In the year when Tartan arrived at Azotus, sent by Sargon, the king of Assyria, to wage war and capture the city, the Lord spoke to Isaiah son of Amoz: “Go, strip off your clothes and discard your sandals.” He complied, walking exposed and barefoot. The Lord proclaimed, “Just as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot for three years to symbolize the coming fate of Egypt and Ethiopia, so shall the king of Assyria carry captives from Egypt and settlers from Ethiopia—young and old alike—exposed and humiliated, as a disgrace to Egypt. They will be terrified and shamed at Ethiopia, their former hope, and Egypt, their pride. On that day, the inhabitants of that coastal region will lament, ‘These were our salvation; we relied on them to rescue us from the king—how can we escape?’”
This chapter is presented in full so that we might analyze its various components. Azotus, known as Ezdod in Hebrew, was the foremost city among the five principal cities of Palestine, which fell under the control of Oargon, the king of Assyria, also named in various ways, who dispatched his commander Tartan for this purpose. Thus, as one city fell, Isaiah received divine instruction to remove his prophetic garments, symbolizing mourning for the people’s sins, along with his shoes. He walked naked and barefoot, typifying the future suffering of the Egyptians and their Ethiopian allies, illustrating that as Isaiah’s exposure induced horror, so too would the devastation of Egypt and Ethiopia lead to their disgrace.
Let no one consider this a contradiction to the promises of prosperity for Egypt, as the earlier prophecies spoke of blessings following tribulations, whereas this addresses forthcoming captivity. Sargon, freshly victorious, pressed into Judah, conquering Israel, Damascus, and the Philistines, and had soon turned his sights toward Egypt. Upon receiving news of invasions in other cities, Rabsak returned to find King Sargon contending with Labnah and hearing of Pharak, the Ethiopian king, preparing for battle (4 Kings 19:8-9).
Through this narrative, we observe the obedience of the prophets; the esteemed Isaiah, as tradition holds him to be a relative of Hezekiah, willingly walked unclothed, recognizing that no honor surpasses the commands of God. The implication of “three years as a sign concerning Egypt and Ethiopia” indicates imminent destruction within that timeframe. The phrase denotes the disgrace that would fall upon the inhabitants of the island—Jerusalem—who relied on Egypt and Ethiopia, only to witness their downfall and captivity.
Thus unfolds the providential design of God, who exercises His inscrutable judgment over humanity. Israel placed trust in Damascus, defying divine wrath, leading to its ruin; Judah found reliance in Egypt, only to see Egypt's fall. The Egyptians, too, looked to the Ethiopians, who were tragically defeated as well. The Assyrians, blinded by hubris, would ultimately meet their demise at the hands of Babylon; Babylon opposed God yet would succumb to the Medes and Persians. While the latter factions persecuted the people of God, the fierce Ram scattered nations across the east and west, until the goat, representing Alexander, crushed the Ram. This final figure, boasting excessive pride, would perish through treachery, and his kingdom, weakened by internal conflict, would eventually be overtaken by the Romans. The Roman Empire, characterized by its brutal domination and persecution, inflicted suffering on the faithful. Yet, as prophesied, the divine stone, uncut by human hands, will undoubtedly shatter the brittle empires of earth, illustrating that what was once strong will now turn to fragments (Dan. 2).
THEOSIS