EPISODE 461 – THE MARATHON RUN — BEAUTIFUL FEET 3

THE MARATHON RUN — BEAUTIFUL FEET 3

“How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Isaiah 52:7 (NKJV)

During a time of war or a significant intense battle, the fate and history of a people depend on the outcome of the war or the battle. And this was prevalent in antiquity.

It was either a king and his people would lose their kingdom and lands or they would expand their territory or remain unconquered.

These people will look forward to a messenger to bring them updates from the battlefield. Since there was no advanced technology (such as radio and television) to broadcast the news from the battlefield.

As we have looked at this previously, the phrase BEAUTIFUL FEET is an imagery of a messenger running from a distant city or even a battlefield bearing good news.

When the messenger from a battlefield comes with bad news, he is not seen as one with beautiful feet even when he’s wearing sandals made of gold.

An example of news being carried from the battlefield to the city will be found
In 2 Samuel 18; we see the story of how David’s army defeated Absalom.

A Cushite was sent by Joab (one of the commanders of David’s troops) to deliver the message to the King. And also Ahimaz son of Zadok joined the race to take the news to the King. David hearing of how the runners or messengers were approaching the city, knew they were bearing good news.

There is a posture of one who bears good news.

Also around 490 B.C. the Persian army under the reign of King Darius I, arrived at the plain of Marathon (a Greek name for fennel plant) intending to invade Greece; precisely Athens. A soldier and a messenger (named Pheidippides, according to the Greek historian Herodotus) run from Marathon to Athens with the news of the arrival of the Persians (there may be other sides to the marathon story) However, the Persians were defeated at the Battle of Marathon, and definitely the Marathon runner played a role.

This marathon runner’s feat became the origin of the Marathon race during the Olympic games. He had to run many kilometres of rugged terrain to publish a news.

The “marathon runner” was determined to reach his destination. An effective runner must have the mindset of a finisher. A runner must run as fast as he could yet with patience and much endurance.

The author of Hebrews stated that we must “…run with patience the race set before us.” Hebrews 12:1 (KJV)

Our walk of faith is seen as a race or a marathon.

“As for us, we have all of these great witnesses who encircle us like clouds. So we must let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall into. Then we will be able to run life’s marathon race with passion and determination, for the path has been already marked out before us.” Hebrews 12:1 (TPT)

The goal of this marathon is to complete the task of publishing and saturating the earth with the news of Jesus at every cost.

You are a bearer of the glorious news of Jesus. Don’t quit.