For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

 Isa 20:1-6

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

3 Then the Lord said, “Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years, as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush, 4 so the king of Assyria will lead away stripped and barefoot the Egyptian captives and Cushite exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared—to Egypt’s shame. 5 Those who trusted in Cush and boasted in Egypt will be dismayed and put to shame. 6 In that day the people who live on this coast will say, ‘See what has happened to those we relied on, those we fled to for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?’”

A. Find Out

• 1. What event happened? v.1
• 2. What did the Lord tell Isaiah to do? v.2
• 3. Of what was this a picture? v,3,4
• 4. How had people felt about Egypt? v.5a
• 5. How will that change? v.5b,6

B. Think:

• 1. What effect do you think the taking of Ashdod in the west would have had on the surrounding peoples?
• 2. Who had they relied upon in the past?
• 3. How is that going to change?

C. Comment:

Sargon II of Assyria reigned from 721 to 705BC so this occurs during that time. His forces came and attacked Ashdod, (v.1) a Philistine city to the west of Judah (see 1 Sam 6:17).  Now up until then Egypt had been strong and a support to friendly allies in the area. Thus previously the people of the coast (v.6) to the west and south of Judah had relied upon alliances with strong Egypt. When this attack comes they are naturally alarmed by take courage in Egypt. It is at this point that the Lord steps in.

He instructs Isaiah, as His messenger, to take off his clothes and walk around naked or semi-naked (possible a loin cloth) for three years. At the end of that time the Lord speaks again and declares that Isaiah has been a sign of what will soon be happening to Egypt. There is a sense here that this lived-out-sign and this word against Egypt comes almost as a full stop to ratify the end of the word against Cush and Egypt that we have seen in the previous two chapters.

Simply put, the Lord is saying to the lands nearest to Egypt, your time of relying upon Cush and Egypt is about to come to an end for these same Assyrians who have invaded Ashdod will come and take Egypt and take the peoples of Egypt and Cush into slavery (v.4). This is what will happen to weakened Egypt.

D. Application:

• 1. Man relies upon strong nations, but God can bring them down.
• 2. Relying upon men is unwise. Rely upon the Lord alone.