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Balance Legs, Feet, and Toes For the body is not one member, but many.—1 Corinthians 12:14 Tim Thomassen Legs provide support for the body and are used for walking and running. As such, they serve a vital function. When one’s leg is injured, one feels pain and discomfort, and is prevented from doing things that might ordinarily be done routinely. As a result, other parts of the body may become affected if the leg is not in good working order. In the body of Christ, any individual who provides support for other body members could be likened to a leg. This support could come in many forms: words of counsel and encouragement, prayers, fellowship, study, material assistance or other things. Supporters help keep the body of Christ in good spiritual health. When this support is withdrawn or diminished, other members of the fellowship suffer. Paul admonished the elders at Ephesus by saying: “I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). To the Thessalonians Paul wrote: “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all” (1 Thessalonians 5:14). “They [the weaker] need to be pushed to the front a little, in order to bring out what talents they really possess, for their own encouragement and for the blessing also of the entire household of faith” (Reprints, p. 3136). From a physical standpoint, legs need to be exercised and strengthened. The familiar saying, “use it or lose it,” applies. Legs grow stronger with use. Likewise, the Body of Christ is fortified and built up when its members are exercised appropriately. Sometimes they have to go beyond their comfort level and be exposed to new experiences and situations. But if this is done consistently, there is likely to be growth for the individuals as well as the group. During training and competition, athletes are sometimes reminded of the slogan, “no pain, no gain.” It can sometimes be true in a spiritual sense. With respect to discipline, it is written, “No discipline, for the present indeed seemeth to be of joy, but of sorrow: afterwards, however —to them who thereby have been well trained—it yieldeth peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Hebrews 12:11, Rotherham). “[Establishment in the faith] is gained by a gradual steady growth under the discipline of suffering” (Reprints, p. 1053). The psalmist writes that the LORD “taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man” (Psalm 147:10). What are we to understand by these words? Here is one suggestion: “These [legs] are the athlete’s glory, but God hath no pleasure in them. Not the capacities of the creature, but rather its weakness and necessity, win the regard of our God. Physical or material greatness and power are of no account with Jehovah; he has respect to other and more precious qualities. Men who boast in fight the valour of gigantic might, will not find themselves the favorites of God: though earthly princes may feast their eyes upon their Joabs and their Abners, their Abishais and Asahels, the Lord of hosts has no pleasure in mere bone and muscle. Sinews and thews are of small account, either in horses or in men, with him who is a spirit, and delights most in spiritual things. The expression of the text may be viewed as including all creature power, even of a mental or moral kind. God does not take pleasure in us because of our attainments, or potentialities: he respects character rather than capacity.”—Treasury of David, Charles H. Spurgeon. Psalm 147 tells us of the qualities which the Lord approves. He is the one to be praised, not the creature. The Lord’s power, concern, knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and ability are abundantly manifested in this psalm. Our confidence should be in the Lord, and not in our own strength or might. Proverbs 3:5,6 instructs us to trust in the LORD with all our heart; and lean not unto our own understanding. When we acknowledge him in all of our ways, then we have the assurance that he will direct our paths. Our heart sentiment should be expressed in these words: “Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths” (Psalm 25:4). We are told in Proverbs 2:20 to walk in the way of good men and to regard the paths of the righteous. One illustration for our imitation is where Jesus said: “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you” (John 13:15). This was a lesson in humility based on Jesus’ washing the feet of his disciples. James called to our attention other worthy models when he wrote: “Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience” (James 5:10). Their faith, obedience, patience, and endurance were demonstrated in many different ways. They serve as noble patterns for us to follow. We also have this promise: “The LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11). If we follow in the paths of truth and righteousness, then we know that our walk will be approved by the Lord. Feet “[The foot is] the end part of the leg, consisting of the heel, arch, and toes, on which a person stands. Its major function is locomotion. The human foot cannot grasp and is adapted for running and striding (a step unique to humans that can cover great distances with minimal energy expenditure). Its arched structure helps it support the body’s weight.”—Encyclopedia Britannica. “In ancient times, as in many parts of the earth today, the feet were the main means of transportation. Some of the common people went barefoot, but sandals consisting of little more than a sole were commonly worn. On entering a house the sandals were removed. An essential, virtually obligatory mark of hospitality was to wash the feet of a guest, the service being performed either by the householder or by a servant; or at least water was provided for the purpose (Genesis 18:4; 24:32; 1 Samuel 25:41; Luke 7:37,38,44).”