Solomon’s Song 7:1, “How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince’s daughter!”
Chapter seven of the Song of Solomon begins with Solomon declaring the beauty of his beloved Shulamite. In chapter four he tells how beautiful she is and begins with her hair. Here in chapter seven he begins with her feet. In Solomon’s eyes, she is beautiful from head to toe and toe to head.
Bible teaches us about true beauty. The Bible teaches us that true beauty is not found in someone walking in their own ways (wearing their own shoes), but walking in the way of God. In Exodus 3:5, Moses, when standing before the burning bush, is told by the Lord to “put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” And again in Joshua 5:15, the Lord tells Joshua to “Loose thy shoe from off thy foot;” The truth is, our carnal walk is not beautiful in the sight of God, but when a born again child of God puts on the shoes given to them by their King, the Lord Jesus Christ, it is.
In Ephesians 6:15, the Apostle Paul teaches us to have our “feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace:” Paul is saying that we, the born again elect family of God, should put on the shoes of the Gospel. These shoes were given to us by our King, our beloved Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ, and how beautiful it is to see a child of God wearing them. In the previous chapters of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he said we wear those shoes when we:
(1) Ephesians 4:1, “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.” How precious it is when a child of God walks (lives) in such a way that they show the grace of God that is in their hearts.
(2) Ephesians 4:17, “walk not as other Gentiles walk…” The world is the enemy of God (James 4:4) and those who walk as the world walks are not walking with the shoes of true beauty. Let us be found loving Him and walking in His way, and not the ways of the world (1 John 2:15).
(3) Ephesians 5:2, “walk in love…” When the children of God have love “to” one another, they are showing their love for Jesus Christ. Love that is for someone may not be known, but love that is “to” someone is a love that is known. Jesus, in John 13:35 said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
(4) Ephesians 5:8, “walk as children of light:…” The Apostle in this verse is teaching the Ephesians what they were by nature (darkness), and what they are by grace (children of light). If the Lord loved you enough to give His precious life for you on the Cross of Calvary, doesn’t it make sense that you would walk in a way to show your appreciation to Him? Isaiah 2:22 teaches us to “Cease from man, whose breath is in his nostrils:…” Isaiah is telling us to cease from trusting and walking in the ways of man and start trusting God and walking in His way.
(5) Ephesians 5:15, “walk circumspectly” (being aware of your surroundings at all times). I can remember vividly as a child, my daddy warning me of many pitfalls of life. I recall one specific time when I was out with some friends, turning from them and going home because of the trouble I knew was coming. When I told daddy about the situation his instruction had saved me from, he smiled with his loving grin. I can still hear his voice in my mind, “You did what I told you, son.” I know that made him so happy that I used the instruction that he had given me to detect the trouble that was nearby. In like manner, our Beloved Bridegroom has warned us about the temptations of the world, our own flesh and the devil. It pleases the Lord to see us walk as Peter exhorted in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour;…” And by doing so, the beauty of the Lord is manifested for others to see.
“How beautiful are thy feet” when you are wearing His shoes, walking in His way. Amen!