You can keep your shoes on

“Now in those days, it was the custom in Israel for anyone transferring a right of purchase to remove his sandal and hand it to the other party. This publicly validated the transaction. So the other family redeemer drew off his sandal as he said to Boaz, ‘You buy the land” Ruth 4:7-8

In the book of Ruth, we see a few of the Levitical laws in action. When I read through the laws in Deuteronomy and Leviticus, I often wonder how many of these laws were practised? It’s one thing to read and study them, but it’s an entirely different story to follow them, right? We read and study the Bible (which I believe is the entire law of God), we know what it says, but do we always follow it?

In this account, we learn about the practice of removing the sandal which is found in the law in Deuteronomy 25:7-10. Removing the sandal was a sign in the community as a loss of the right to the property, livestock or people when the Mitzvah of Yibum (marry the childless widow of the deceased brother to carry on his name.) The Encyclopedia Talmudit on this topic, the Halitza (ceremony performed in lieu of the levirate procedure) is enormous with 20 subtopics. In most of these studies, the removal of the shoe indicates disgrace or shame of the rejecting party, but in the redemption case of Ruth, the ceremony is viewed to be a civil matter of redemption and the shoe the symbol of the close of the transaction.

Jesus came to fulfil the law, and I love, when I study, to find where Jesus emphasised a law by turning it into an act of love rather than an act of service. The redemption transaction for you was completed by Jesus. The nails driven through His feet bought us the right to walk in His Love, Grace and Mercy. Our shoes should be Ephesians 6:15: “having shod your feet with the Gospel of peace”

Ruth Relationship Advice: He redeemed us and accepted us as His eternal bride and our bridal shoes are the Gospel of peace.

Prayer: Father, thank You for giving me “shoes” to walk where You require me to walk. And when You require me to take my shoes off, it’s not to shame me but to remind me that the redemption transaction was completed and that I’m a redeemed bride of Christ. Amen.

Written by Pastor Iriza for

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