Isaiah 20 opens with a note pertaining to the time when the army of Assyria conquered the Philistine city Ashdod. This invasion has a concrete marking point in secular history: 711 B.C.. This was a neighboring city of Judah. The fall of Ashdod would certainly make Judah think, “We’re next. We need protection.”
This attach occured about the 29th year of King Hezekiah's reign. At this time, the prophet Isaiah received a word from the Lord, "Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet" (Isaiah 20:2).
This seemingly strange instruction led Isaiah to remove his outer garment, which signified his office as a prophet, and he assume the attire of a man who had been robbed and disgraced. Clothing himself as a beggar or prisoner of war. This was a portent (foreshadowing act) representing God's impending judgment to come. "Then the LORD said, 'As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush, so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles... '" (Isaiah 20:3-4).
However, Isaiah's ominous oracle not only described Egypt and Cush stripped of all their possessions and carried captive; it pronounced Judah's coming shame. "Then they shall be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope and of Egypt their boast" (Isaiah 20:5). Despite the warnings, Hezekiah failed to seek God's guidance, and in fear of the Assyrians, leaned on Egypt as a means of tangible security. This proved disastrous for Judah, leading to their eventual demise at the hand of the Babylonians.
Deuteronomy 27 and 28 outlined the covenant between God and Israel, promising protection and victory if they would keep His commands and turn to Him in times of distress. Yet, Israel continually disobeyed, and God repeatedly called them to come back: to repentance, to the covenant, and to relationship with Him.
When we feel cornered by a difficult circumstance, we're tempted to look for security in temporal things that seem invincible but leave us susceptible to shame. However, God calls us to come back to Him. He doesn't want us to feel the sting of shame or the pain of regret. He offers us a new covenant with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Psalm 34 tells us where to turn in times of trouble: "I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed " (Psalm 34:4-5). [See notes on Psalm 34]
We may face trying times: financial difficulty, relational heartbreak or health challenges. Whatever life brings, we can rest secure knowing that Jesus never fails. God can use the very thing that seems to have you cornered as a catalyst for victory when we come back to Him.