For centuries, tapestries were used to depict great images, compelling stories, and essential truths.
As threads were carefully placed, beautiful pictures emerged in the fabric for others to view and understand.
In many ways, the narrative of the Bible is like a beautiful, woven tapestry.
The Bible is a collection of narratives, poems, letters, and prophecies—woven together into a single, divine tapestry. This masterpiece tells an incredible story of a loving God reaching out to rescue his people and draw them back to himself. When we view Scripture this way, we begin to notice the individual threads that God uses to create the greater picture. The Bible is full of these threads—interconnected themes that stretch and weave through every page. These threads may not always be the primary focus of the story, but they contribute to the beauty and depth of God’s Word. Careful readers can learn to trace these threads and discover their richness.
The Garden
At first glance, “feet” seems like an odd thread. But this theme appears throughout Scripture and reveals profound truths.
We first see the thread of feet in the Garden of Eden, after the fall, when God curses the serpent and gives a promise.
“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15).
This vital initial promise serves as the beginning of the thread—pointing forward to the one whose heel would be pierced, and whose feet would crush the serpent’s head.
Holy Ground and Reverent Feet
As we trace this thread through the Old Testament, feet continue to show up in other significant moments. Bare feet symbolize reverence and the holiness of God’s presence.
When Moses approaches the burning bush, God commands him: “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5).
Later, Joshua receives similar instructions when he encounters the commander of the Lord’s army: “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy” (Joshua 5:15).
Bare feet, unencumbered by the dirt of shoes, are necessary for both Moses and Joshua to enter the presence of the Holy God.
Authority and Dominion
Feet also serve as a sign of authority and possession.
The psalmist writes: “You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under your feet” (Psalm 8:6)
In Joshua 1:3, God says, “Every place that the sole of your feet will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.”
And in Daniel, most importantly, a vision of a statue representing earthly kingdoms is destroyed by a stone smashing the statue from the feet.
Threads in the Gospels
These moments spread throughout the Bible are a single thread. Individually, they aren’t the focus; instead, they appear again and again as they are woven into the greater picture.
When Jesus approaches his final weeks, the theme becomes more vivid when a woman anoints his feet with costly oil rather than his head. Finally, during the final moments of his life, Jesus kneels to wash his disciples’ feet. The same Holy God who asked Moses and Joshua to remove their shoes now stoops down to cleanse their feet himself—welcoming them into God’s presence.
Then, just a few chapters later, Roman soldiers drive a nail through the feet of Jesus as the final physical act of crucifixion. It is upon that nail through his feet that Jesus raises his body so he can speak his final words. The scars in his feet remain in his body. And those pierced feet are a permanent reminder of his invitation for us to one day stand in God’s presence.
A Glimpse of Glory
This is merely a glimpse into the thread of Scripture related to feet. In Exodus, the elders of Israel see the feet of God. And on it goes.
The thread of feet throughout the Bible is a symbol of God’s desire to call and cleanse people so they may enter his presence. This beautiful thread ultimately weaves itself into the story of Jesus.
Tracing themes like this deepens our understanding of the unity of Scripture and reminds us that every page points to the same story: God redeeming his people through his Son.
