Isaiah 20 - Egypt and Ethiopia: the trust that failed

This short chapter with six verses was written around 711 BC, where the king of Assyria was Sargon II (722-705BC). Sargon sent Tartan (2 Kings 18:17) to invade Ashdod, a Philistine city that depended on Egypt and Cush to defend it. However Egypt and Cush did not come to rescue it.

God commanded Isaiah to go naked and barefooted for 3 years, to symbolize the coming defeat of Egypt and Cush, where their people would be taken into exile naked and ashamed. (v1-4)  It may not mean Isaiah was naked all the time, but only when he is preaching this message. 

The reason this imagery is important is to warn King Hezekiah not to depend on Egypt for aid when the Assyrians attack Jerusalem. (v5) 

In 2 Kings 18, the commander taunted King Hezekiah for trusting in Egypt, whom he referred to as the “broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.”  

Fortunately, King Hezekiah trusted Isaiah and prayed to God instead for help, and God killed 180,000 Assyrians in their camp outside Jerusalem and drove them away from Judah. 

It is difficult to trust God in desperate circumstances. As a human being, we need support from other human beings as well. However what we can do is to get some good friends to pray about the situation. If God wants to help, He will give a sign. Beware of tests though - if the person offering help has conditions that are not Godly or questionable, it is better to gently refuse. God will never let us down regardless.