Isaiah 20 & 21 - Naked Isaiah and Doom for More Nations

LINK: Isaiah 20 & 21

BACKGROUND

I bet that title got your attention!

Isaiah 20 – Prophecy against Egypt and Cush

In 711 B.C. Ashdod, a Philistine city, was captured by Assyria’s King Sargon II (722-705 B.C.). This told Judah that it could not count on protection through foreign alliances. Some commentators do not think Isaiah was totally naked but just removed his outer garment and sandals.

Isaiah 21:1-10 Prophecy against Babylon

“The Desert by the Sea” (21:1) refers to the area around the present-day Persian Gulf territory near Babylon. In 722 B.C. a Chaldean prince from the Persian Gulf region named Marduk-apla-iddina (called Merodach-Baladan in 39:1) was crowned king of Babylon. Elam (modern-day Iran) was a nation northeast of Babylon that supported his revolt. In 710 B.C. Sargon evicted Marduk. After Sargon’s death, Marduk and Elam revolted against Sennacherib, but Sennacherib defeated him and Elam, devastating the area around the Persian Gulf. This is the situation Isaiah is prophesying about. King Hezekiah may have thought that Marduk would be able to break the strength of the Assyrian Empire, but Isaiah warned otherwise.

Isaiah 21:11-12 Prophecy against Edom

Seir is an alternate name for Edom (modern-day Jordan). Edomites were descendants of Esau. Tiglath-Pileser III (in 734 B.C.) and Sargon (in 711 B.C.) both took tribute from Udumu (Akkadian translation for Edom/Dumah).

Isaiah 21:13-17 Prophecy against Arabia

The Dedanites (21:13) were a tribe from southern Arabia. Tema (21:14; Job 6:19; Jeremiah 25:23) was an oasis in northwestern Arabia. Kedar (21:16-17; 42:11) was in northern Arabia. Isaiah’s oracle tells of hard times for Arabia at the hand of the Assyrians. This came true in 715 B.C. when Sargon II wrote that he had defeated them and deported them to Samaria.

REFLECTION and APPLICATION

These were prophecies against these particular nations, but they were also a warning against Judah that they could not trust in another nation to be their protection, and they must trust ONLY in the Lord. Who do you trust in today?

Pray for those nations mentioned in this post (Egypt, Ethiopia [Cush], Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan). Here is a wonderful tool to inform you:

Pray for the World

(It is a more succinct version of the much larger and more detailed Operation World)

PRAYER

Kingdoms may fall and all will fade away. We praise Your name. We praise You as our only hope! Amen.