Today I would like to talk from Isaiah chapter 20. In chapter 20 a stripped. prophet appears. Isaiah is commanded by God, “Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet.” (2) so for 3 years he went “around stripped and barefoot.” (2) Today let’s together look at this “stripped and barefoot” (2) Isaiah.

I. Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet (vs. 1-4)
First of all please look at verses 1 to 4.
Isaiah prophesized about Cush in chapter 18. In chapter 19 he prophesized about Egypt. Towards Cush and also towards Egypt he said that if they repented and turned back to God, then God will forgive them, and will save them. Especially in the end of chapter 19 God calls Egypt, “Egypt my people”. (19:25) Egypt, a pagan people, also are not omitted from God’s salvation. However, this Cush and Egypt didn’t repent. Therefore, God in chapter 20 is pronouncing judgment on these two countries. However, the way he declares it is very strange.
“Ashdod” of verse 1 is a Philistine town. The Assyrian King Saragon captured it in 711 B.C. “At that time the LORD said” (2) a very strange thing to Isaiah. “Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet.” (2)
“Sackcloth” (2) was the clothes that Isaiah usually wore. Sackcloth was normally the garment of mourners and sometime the garb of prophets. God tells Isaiah to take off that sackcloth and the sandals from his feet. God told Isaiah to do this because by doing so God’s message would make an impact on the people. This was called a prophet’s “symbolic behavior”. The prophets often, so that the words that they spoke would make an impression on the people, expressed their message in a form like this that could be seen with eyes.
The prophet Ezekiel lied on his left side of 390 days. When that was finished then he lied on his right side for 40 days. He did this to show Israel’s sin. 1 year was represented as 1 day so 390 days represented 390 years of Israel’s sin. Also the 40 days represented the 40 years of Judah’s sin.
Also Jeremiah bought a linen belt. Then he took the belt down to Pereth and hid “it there in a crevice in the rocks”. (Jer. 14:4) Then after a while he took out the belt that he had hidden but “it was ruined and completely useless.” (Jer. 14:7) He did this to show that Judah “will be like this belt-completely useless!” (Jer. 14:10) Like this the prophets often in order that the message would more strongly move the people’s hearts, expressed it in a form that could be seen with their eyes.
Recently, I heard that the traveling evangelist Asa Holland is carrying a heavy cross and walking throughout Japan. Before he did the same thing and it became news. This is the same thing. People see this and wonder what is happening and ask about it. That is just like when Jesus walked towards Golgotha. It is a reenactment. He testified that while he walks he prays that the people of Japan will believe in Jesus Christ. That has an impact that is greater than words. It conveys the message that the cross is a symbol of God’s love and the source of your salvation. However, I don’t know how many people understand that.
Here it doesn’t say to lie down on your side or to make your linen useless or to walk carrying a cross. It says to “Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet.” (2) It is to go “around stripped and barefoot.” (2) This does not mean that he was completely nude. He was probably wearing some kind of underwear. Even so it was odd behavior. To understand this, please look at verses 3 and 4.
This is a prophecy about Cush and Egypt. In other words, Cush and Egypt will be defeated in a war with Assyria and will be led “away stripped and barefoot.” (4) Like Isaiah walked around “stripped and barefoot,” (2) in the same way “the king of Assyria will lead away stripped and barefoot the Egyptian captives and Cushite exiles.” (4)
Even so, to go “around stripped and barefoot” (2) for 3 years is not usual. Generally it is unthinkable. However, at times God so that his Word is preached, uses such means. If we can we want to use a good method to share the Gospel that will make Christianity look good. However, at times we are shown to do something that transcends common sense. At such times, even if at a glance it seems embarrassing, let’s remember that we are asked to have courage to obey and an obedient faith.

ＩＩ．The stripped prophet (vs. 2)
Next let’s look at how Isaiah responded. Please look at verse 2. “And he did so going around stripped and barefoot.” (2)
Even if it is the command of God and no matter how much the prophet serves the Lord, it is unthinkable that for 3 years he could go “around stripped” (2) in public. People will only think that he is insane. Especially since Isaiah was respected and trusted by the nobility, to walk “around stripped” he must have had quite a bit of opposition. Even so he followed God’s command. He went “around stripped and barefoot” (2) for 3 years. The reason he could do this was because he understood that to follow God meant to accept and do what God says at face value. Even if that is something that is embarrassing, even if it is something that might make others think that he’d gone crazy, if it is something that God has said, then he had the faith to obey.