—Aid to Bible Understanding, p. 591. The book Aid to Bible Understanding further says: “The words ‘foot’ and ‘feet’ are frequently used to denote a person’s inclination or the course he takes, good or bad.” Here are some examples: “I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word“ (Psalm 119:101). “Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established” (Proverbs 4:26). “Their feet are swift to shed blood” (Romans 3:15). In the familiar parable of the prodigal son, we read: “When he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee” (Luke 15:17,18). This son considered his ways and literally turned his feet toward his father’s house. He realized that his wayward path had only increased his desire for the blessings of the home and life he had previously experienced. It all comes down to a matter of choice and decision. One can point his feet toward evil or good: “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:8). A philosopher has said it well: “Sow a thought, and you reap an act; sow an act, and you reap a habit; sow a habit, and you reap a character; sow a character, and you reap a destiny.” Proverbs 23:7 puts it simply: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Philippians 4:8 provides a Roadmap to Life: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” The opposites (falsehood, dishonesty, injustice, impurity, etc.) lead to death. We are told that “Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:9). This suggests that he walked in harmony with God’s will and commandments. Noah’s faith in God was manifested in his building of the ark in obedience to the divine instructions. Noah “lived a life of communion with God; it was his constant care to conform himself to the will of God, to please him, and to approve himself to him. God looks down upon those with an eye of favour who sincerely look up to him with an eye of faith” (Matthew Henry, Commentary). Noah chose the God-approved path. Paul speaks of the lifestyle common to fallen man: “You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:1,2). This describes a journey that is partnered by Satan and his associates. “God directs the ‘feet’ of his faithful servants in the right path, figuratively, showing them the way to go so as not to stumble to a spiritual fall or be ensnared in evil, and sometimes even safeguarding them against capture by the enemy.”—Aid to Bible Understanding. The Bible promises that God will “keep the feet of his saints” (1 Samuel 2:9). Our heavenly Father is our protector and preserver and has promised to take care of us. This thought is captured in the words of the familiar hymn:
God has also promised to pluck our feet out of the net (Psalm 25:15). He has affirmed his commitment to deliver us from difficulties which might overtake us if he did not lead us out (1 Corinthians 10:13). Psalm 119:105 shows a traveler with a lamp attached to the toe of his sandal, giving light only for each step of the way. “It is not a light like that of the moon, which reaches far out, but merely a little light at the feet of those who are watching for it” (Reprints, p. 5256). “It does not shine far into the future, but enough for each onward step as it becomes due” (What Pastor Russell Wrote for the Overland Monthly, p. 203). “Though the paths of life are dangerous and difficult, yet we shall stand fast, for Jehovah will not permit our feet to slide; and if he will not suffer it, we shall not suffer it. If our foot will be thus kept, we may be sure that our head and heart will be preserved also. In the original the words express a wish or prayer, ‘May he not suffer thy foot to be moved.’ Promised preservation should be the subject of perpetual prayer; and we may pray believing; for those who have God for their keeper shall be safe from all the perils of the way.”—Treasury of David. We are also assured that our feet will be guided “into the way of peace” (Luke 1:79). The word “peace” suggests tranquility and harmony. Only the footstep followers of Jesus will find this is true in their lives. As we look about us today, we find conflict, turmoil, unrest, violence, and wars to be the common state of the vast majority of mankind. However, if we continually look to the Lord for guidance and direction, we will experience peace in its fullest sense: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). There are additional figurative expressions in the Bible concerning the foot. These include: “And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt” (Genesis 41:44). This suggests taking or initiating a course of action. “Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour’s house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee” (Proverbs 25:17). The Bible here advises that one should not take undue advantage of another’s hospitality. A person’s company may be welcome in moderation, but if it becomes excessive, it could lead to the neighbor’s hatred. In most cases, people generally prefer having some time alone. We are also instructed in Colossians 4:5, “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.” “The Lord’s people … are in the midst of evil, the tendency of which is to absorb their energy, influence, and time in things sinful or foolish, or at least unprofitable, as compared with more weighty interests which lie closest to their hearts” (The Atonement Between God and Man, p. 431). Therefore, it is very important that we heed the apostle's admonition: “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). In a literal sense, we depend upon our feet to walk and run. Walking and running suggest action and movement. In a spiritual sense, we need to be active and busy in matters pertaining to the Lord, his truth, and his brethren. Like the youthful Jesus, we, too, should be about our “Father’s business” (Luke 2:49). God has special regard for the feet of those proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, calling them “beautiful” (Isaiah 52:7; Romans 10:15). Jesus used the term “foot” figuratively when he said: “If, then, your hand or your foot is making you stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you”(Matthew 18:8, New World translation). This suggests that if something as precious as the hand or foot is causing us to sin, or if something is leading us to sin with the hand or foot, we should get rid of that thing rather than to forfeit integrity and life itself. “If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?” (1 Corinthians 12:15). In likening the church to a human body, the apostle Paul highlights the interdependence of each body member. Each member of the church has need for all the others. And without question, the foot is an important member of great value in the service of the human body. Toes The toes are important for balance and direction to the body when walking and running. We have all experienced a problem at one time or another with a sore toe. On such occasions none of us would minimize the importance of this small, but important part of the body. A custom occasionally practiced to incapacitate a captured enemy was to cut off his thumbs and big toes (see Judges 1:6,7). The purpose appeared to be to humiliate the captive king and render him unfit for leadership. Leviticus 8:23,24 alludes to the installation of the priesthood in Israel. Moses took some blood of the ram and put it on the right ear, the right thumb, and the right big toe of Aaron and each of his sons. The blood of