Isaiah 20:1-21:10, Trust in God, not in your own solutions

• REVIEW: The estimated time is 711-710. Eleven years after Israel's destruction by Assyria, and 13/14 years before Manasseh begins his co-regency
• We are in the middle of Hezekiah's reign
• Israel is destroy, Assyria is still attacking. Sargon II is in charge


Isa 20:1-6 (ESV) In the year that the commander in chief, who was sent by Sargon the king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and fought against it and captured it— 2 at that time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, "Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet," and he did so, walking naked and barefoot.


3 Then the Lord said, "As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush,  4 so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt. 5  Then they shall be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope and of Egypt their boast. 6 And the inhabitants of this coastland will say in that day, 'Behold, this is what has happened to those in whom we hoped and to whom we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria! And we, how shall we escape?'"


• So why this passage? What is its purpose?
• It is a prophecy against Egypt and Cush
• The Cushite dynasty was in power in Egypt during this time
• Hezekiah is considering putting his trust in Egypt
• Historically, what is Egypt doing?
• Egypt wants, essentially city-states, Ashdod, Judah, Moab, and Edom
• In the end, Egypt gives the ruler of the Philistines, Yamani, to the Assyrians
• What is Isaiah supposed to do?
• Naked can mean a loin-cloth or totally naked (probably not totally since God mentions his shoes)
• The costume is of a man robbed, a beggar, or a prisoner of war
• When does God explain the meaning of the sign? And what might have been the false conclusion?
• After three years, God explains it
• People probably thought it had to do with Ashdod
• God says, that it has to do with Egypt. Of course, to get to Egypt, the Assyrians need to get through the other city states
• The prophecy is fulfilled in 701
• APPLICATION: Events are building to a conclusion. All the supports will be ripped away from Judah before the final attack of Assyria with its 185,000 troops. There will be nothing left. Why? SO THAT THE PEOPLE WOULD FINALLY LEARN TWO THINGS: 1) Trust in God, and 2) Repent of their sin


• REVIEW: The next section is the second series of five oracles against the Gentile nations. This occurs in the same time frame.


Isa 21:1-10 (ESV) The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea.


 As whirlwinds in the Negeb sweep on,
it comes from the wilderness,
from a terrible land.
2 A stern vision is told to me;
 the traitor betrays,
and the destroyer destroys.
Go up, O Elam;
lay siege, O Media;
all the sighing she has caused
I bring to an end.
3 Therefore my loins are filled with anguish;
 pangs have seized me,
like the pangs of a woman in labor;
I am bowed down so that I cannot hear;
I am dismayed so that I cannot see.
4 My heart staggers; horror has appalled me;
 the twilight I longed for
has been turned for me into trembling.
5  They prepare the table,
they spread the rugs,
they eat, they drink.
Arise, O princes;
 oil the shield!


• Where is the Negeb?
• In Judah, so this is something that Judah could relate to
• It was a hot scorching wind that would blow off the desert
• Something is coming. We see two areas go up against it, who are they?
• Elam and Media refer to Iran or Persia
• Technically, the Medes/Persians will destroy/replace Babylon
• Isaiah is disturbed, not because of Elam and Media but because of this coming destroyer. Why is Babylon used so often in scripture as a negative picture?
• The picture in Daniel is that Babylon requires that you live by its rules in terms of culture and belief. You eat types of rich food that it says. You worship the gods that it says. You conform to it
• Also, the picture in Daniel is also of excessive wealth. In Revelation, we also see excessive and unrestrained sexual promiscuity
• The picture probably shifts to the end times here and the destruction of the new Babylon before the return of Christ
• APPLICATION:
• The watch tower is also an appropriate metaphor. Are we watching (and thinking) to make sure our belief system is not based upon the culture but based on the bible?
• And don't confuse the bible with conservative politics. The bible is our point of reference for belief not political philosophies or current trends
• Don't let current events decide your beliefs. The bible has to be the basis for what we believe
• Finally, the message is repeated, TRUST in GOD, not in an ultimately failing worldview