20:1. “In the
year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent
him,) and fought against Ashdod, and took it;”
The year was 711 BC, and
Tartan was the commander of the armies of king Sargon of Assyria, who had
sent him to capture the Philistine city of Ashdod, which he did.
20:2. “At the
same time spake the Lord by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the
sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he
did so, walking naked and barefoot.”
The Lord was speaking
to Isaiah, who by his obedience would in turn speak in typological
language to Israel, his being commanded to remove the sackcloth from his
loins implying that his mourning for Israel had led him to wear a sackcloth
outer garment.
His being naked after
removing the sackcloth robe is not to be taken literally. It is generally
understood to mean that without his robe and sandals, he would have been
half clad, as would a businessman walking on the street today without his
jacket and shoes. His inappropriate dress would arouse the curiosity and
attention of the people, and make his message more dramatic.
20:3. “And the
Lord said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three
years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;”
Some scholars understand
this to mean not that the prophet thus testified for three years, but that
his manner of dress signified the coming subjection of Egypt and Ethiopia to
Assyria for three years. Jennings, for example, has written, “Nor is it
necessary to read the third verse as in our Authorized Version; as if the
prophet must thus walk about the city for three literal years; but thus:
‘And my servant said, As my servant Isaiah goeth naked and barefoot, a
three years’ sign and wonder against Egypt and against Ethiopia, so
shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, etc.;’”
Many others however,
understand it to mean that Isaiah did thus witness for three years.
20:4. “So
shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the
Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their
buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.”
The mention of “buttocks
uncovered” indicates that the prisoners of the Assyrians may indeed have
been exposed to this humiliation.
20:5. “And
they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt
their glory.”
The Jerusalem Bible
renders this
verse, “You will be frightened and ashamed about Cush in which you trusted,
and about Egypt of which you boasted.” Israel would learn to her sorrow the
folly of trusting in anyone except in her God Jehovah, it being written,
“... vain is the help of man,” Psalm 108:12. We too would do well to heed
this warning, and to trust implicitly in God alone.
20:6. “And the
inhabitant of this isle shall say in that day, Behold, such is our
expectation, whither we flee for help to be delivered from the king of
Assyria: and how shall we escape?”
The inhabitants “of this
isle” (coastland) were the Israelites and the adjoining peoples. Other
translations of this verse are, “If this is what has happened to those in
whom we trusted, those to whom we turned for rescue from the king of
Assyria, what chance of escape have we,” Phillips; and, “If this can
happen to Egypt, what chance have we?” Taylor.
Worse than the inanity of
Israel’s having placed her trust in Egypt, lies the infinitely greater folly
of men’s trusting in baptism, church membership, Bible study, moral living,
generosity, kindness, etc., to save them from hell, and fit them for
heaven. The only way to heaven is for a man to admit that he is a sinner
without a shred of righteousness, and then to believe that Jesus Christ
loved him enough to die in his stead for his sins, thus making it possible
for God, on a perfectly just basis, to pardon all his sins, and bestow His
priceless gift of eternal life.
The writer of the book of
Hebrews propounds the vital question, “How shall we escape if we neglect so
great salvation?” Hebrews 2:3. Contrary to popular opinion those in hell are
not there because of sins committed, but because they neglected or refused
to accept God’s pardon for those sins, offered them as His free but
priceless gift, as it is written, “For the wages of sin is death; but the
gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord,” Romans
6:23. There is no tragedy greater than to come to the end of life’s journey
having to leave behind one’s most treasured possessions because they can’t
be taken into eternity, and having neglected to accept that priceless gift
of life which is the only thing that can be taken there.
