A LIVING PARABLE

Passage: Isaiah 20:1-6

Key verse: 5

NIV

A Prophecy Against Egypt and Cush

20 In the year that the supreme commander,(A) sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod(B) and attacked and captured it— 2 at that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz.(C) He said to him, “Take off the sackcloth(D) from your body and the sandals(E) from your feet.” And he did so, going around stripped(F) and barefoot.(G)

3 Then the Lord said, “Just as my servant(H) Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years,(I) as a sign(J) and portent(K) against Egypt(L) and Cush,[a](M) 4 so the king(N) of Assyria will lead away stripped(O) and barefoot the Egyptian captives(P) and Cushite(Q) exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared(R)—to Egypt’s shame.(S) 5 Those who trusted(T) in Cush(U) and boasted in Egypt(V) will be dismayed and put to shame.(W) 6 In that day(X) the people who live on this coast will say, ‘See what has happened(Y) to those we relied on,(Z) those we fled to for help(AA) and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?(AB)’”

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Footnotes
  1. Isaiah 20:3 That is, the upper Nile region; also in verse 5
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

A Sign Against Egypt and Cush

20 In the year that (A)the commander in chief, who was sent by Sargon the king of Assyria, came to (B)Ashdod and fought against it and captured it— 2 at that time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet,” and he did so, walking (C)naked and barefoot.

3 Then the Lord said, “As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years (D)as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush,[a] 4 so shall the (E)king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt. 5 (F)Then they shall be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope and of Egypt their boast. 6 And the inhabitants of (G)this coastland will say in that day, ‘Behold, this is what has happened to those in whom we hoped and (H)to whom we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria! And we, how shall we escape?’”

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Footnotes
  1. Isaiah 20:3 Probably Nubia
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. The Assyrian invasion (1)

When the Assyrian army struck Ashdod, a strong Philistine city, the people of Judah were joyful that it had not happened to them. They were not so afraid, because they believed that the mighty Egyptian army to their south was strong enough to defeat the Assyrians. They trusted politics and alliances and people rather than God.

2. A sign against Egypt (2-6)

Sometimes God asks his servants to do very strange things in order to teach his word. He told Isaiah to strip off his clothes and walk around naked and barefoot for three years to show Judah that the people they had trusted would be led away as helpless captives. God's people must trust in God, not depend on other people. Those who depend on weak human beings will collapse in fear in the day of trouble. It's not easy to be God's servant, and not easy to teach his word!

Prayer: Lord, teach my heart to trust you wholly. Forgive me for leaning on people.

One Word: Trust God and teach his word.