Isaiah 20:4
so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old alike, naked and barefoot, with bared buttocks--to Egypt's shame.
Sermons
The Prophet as a SignE. Johnson Isaiah 20:1-6














The language is somewhat uncertain, but it seems better to understand that, for three years, Isaiah was seen going to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, having the dress and appearance of one who was already a prisoner of war, ready to be led into an ignominious exile. Isaiah wore no upper or outer garment, and no sandals, so that, when his dress was compared with that of others, he might be said to go naked; but "naked" in Scripture usually means "with only under-garments on." The three years were, perhaps, designed to represent three incursions of the Assyrians. The general topic suggested is the variety of forms which Divine revelations may take; the diversity of agencies which Divine revelation may employ. All modes by which man may he reached and influenced God may take up and use for conveying his mind and will.

I. REVELATION IN NATURE. We often speak of a voice in nature. That voice God may employ. The beautiful, the sublime, the gentle, affect us, and bring to us thoughts of God's goodness, wisdom, and power. This kind of revelation St. Paul recognizes, pleading thus at Lystra (Acts 14:17), "Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness;" and writing thus to the Romans (Romans 1:20), "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead." What is called natural religion is that common knowledge of God, and of our duty to God, which comes through nature alone; and God has so made us kin with nature, has so set us in relation with an external world, that we can receive moral impressions through it.

II. REVELATION IN INCIDENTS. Events of personal life and of public history convey God's mind to us. And therefore so much of our Bible is but a treasured record of facts and incidents. Our Lord's life on the earth was full of incidents, and we find in these the truths which God purposed, by Christ, to teach us. We are constantly receiving fresh revelations, new to us individually, though not new to the world, through the circumstances of public or of private life. We often think of this as God's voice in providence.

III. REVELATION IN MINDS. Or in those parts of man that are distinct from the senses. What we think of as the spiritual nature of man, including his conscience. God's witness in this part of our being is argued by St. Paul, when, writing of the heathen, to whom a book revelation has not been given, he says (Romans 2:15), "Which show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another." We must guard against the notion that God has put all his will into a book, and has now no direct access to our souls. What is true is that we can test all direct revelations by their harmony with the revelation that is written.

IV. REVELATION IN SYMBOLS. Since symbols do convey ideas to men, God may use them. Illustrate by vision of divided pieces to Abraham; pillar of cloud to Israel; angel with drawn sword to David; fire-flash to Israel on Carmel, etc. And, to take symbols of another character, the prophets acted things before the people, making impressions without employing words - as Isaiah here; as Zedekiah's horns (1 Kings 22:11); Jeremiah's yokes (Jeremiah 27:2); Ezekiel's lying on his side (Ezekiel 4:4); and Agabus' binding himself with his girdle (Acts 21:11).

V. REVELATION IN WORDS. The more ordinary method of communication between man and man. This opens up the opportunity of showing

(1) the reasonableness and

(2) the practical efficiency of a book revelation, and of commending that Collection of revelations which we call Holy Scripture.

Howsoever God may be pleased to speak to us, our duty is to heed, listening with the cherished purpose that we will carry out the Divine will in all holy and loving obedience. - R.T.

Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins.
Owing to the great importance which is attributed to clothing from the standpoint of Oriental culture and manners, anyone who appears without the upper garment is already regarded as naked and bare. Isaiah has to lay off the garment of the preacher of repentance and of the mourner, so that only his tunic remains; and in this dress, and moreover barefooted, he has to appear in public. It is the costume of a man who had been robbed and disgraced, of a beggar, it may be, or a prisoner of war.

(F. Delitzsch.)

The appointment of God renders those things and actions which in themselves seem mean and contemptible, momentous and useful: it stamps them with real dignity and importance, and makes them truly instructive. View the ceremonial institutions of the Old Testament, such as circumcision, abstinence from particular kinds of food and of raiment, uncleanness contracted by touching certain objects, and sprinkling the tabernacle with blood, and they appear trifling and ridiculous. Contemplate them again as the ordinances of God, infinitely wise and gracious, and you may discern their excellence and extensive utility. Look at our prophet as he is here described, and you see an odd appearance; but consider him acting by Divine commission, that he might represent to his countrymen the future naked and destitute condition to which those nations were to be reduced in whom they foolishly placed their confidence, and every circumstance acquires new consequence.

(R. Macculloch.)

When we are in the way of our duty we must trust God both with our credit and with our safety.

( M. Henry.)

If the dress was scandalous, yet the design was glorious.

( M. Henry.)

People
Amoz, Isaiah, Sargon, Tartan
Places
Ashdod, Assyria, Cush, Egypt
Topics
Assyria, Bared, Barefoot, Buttocks, Captives, Cushite, Egypt, Egyptian, Egypt's, Ethiopia, Exiles, Lead, Naked, Shame, Stripped, Uncovered
Outline
1. A type prefiguring the shameful captivity of Egypt and Ethiopia.

Dictionary of Bible Themes
Isaiah 20:4

     5461   prisoners

Isaiah 20:1-4

     1449   signs, purposes

Isaiah 20:2-4

     5145   clothing

Isaiah 20:3-4

     5246   captivity
     9170   signs of times

Library
The Section Chap. I. -iii.
The question which here above all engages our attention, and requires to be answered, is this: Whether that which is reported in these chapters did, or did not, actually and outwardly take place. The history of the inquiries connected with this question is found most fully in Marckius's "Diatribe de uxore fornicationum," Leyden, 1696, reprinted in the Commentary on the Minor Prophets by the same author. The various views may be divided into three classes. 1. It is maintained by very many interpreters,
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Sargon of Assyria (722-705 B. C. )
SARGON AS A WARRIOR AND AS A BUILDER. The origin of Sargon II.: the revolt of Babylon, Merodach-baladan and Elam--The kingdom of Elam from the time of the first Babylonian empire; the conquest's of Shutruh-nalkunta I.; the princes of Malamir--The first encounter of Assyria and Elam, the battle of Durilu (721 B.C.)--Revolt of Syria, Iaubidi of Hamath and Hannon of Gaza--Bocchoris and the XXIVth Egyptian dynasty; the first encounter of Assyria with Egypt, the battle of Raphia (720 B.C.). Urartu
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 7

Isaiah
CHAPTERS I-XXXIX Isaiah is the most regal of the prophets. His words and thoughts are those of a man whose eyes had seen the King, vi. 5. The times in which he lived were big with political problems, which he met as a statesman who saw the large meaning of events, and as a prophet who read a divine purpose in history. Unlike his younger contemporary Micah, he was, in all probability, an aristocrat; and during his long ministry (740-701 B.C., possibly, but not probably later) he bore testimony, as
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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