A Sign against Egypt and Cush
Isaiah 20:1 – 6 “Before the year that the chief commander, sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and attacked and captured it, the LORD had already spoken through Isaiah son of Amoz, saying, “Go, remove the sackcloth from your waist and the sandals from your feet.”
And Isaiah did so, walking around naked and barefoot. Then the LORD said, “Just as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and omen against Egypt and Cush, so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old alike, naked and barefoot, with bared buttocks—to Egypt’s shame.
Those who made Cush their hope and Egypt their boast will be dismayed and ashamed. And on that day the dwellers of this coastland will say, ‘See what has happened to our source of hope, those to whom we fled for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?’”
Isaiah was a prophet and a member of the priestly families. He had probably been raised to dress modestly and appropriately. The very last thing Isaiah would choose would be to walk around barefoot and naked for even one day. But this passage tells us that Isaiah actually walked around barefoot and naked for THREE YEARS!!!
We were in Israel in the end of March 2016. Israel is NOT a tropical country, and although we had some warm clothing with us, we suffered with the cold. The last thing we would have chosen would have been to walk around barefoot, let alone naked; yet, Isaiah did so for three full years. What was Isaiah thinking?
Isaiah’s ministry reached far beyond the borders of Israel. Isaiah’s prophecies were known throughout the Middle East, and now God was ordering Isaiah to walk around as if he were a homeless naked refugee as a sign to the Egyptians and the Cushites (Ethiopians.) Not only was Isaiah to be a sign for these people, but also for anyone who thought that an alliance with Egypt or Cush would save them from the Assyrians.
Not only was Isaiah graphically demonstrating what would happen to these nations, but God through Isaiah was also calling all the peoples of that region to Himself. God wanted these people to realize that no political alliance would save them from destruction, only alliance with the One True Living God.
APPLICATION: Did Isaiah’s prophecy have any effect on the surrounding people? The answer lies hidden with God in eternity. It is possible that individuals who saw Isaiah in this state might have sought God’s face. Certainly, God was trying as hard as possible to get attention to Himself as the ultimate Protector.
What about Isaiah? It’s quite amazing that Isaiah didn’t fall sick with pneumonia or heat stroke during those three years. If Isaiah had any lingering pride in being a prophet, three years of shame would have cured him of that!
What about us? What if God calls you to get out of your comfort zone? What if God calls you to do something supremely foolish? Will you go? Will you obey?
At the end of World War II, Francis Schaeffer was a successful pastor with a growing ministry when he felt God ordering him and his family to move to a small village in Switzerland. Selling all their possessions, the Schaeffer family moved to Switzerland in 1948 and began informally ministering to travelers and students who were seeking meaning for their lives after the cataclysmic events of the war. In 1955 the Schaeffers founded L’Abri (French for “the shelter.”) “Serving as both a philosophy seminar and a spiritual community, L’Abri attracted thousands of young people, and was later expanded into Sweden, France, the Netherlands, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.” (Wikipedia)
Schaeffer’s influence continues to be felt as the work of L’Abri continues. “ Following Schaeffer’s death in 1984,[9] L’Abri would continue to grow. In the present day, L’Abri has operations in a number of different countries. As of 2011, L’Abri has residential “Study Centres” in the United States (Minnesota and Massachusetts), Canada, South Korea, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland. It also has non-residential “Resource Centres”, run by friends of the organization, in Brazil and Germany.” (Wikipedia)
Was Francis Schaeffer a fool for uprooting his family and moving to Switzerland? Ask the thousands who have found L’Abri an enormous blessing. Was Isaiah a fool for walking around naked and barefoot for three years? Absolutely not! No sacrifice for God ever goes unnoticed or unrewarded. When Isaiah walked around with people mocking him, God walked with him. When the Schaeffers moved to Switzerland, God guided them.
Today, God may be asking you to sacrifice something you treasure for His glory. Will you go forward into this new year, trusting that where God guides, He will provide?
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, sometimes You frighten us! You want us to be more than we think we can possibly be. Help us to trust where we cannot see and to go forward with You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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