great. I never thought about it in that aspect of the Kinsmen redeemer. God is saying, "I'll be responsible".
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