ISAIAH

Isaiah 20

quote:

"In the year that the commander came to Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him and he fought against Ashdod and captured it, 2 at that time the LORD spoke through Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, "Go and loosen the sackcloth from your hips and take your shoes off your feet." And he did so, going naked and barefoot. 3 And the LORD said, "Even as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot three years as a sign and token against Egypt and Cush, 4 so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old, naked and barefoot with buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt. 5 "Then they will be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope and Egypt their boast. 6 "So the inhabitants of this coastland will say in that day, 'Behold, such is our hope, where we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria; and we, how shall we escape?'"

In this chapter the judgment mentioned in the previous chapter is beginning to manifest. In the year 711, Assyria moved to march upon Egypt.

If Isaiah was to go "naked" for sometime during a period of three years, then God would have spoken this command to Isaiah three years prior to the actual capture mentioned in this chapter. One might ask why Isaiah was wearing sackcloth, as it was a symbol of mourning. Sackcloth may have also been a common garment worn by prophets. We should understand that this loosening or complete removal of his sackcloth garment was a symbolic act, which did not necessarily leave him totally naked. Most likely, he merely put off the outer sackcloth and was left with a tunic or undergarment. Had he been totally naked there would not have been the need for the additional statement that he was to also go barefooted.

To have walked the streets of Jerusalem naked would have been dishonoring to the Lord, but in his duty as a prophet Isaiah's state of dress was to bring attention to himself and to his message. The heart of Judah needed a sign to bring them to repentance and Isaiah's lack of clothing was to be a silent encouragement to them to repent. Through the humiliation of a lack of clothing worn by the Lord's prophet, Judah was to see the naked and barren condition of Egypt, the nation they had unwisely placed their confidence in. And so the king of Assyria would carry off all the Egyptians in humiliation, naked and barefooted.

Isaiah uses Judah's own words against themselves – "Behold, such is our hope, where we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria; and we, how shall we escape?" Judah saw Egypt as strong and themselves as weak so they had fully expected help to come from Egypt. Now that Egypt could not help they were distressed and felt shame.

Again God wanted Judah to learn to place their trust and confidence in Him. As covenant children they were to express faith and walk in faithfulness to the God who had borne them on eagles' wings to bring them out of Egypt! Were their hearts so hardened they could not see God's faithfulness to them – His patience, lovingkindness, provision and the abundance of the land given to them through the years? Because they had chosen to go their own way, their hearts and eyes had become clouded to God's goodness. Soon they would be removed from the land that had been symbolic of all that God had done for them. It is a lesson for us, too, that we not take lightly the grace God has given us.

The writer of Hebrews says, (Hebrews 2:3-4) "how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will."