George Bush was not at all concerned about a shoe being thrown at him. To most people in the European or Western world, that is the sort of thing an immature kid might do. If they threw rotten fruit, now that might be an insult, but a shoe?
This shoe throwing incident has brought to the world's attention that shoe throwing has significance.
There is to be another shoe throwing incident,
God has spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice... Gilead is mine (West of the Jordan), and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of my head; Judah is my lawgiver;
Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Palestine, triumph you because of me. (Psalm 60:6-8 and also Psalm 108:7-9)
At some point God will throw out his shoe upon Edom. Moab is modern central Jordan, and Edom is modern Southern Jordan. It is repeated twice, which, in the Bible, means 'it is established'.
The ancient shoe customs
In the book of Ruth as an aside we are told an exchange of a shoe was part of every covenant,
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 (Ruth 4:7)
That it is an aside indicates the custom changed at some point.
The man making the covenant would then walk home with only one shoe, to reinforce that he was bound to a covenant. The other person has the shoe. It is possible that if the man giving away the shoe failed to deliver to the covenant the one who had the shoe would bring it in as evidence (and if annoyed, throw it at him, but this is surmising). The book of Ruth claims that it was the custom for the redeeming of all items.
However, there is only one law of Israel that specifically mentions this, that of maintaining inheritance through a brother's wife, possibly indicating that the exchange of a shoe was an accepted practice that predates the law of Moses. The law reads,
If the man does not like to take his brother's wife (to raise a son), then let his brother's wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, "My husband's brother refuses to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel..."
Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand to it, and say, "I like not to take her";
Then shall his brother's wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, "So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother's house". And his name shall be called in Israel, 'The house of him that has his shoe loosed'.(Deuteronomy 25:6-10)
It was not a compliment to have the shoe removed. They were labelled as if they were covenant breakers and by implication worthless.
The Covenant Shoe is like a Raiment Pledge
The giving of a shoe as the sign of a covenant has a context where clothing items were given as pledges or in modern terms IOU notes (Exodus 22:26, Deut. 24:13, Amos 2:8). The items listed are also given as IOU's
In the Law the clothes were to be returned over night (Exodus 22:26). When the debt is paid the pledge is given back to its owner.
A covenant is somewhat different, but is similar to an IOU, it seems consistent that if an outer garment is given as an IOU note, that a shoe is given to seal a covenant.
The Shoes I am Not worthy to loose
The saying of 'loosing a shoe' came into common language of the New Testament, from the ancient practices of shoe losing in business dealing. To loose another's shoe is not about serving them, but rather to be involved in business dealings at the gate of the city with them. John the Baptist seems to have used this expression more than once.
There comes one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. (Mark 1:7, Luke 3:16, John 1:27)
he that comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear (Mat 3:11)
Even Stephen the Greek proselyte remarks on John's the Baptist's use of this expression.
When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose. (Acts 13:24-25)
The Appropriateness of the Shoe
The shoe is about 'walking' and the path we 'walk' or take in life. To give a shoe is to say to the other party that our 'walk', or way, or aim and direction in life will involve fulfilling our obligations to the one who has our shoe.
The Shoe and Contempt
The dust of the feet is likely to be less than clean, extreme humiliation is related to the dust of another's feet.
And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shall know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. (Isaiah 49:23)
One might cast a shoe at a covenant breaker, but casting the dust from it, is a sign of contempt.
And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. (Mat 10:14, Mark 6:11, Luke 9:5) )
The action must have been common, for not only does Jesus use it but Paul and Barnabas do so when they were expelled for preaching, When they
raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. (Act 13:50-51)
Jordan and God's shoe
So what happens when God throws a shoe?
God has spoken in his holiness.. Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Over Palestine will I shout. (Psalm 108:7-9 see also Psalm 60:6-8)
In the central area of Jordan God will 'wash' the people, removing the dirt, and to the South of Jordan he will cast out the worthless 'dirt' from the shoe after he has walked on the earth in judgement. The Palestinians, who have been shouting a lot recently, will be shouted at (an alarm in battle or a shout of triumph in joy).
If those former Jordanians (now Palestinians) in the West bank who threw their shoes at the bemused Israeli forces read the Jewish scriptures, they would have known that the God of the Jews anticipated their actions and has promised to throw his shoe at them!
