Jesse Tree Ornament - The Sandals

"Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:" Genesis 12: 1-4 (KJB)

and

"And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him." Genesis 12:7 (KJB)

Patterns for cutting Abraham's sandals from baker's clay.

You will need twine and glue and an embroidery needle along with baker's clay and acrylic paints for this sandal ornament. The holes in the color version of the ornament show where you will need to thread the twine for the upper parts of the sandals. It is also important that you not add feet to your sandals for Abraham. The symbol of Abraham's sandals removed denotes absolute subjugation to God.

Color suggestion for painting the sandals of Abraham.

A baker's clay version of Abraham's sandals.

Sandals, at first, were only soles tied to the feet with strings or thongs; afterwards they were covered; and at last they called even shoes sandals. When Judith went to the camp of Holoderness, it is said she put sandals on her feet; and her sandals ravished his eyes. They were a magnificent kind of buskins, proper only to ladies of condition, and such as dressed themselves for admiration. But there were sandals also belonging to men, and of mean value.

       The business of untying and carrying the sandals being that of a servant, the expressions of the Baptist, "whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose," was an acknowledgement of his great inferiority to Christ, and that Christ was his Lord. To pull off the sandals on entering a sacred place, or the house of a person of distinction, was the usual mark of respect. They were taken care of by the attendant servant. 

Other scripture denotes distinctions made in removing the shoes: In these cases there is a necessary submission to the Lord as supreme authority.

• "And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." Exodus 3:5 (KJB)
• "And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.
  " 2 Samuel 15:30 (KJB)
• "At the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;" Isaiah 20: 2-3 (KJB)
• "And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey." Joshua 9:13 (KJB)
• "Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel. Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe." Ruth 4:7-8 (KJB)
• "Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way." Luke 10:4 (KJB)

Who knew shoes meant so much?

• The Symbolism of the Shoe with Special Reference to Jewish Sources
• Return To The Jesse Tree Index