Within us, we think we want to be like Isaiah. Like Isaiah we think we want to directly explain the Word of God, we want to be a vessel that the Lord can use. However, on the other end when we look at Isaiah, we don’t to be like him. We don’t want to do embarrassing things. We think we will be thought of as insane. We will be made fun of. We don’t want to do that! However, if you want to be like Isaiah, if you want to be a vessel that is used by God, then you have to obey what God says. You must not follow just only one part of what God says, but must follow all that God says. No matter what other people think, no matter how much people hate you, or reject you if God says to do something, we do it. This is the attitude that we should have.
This is how Jesus was. Jesus came into this world exactly as these words say, “stripped”. (2) The glorious Lord who made the whole world was “stripped” and was born as a human, the same as us. Then when he became 30 years old, he appeared in public. He taught about the kingdom of God, healed the sick, cast out demons, raised the dead, and worked hard serving people.
However, when the crowds realized that Jesus didn’t come to save them from the rule of Rome, it was like they turned their hands over and didn’t think Jesus was necessary and put him on the cross and killed him. Jesus was stripped of his clothing and whipped. This was a real stripping. Then carrying a heavy cross he walked the road of sadness. Then being stripped of his clothes he was nailed on the cross. He became the laughing stock of people. This happened just at the Passover. It was the time when many people had gathered in Jerusalem from all over the world. It was at that time that Jesus was “stripped” and hung on cross and became the laughing stock of people. It was for you and I and for everyone here that He did this. For all people he paid the redemption price for our sins. Isaiah walked around stripped for 3 years, Jesus walked a life publically for 3 years and at the end was “stripped” and then died.
We joyfully help people who heal the sick, cast out demons, and perform miracles. However, we do not want to become a laughing stock of people, made fun of, to be whipped, to be spit upon, nor to be put on a cross. We are concerned about how others look at us. We’re concerned about our reputation. However, Jesus was different. Jesus didn’t care what other people thought of him. Jesus didn’t care how others looked at him. With singleness of mind he bore the cross wanting only for you and I to be saved. Even though people said that he was insane or Satan, and received various slanderous abuses, for your salvation he became “stripped”. If so then we who follow in his steps even if we have something happen that we think is embarrassing, even if we are made fun of, if that person is saved from eternal damnation, we must be prepared to do anything.
Please open your Bibles to Philippians 1:12-15.
Philippians 1:12-15
That was Paul’s experience. “What has happened to me” (Phil. 1:12) refers to his imprisonment. He was imprisoned on a false accusation. However, he is saying that he is thankful for that. That is because his imprisonment “has really served to advance the gospel.” (Phil. 1:12) That was because “most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.” (Philippians 1: 14) Therefore, he is confessing that no matter what the reason, if the Gospel is advanced that is wonderful. The key to why he was able to react this way is written in Philippians 1:20 and 21.
Philippians 1:20,21
This was the way Paul lived. He desired only for Christ to be worshiped. He was of no significance. No matter what he experienced, what was done to him, even if he was stripped, even if he was made fun of, even if he is degraded, even if he is insulted, or even if it is said that he was strange, it didn’t bother him. If he could through himself show the greatness of Christ, then it was o.k. Christ, who for me and for you became “stripped” and was put on the cross and died, being worshiped is real hope. For Paul, “to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Phil. 1:21)
What a wonderful confession! If we like Paul only desire for Christ to be worshiped, if we live desiring only for the Gospel of Christ to be carried forward, you won’t have to think about yourself. Shameful things or looking bad, or being thought of as a strange person won’t make any difference to you. We have been made a citizen of God’s kingdom. Therefore, all we have to do is to desire to live a life appropriate to the Gospel of Christ.
We want to become like Christ. That is the Christian’s ultimate goal. However, we hate to be “stripped” like Christ, cursed, spit upon, beaten, whipped, and in the end put on the cross. Instead we want to be like Christ and perform miracles in front of the crowds, heal the sick, become a miracle worker and receive admiration from people. We want to be in the spot light. We want to be thought of as a wonderful person, as a good person. We want to help others. We want to be thanked. But we can’t stand things like being out cast from people, rejected, “stripped”, and to be made guilty when not guilty. We want to be like Isaiah. We want to be used like Isaiah, but we don’t want to walk around “stripped” for three years like Isaiah. We don’t like others to look at us negatively. “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him.” (Phil. 1:29) Of course, faith isn’t always agony. However at times if we think we want to live devoutly in Jesus Christ, just as all are persecuted, there are times we must be “stripped”. There are times when we have to receive insults. There are times when we are looked at coldly and with contempt. We give someone a Bible as a present, but it is returned to us or we want a person to be saved so we with all our might counsel them, visit them, help them, but never the less, there are times when the person says that he does want to associate with you any more or see you anymore or he says he doesn’t want you to call anymore, or not to invite him to church any more. However, we must remember that Jesus has taken the same road.
Therefore, don’t forget to be “stripped”. Jesus was “stripped” for you. Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel”. We must not be ashamed of the gospel. Jesus bore shame so that you might be saved. Just as the words say, he was “stripped”. Have you ever been spit upon? Have you been beaten or made fun of? Have you been whipped on the back with a whip? Have you been whipped to the point that your bones break and your internal organs fly out? Have you been “stripped” and from a high place become an object of everyone’s ridicule? Have you been hung by nails through your arms and feet? Christ has received all of these insults. This was all for you.
Even so we are ashamed of the Gospel and think that if we say something other people will think we are strange or are fearful that we won’t get along well with others at work and home. We don’t want to be hated. We don’t want to be made fun of. We want to be a good person. We want to be competent people. We want people to think we are nice. We are worried about our reputation. We are interested the most in what others think about us. Jesus said, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the father and of the holy angels.” (Luke 9:26) When Isaiah was commanded, “Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet”, (2) no matter how embarrassing it was, how degrading it was, even it was thought to be absurd, he obeyed. We too if the Lord is commands something, even if it something that is difficult for us to accept, we must seek to obey it.

