Prediction Concerning Egypt

Commentary

Ashdad, a Philistine city was captured by the commander-in-chief of the Assyrian King Sargon (v. 1). The capture of Ashdad was a signal to Judah that they could not count on foreign alliances to protect them. For three years, Isaiah did not wear his outer garment of sackcloth (not completely naked) or his sandals (vv. 2-3). This object lesson was to show how the Egyptians and Cushites would be treated by the invading Assyrian forces. When Egypt and Cush would fall to Assyria (v. 4), Judah, who thought an alliance with these countries could help them, would now be afraid and ashamed (v. 5). The people would realize that if Cush and Egypt had fallen to Assyria, then they had no chance to escape (v. 6). They realized that they should trust the Lord for protection rather than an alliance.

God’s command for Isaiah to walk around in undergarments for 3 years was a humiliating experience. He was using this to demonstrate the humiliation that Egypt and Ethiopia was about to experience by Assyria. However, this message was really for Judah not to put their trust in foreign governments or they would experience this same kind of shame and humiliation from their captors.

Application

God asked Isaiah to do something that seemed very shameful and illogical. At times the Lord may ask me to do something that I don’t understand. However, I must obey God in complete faith, for I can be sure that He will never ask me to do something wrong.

Isaiah 20:1– 6 (NET)

¹ The Lord revealed the following message during the year in which King Sargon of Assyria sent his commanding general to Ashdod, and he fought against it and captured it. ² At that time the Lord announced through Isaiah son of Amoz: “Go, remove the sackcloth from your waist and take your sandals off your feet.” He did as instructed and walked around in undergarments and barefoot. ³ Later the Lord explained, “In the same way that my servant Isaiah has walked around in undergarments and barefoot for the past three years, as an object lesson and omen pertaining to Egypt and Cush, ⁴ so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, both young and old. They will be in undergarments and barefoot, with the buttocks exposed; the Egyptians will be publicly humiliated. ⁵ Those who put their hope in Cush and took pride in Egypt will be afraid and embarrassed. ⁶ At that time those who live on this coast will say, ‘Look what has happened to our source of hope to whom we fled for help, expecting to be rescued from the king of Assyria! How can we escape now?’”