
Isaiah 20
Isaiah 20 provides a prophetic sign through Isaiah’s unusual act of walking barefoot and naked for three years. It serves as a warning to Egypt and Cush (Ethiopia) about the impending defeat by Assyria, demonstrating that reliance on these nations for security would be in vain. Judah, hoping to depend on these powers, is warned of their inevitable humiliation, showing that they too would face the consequences of their misplaced trust.
Isaiah 20:1 (NKJV)
1 In the year that Tartan came to Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and took it,
Ashdod, a Philistine city, was captured by the Assyrians under Sargon II’s rule. The mention of Tartan, an Assyrian commander, and the victory over Ashdod, sets the historical context for Isaiah’s prophecy. This event highlights Assyria’s dominance in the region, showing its expanding power and influence, and foreshadowing what would happen to other nations that opposed or relied on Egypt and Cush for protection.
Isaiah 20:2 (NKJV)
2 at the same time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, and remove the sackcloth from your body, and take your sandals off your feet.” And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.
Isaiah obeyed God's unusual command to remove his sackcloth, symbolizing mourning or repentance, and walked barefoot and naked. This act was a dramatic and prophetic sign, indicating the coming humiliation and captivity of Egypt and Cush. Isaiah’s obedience demonstrated his commitment to God’s message, no matter how strange or difficult it seemed.
Isaiah 20:3-4 (NKJV)
3 Then the Lord said, “Just as My servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder against Egypt and Ethiopia,
4 so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians as prisoners and the Ethiopians as captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.
Isaiah’s symbolic act represented the fate of Egypt and Cush. The Assyrians would defeat them, and their people would be led into captivity, humiliated, and exposed. This visual sign was meant to show Judah the futility of trusting in Egypt or Cush for security. The prophecy emphasizes the shame and disgrace that Egypt, a once-powerful nation, would face at the hands of Assyria.
Isaiah 20:5 (NKJV)
5 Then they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation and Egypt their glory.
The people of Judah would realize their misplaced hope in these nations. When Egypt and Cush fell to Assyria, the inhabitants of Judah would feel fear and shame for relying on them. The verse underscores the folly of trusting in human power instead of seeking God’s protection and guidance.
Isaiah 20:6 (NKJV)
6 And the inhabitant of this territory will say in that day, ‘Surely such is our expectation, wherever we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria; and how shall we escape?’”
When Egypt and Cush were defeated, the people of Judah would lament their failed alliances. Their question, "How shall we escape?" reflects their realization that without divine protection, no worldly power could save them from the Assyrians. This verse closes the chapter with a strong reminder that true security comes only from trusting in God, not in foreign alliances.