III. Who we can really rely on (vs. 5,6)
Lastly, let’s look at verses 5 and 6. Here we can see that Isaiah “going around stripped and barefoot” (2) for 3 years wasn’t just a sign against Egypt and Cush. It was also a sign against Israel. It was so that Israel will depend upon the real God.
“Those” of verse 5 is Israel and the Southern kingdom of Judah. Israel (Southern Judah) that had asked help from Cush and Egypt in preparation for an attack from Assyria will be “put to shame”. (5) That is because Egypt and Cush will be destroyed by Assyria. They will be led “away stripped”. (3) Israel who sees this will say like verse 6, “See what has happened to those we relied on, those we fled to for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria!” This is “the people who live on this coast.” (6) Specifically this is the people of Philistine cities including “Ashdod”. (1) However, whether it is Israel or whether it is “the people who live on this coast” (6) isn’t important. People who rely on things other than God have the same lament.
The same thing occurs in our lives. Until now it has been safe, the things that we didn’t doubt and considered to be safe lost all credibility and we wonder what we have believed up until now and lament. Therefore, so that doesn’t happen let’s listen to Isaiah’s prophecy, to the Word of God and obey it.
From a little while after World War II the value judgment of the Japanese life was what was wrong and what was right. After that until the present it has been measured by what I gain and what I lose. However, recently it is different. It has become an age where judgment is made by whether it is real or not. There are some things that make us think that they are real, but they are not necessarily so. Real things don’t move no matter what happens. Real things are never ruined. They are eternal forever. That is God who made the heaven and the earth. God is who we can really rely on. If we rely on him we definitely won’t be disappointed.
This is the road that you must choose. If you depend on God, you definitely won’t be disappointed.
Psalm 32:7,8
God “will instruct you…counsel you and watch over you.” (Psalm 32:8) This is the real thing. May you flee to Him. Isaiah went to the point of being “stripped” because he wanted to proclaim this message of God.

Applying it to our lives

* If God asked you to do something that you couldn’t understand by common sense, what would you do? What does it mean to you to be stripped?

* To get out of a crisis who do you seek help from? Now how does God desire for you to obey him?