the sacrifice on the prominent member of the right foot would seem to indicate that the priests had to walk to the best of their ability in the sacrificial duties of the priesthood. “The true principle of sacrifice seeks not the poorest and leanest part of our sacrifice to offer before the Lord, but the fat—the freshest hours the choicest talents” (Reprints, p. 548). The followers of Jesus must sacrifice “their own comforts, preferences and desires, to the doing of the divine will, to the serving of the brethren and mankind in general” (Reprints, p. 5005). Are there yet other lessons we might derive from the fact that the toe gives balance to a body? One definition of “balance” is “mental and emotional steadiness.” This corresponds closely to one aspect of the fruit of the spirit (“temperance”) which is described in Galatians 5:23. Wilson’s Emphatic Diaglott and Rotherham’s translation render the word “self-control.” This quality is something that should be developed in each of the Lord’s consecrated followers. Disciplined and self-controlled Christians add steadiness to their own lives and can have a calming effect on those with whom they interact. Self-control is a requirement for overseers of the church: “For it is needful that the overseer be unaccusable, as God’s steward, not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, not ready to wound, not seeking gain by base means, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, kind, possessing self-control” (Titus 1:7,8, Rotherham). Toes also provide direction to a body when walking. In a spiritual sense, this could also refer to the leaders in the church who provide guidance and wisdom. Legs, Feet, and Toes The second chapter of Daniel describes Nebuchadnezzar’s image, which pictured four universal empires. The fourth empire was pictured in the legs of iron, and the feet and toes of part iron and part clay. Most commentators agree the fourth universal empire is Rome. Some of these interpretations are found in the following remarks: “According to the Scriptural view of the matter this fourth universal empire is still represented in the Papacy and the various so-called Christian governments of the world. These have practiced and prospered during this long period of Israel’s subjection and the overturned condition of God’s typical kingdom.”—Reprints, p. 4867. “The fourth universal empire, ruled by a succession of Roman emperors, controlled the world, and it was pagan. It intended to put down anyone that might arise to challenge its power. The powerful from time immemorial have always done whatever it takes to retain their power against any threat, real or imagined. Herod, whose power was but a shadow of Caesar’s, slew all those two years and younger in Bethlehem thinking that would erase a possible threat to his personal power (Matthew 2:16).”—The Herald of Christ’s Kingdom, July/August 2001, p. 27. “The feet and toes of iron and clay mixture indicated that the fourth empire, after bearing rule for a while, would be divided. Daniel explained a particular feature of the closing period —a feature represented by this divided rule of the fourth kingdom—stating that strenuous efforts would be made from time to time to unite these lesser kingdoms into one again, but that these efforts would fail, because, like the potter’s clay and iron of the image, they would not weld together. This is contained in the words: ‘And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men; but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.’ … One [interpretation] is that ‘the clay element blended with the iron in the feet represents the mixture of church and state.’ ” —Daniel, The Beloved of Jehovah, R. E. Streeter, p. 13. “There is another thing to be seen about Daniel’s prophecy concerning this world’s empires. … It is the decline of glory and even the decline of power that this vision represents. Daniel makes the point explicitly, showing that each kingdom is ‘inferior’ to the one before it in terms of its glory. That is to say, gold is the most precious of metals, and since the golden head of the statue represents Babylon, Babylon was therefore the most glorious of the four world kingdoms. Silver is less precious than gold, therefore less glorious. Brass is less precious than silver, therefore also a step further down in splendor. Iron, the basest of these metals, is the least glorious of all. Yet each of these is progressively stronger. Silver is stronger than gold. Brass is stronger than silver. Iron is stronger than brass. Daniel stresses this, saying, ‘Iron breaks and smashes everything.’ The kingdoms of the world seem to be trading magnificence for strength, which they must do if the succeeding empires are each to be sufficiently strong to destroy their predecessors. Yet, strikingly, when the vision gets to the strongest empire of all, the Roman Empire, the dream shows that the kingdom is (or would be) divided and in its divided state would have its iron, strength, mixed with brittle clay. “This is the opposite of the humanistic view of world progress. In its purest form the doctrine of progress insists that progress must always occur on all fronts. This is not true, of course. There are declines as well as gains. So modified expressions of the ‘progress’ philosophy argue that losses in one area (glory or magnificence, for example) are more than compensated for by gains in another area (strength or power, to preserve the example). But even that is an illusion, according to this chapter. When we go on with God, as Daniel and his friends did go on, we move on from strength to strength, from victory to victory. This is real progress, both personal and social. But apart from God even our imagined advances are declines. “Is the United States not morally and spiritually weaker today, though physically stronger, that it was a generation ago? Is not the same thing true for most other technically advanced societies?” (Daniel, An Expositional Commentary, James Montgomery Boice, pp. 36, 37). Summary We find many references to the leg, foot, and toe throughout the Old and New Testaments. These body parts may be discussed from a medical and practical point of view or from a more figurative and prophetic standpoint. Climate, geography, history, cultural traditions and other factors also come into play. In any event, we know that “all scripture given by inspiration of God, is also profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16, 17, RV). May this brief review increase our appreciation of, confidence in, and devotion to the all-wise and all-powerful Creator, who fashioned us in his image (Genesis 1:26). |