Isaiah 20
Read Isaiah 20 (WEB)+
1In the year that Tartan came to Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and took it; 2at that time Yahweh spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, and loosen the sackcloth from off your waist, and take your shoes from off your feet.” He did so, walking naked and barefoot. 3Yahweh said, “As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder concerning Egypt and concerning Ethiopia, 4so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Ethiopia, young and old, naked and barefoot, and with buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt. 5They will be dismayed and confounded, because of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory. 6The inhabitants of this coast land will say in that day, ‘Behold, this is our expectation, where we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria. And we, how will we escape?’”
World English Bible (public domain)
“Then the Lord said, 'As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush,'”
Isaiah 20:3
Summary
In Isaiah chapter 20, the prophet Isaiah is instructed by the Lord to demonstrate a sign of impending judgment against Egypt and Cush by walking barefoot and naked for three years. This symbolic act is meant to communicate the fate that awaits these nations at the hands of the Assyrians, who will lead captives away in humiliation. The chapter underlines God's sovereignty over the nations and His ability to reveal their destinies through prophetic action. This passage serves as a sobering warning to the people of Judah, urging them to rely on God rather than seeking alliances with foreign powers for security. The chapter emphasizes the futility of trusting in human strength and political alliances when divine judgment is at play.
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