Egypt cannot be trusted in to rescue Israel. Jerusalem was saved, not by intervention of Ethiopian or Egyptian armies, but by the direct action of the Angel of the Lord.

1. Isaiah acts out a sign (vs. 1-2)

This describes the time when the army of Assyria conquered the Philistine city of Assyria. This invasion has a concrete marking point in secular history: 711 B.C. The Philistines were both neighbours and thorns to Israel, and the fall of Ashdod would certainly make Israel think that they needed protection.

We shouldn’t think that Isaiah was nude, completely without clothing. Instead, he only wore the inner garment customary in that day – sort of like wearing only your underwear or a nightshirt. The message wasn’t nudity; it was complete poverty and humiliation. Isaiah dressed as the poorest and most destitute would dress. God would sometimes have his prophets to add to their word a visible sign, to awaken people’s minds to a more serious consideration of the matters proposed to them.

Other prophets were asked to go through equally difficult experiences as signs to Israel. Hosea endured a trying marriage, and Ezekiel’s wife died as an illustration for the nation. (Ezekiel. 24:16-24).

2. The meaning of the sign (vs. 3-6)

Under the command of the Lord, Isaiah dressed in this poor and humble way for three years. It was a message against Egypt, because the king of Assyria would lead away the Egyptians as prisoners. As the Assyrians took the Egyptians captive, they would humiliate them by stripping them and leading them away as prisoners. This would all be to the shame of Egypt. When God judges Ethiopia and Egypt, it will be evident how foolish it was for Judah to look to them for protection against Assyria.

The Lord allowed Judah to be backed into a corner, caught between two mighty Empires (Egypt and Assyria), without being able to trust either one. There was no escape – except in the Lord! There is no place of security for the people of God, other than that to be found in the rule of God.

Categories: Isaiah