Isaiah 20 - Bible Study in 5 Minutes
Isaiah 20 Short Summary:
Isaiah 20 tells us how God made Isaiah into a sign and portent to the people of Judah. Isaiah walked around for 3 years without clothing to illustrate the way that Assyrian army would carry off captives from Egypt and Cush. This was meant to teach Judah not to put their trust in foreign allies.
Isaiah 20 Bible Study
TIMELINE:
The prophetic ministry of Isaiah spanned the reigns of King Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.
God spoke to Isaiah in the year that Assyria conquered the Philistine city of Ashdod (711 BC). Isaiah spent the 3 following years being a visible sign to God’s people.
KEY CHARACTERS:
Isaiah – The son of Amoz (1:1). God commissioned Isaiah as His prophet to Judah.
King Sargon – From the details in the text, this appears to be Sargon II, who reigned over Assyria from 722-705 BC.
The Nation of Egypt – A southern neighbor to Judah. They enslaved the people of Judah during the time of Moses.
The Nation of Cush - Cush, called Ethiopia in other versions, was south of Egypt along the coast of the Red Sea.
DEFINITIONS:
Sackcloth (20:2) - A very rough and uncomfortable fabric. It was worn by people who were publicly mourning.
Portent (20:3) – A sign or a warning that something is about to happen, often something big.
OUTLINE:
ISAIAH NAKED AS A SIGN TO EGYPT, CUSH, AND JUDAH (20:1-6):
God spoke to Isaiah in the year that Assyria, ruled by King Sargon, conquered the Philistine city of Ashdod (711 BC).
He told Isaiah to take off his sackcloth clothing and walk naked amongst the people.
Isaiah did as the Lord instructed, walking around “naked and barefoot” for three years.
This was to be a sign to the people of Egypt and Cush of how the Assyrians would carry them away captive after conquering them.
These proud nations were going to be humiliated, and the people of Judah would be ashamed of themselves for having put their hope in their alliances with them.
Isaiah said, “They shall be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope and of Egypt their boast.”
Judah should have put its trust in the Lord to defend them.
APPLICATION:
Being a servant of God isn’t always a desirable or admirable job.
We often think of God’s great servants as well-known preachers, best-selling Christian book authors, or conference speakers.
Those are usually positions that come with some kind of prestige and honor, and most of us probably wouldn’t mind being in those positions.
Most of us would be more than happy to serve God in one of those capacities.
But Isaiah teaches us that being a great servant of God may mean doing much less desirable work.
What if God asked you to walk around embarrassed for 3 years? Or to preach a message that everyone around you was going to hate you for?
Would you still want to be God’s servant?
If the answer is “no”, we need to take a close look at our hearts and ask what our real motivations are for serving the Lord, and how deep our convictions really run.
