Isaiah 20
THIS short chapter forms a sort of appendix to the nineteenth chapter, dealing further with the history of Egypt. It shows that before ever the Babylonians came on an expedition of conquest into Egypt, the Assyrians came there and led away captives.
The purpose of what is here told is clearly to show that in God alone, never in man, should His people trust. Fearing first the Assyrians and afterward the Babylonian king, many of the Jews turned to Egypt for help instead of to God.
The year that Tartan (which is apparently the title of a general, perhaps the chief military officer of the Assyrian armies) came to Ashdod, a city near the sea coast, west from Jerusalem, on the road to Egypt, would appear to be about the time when Sennacherib, co-regent with Sargon of Assyria invaded Judah (Isaiah 26 and 37, —see verse 9 of the latter chapter). It was then that the king of Egypt and Ethiopia, Tirhakah, set forth with an army to make war on the Assyrians.
Ashdod was formerly a stronghold of the Philistines; there they had the house of their god Dagon, and thither they brought the ark of God, only to find their god humiliated before that representation of Jehovah’s presence (1 Samuel 5:1-81And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Eben-ezer unto Ashdod. 2When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. 3And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. 4And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him. 5Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day. 6But the hand of the Lord was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof. 7And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god. 8They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither. (1 Samuel 5:1‑8)). Ashdod reappears in the New Testament as Azotus (Acts 8:4040But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea. (Acts 8:40)).
It was, then, at the time when an Assyrian army was in Judah, that God graciously gave a warning to the Jews that they should not look for help in Egypt against the Assyrians.
Isaiah was directed to remove his outer garments (already sackcloth), and his sandals, for a sign of what was to happen to the Egyptians. The term “naked” here does not mean absolute nudity.
If God permitted Egypt to be thus treated, what could Judah expect, knowing the true God, but dishonoring Him with the worship of idols in open indifference to Himself?
What, too, of our own day? Is there no lesson for us in the moral pointed out to the Jews? Let believers go to God, and not to man, with the difficulties of the present hour.
ML 07/16/1933