I’ve never been a “foot man.” Actually, I’ve always thought God could have done a better job designing our feet. They are really weird if you look at them and think about them. It’s one of those things we learn to take by faith. God knows what’s best, and as the creator, he made them to fit his preferred purpose for them. You kind of get the idea that when Paul talks about each person being different parts of a body, each having their own function, he is referring to the feet when he speaks of the “unseemly” parts. Yet, Paul quotes from the Prophet Isaiah (52:7) regarding the appearance of the feet that bring messengers of good news. Isaiah says, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness…” Paul uses this verse to talk about those who bring to others the good news of Jesus Christ (See Romans 10:15).
I’ve been publicly proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ for 50 years from the pulpit or devotional writings, and I still have ugly feet. Paul must be talking about something else! Isaiah’s words describe the good news of the deliverance of God’s people from slavery in Babylon. Paul uses Isaiah’s words to refer to the good news of deliverance from sin of all those who receive and believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Redford writes, “Those who bear such good news are pictured as having beautiful feet. Usually, the heralds who traveled many miles to convey a message arrived at their destination with dusty, dirty feet. The appearance of their feet was anything but beautiful; the beauty was to be found in the contents of the message delivered. Later, Paul will describe the Christian’s armor as “fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15).
It declares the end of hostility and the victory over evil. It involves setting all the prisoners of war free. Wright explains it this way, “It will be the great rescue, deliverance—from the literal captivity of the Israelite exiles to all forms of oppression, addiction, and bondage. The reign of God breaks the chains of evil, sin, and Satan and removes the ultimate dangers of judgment and death. Salvation is an incredibly rich and complex word throughout the Bible. It was the distinctive, defining character of YHWH in the Old Testament and the personal name of Jesus in the New. So, when God reigns, there will be peace. Life will be good, and we will be saved. This is the summary content of the ‘evangel’ borne by the beautiful feet of the Lord’s messenger. This is gospel truth.”