I have a new respect for Isaiah having read today’s passage. I know I’ve read this before, but for some reason the idea of walking around naked for three years is applaudable. Having endured harsh Midwest winters, I can’t imagine walking around naked and shoeless year-round. But there is a definite message we should be taking here. It’s not about being naked, it’s about how Isaiah listened to God.
God said disrobe. Isaiah did. We don’t see Isaiah questioning, bargaining, avoiding or trying to talk God out of it. “Then the Lord said, “My servant Isaiah has been walking around naked and barefoot for the last three years. This is a sign—a symbol of the terrible troubles I will bring upon Egypt and Ethiopia.” We shouldn’t be surprised that God’s request was on purpose. God wanted to use Isaiah’s uncomfortable situation to make a point. Isaiah never questioned God. He just obeyed.
When we think of our own lives, how are we at listening to God? I’m sure none of us have gotten the message to walk around naked. In our culture today, we wouldn’t get very far before we’d be swept away and locked up. There are, of course, those areas designed for nudists. I must admit it would be freeing not to have to be burdened with clothes too expensive to afford, or too tight after a meal, not to mention having to do laundry all the time! For our purposes here, God was making a statement using Isaiah’s naked appearance.
“For the king of Assyria will take away the Egyptians and Ethiopians as prisoners. He will make them walk naked and barefoot, both young and old, their buttocks bared, to the shame of Egypt.” We have more details here about how the Assyrian invasion was going to affect these other nations. Walking around naked and barefoot would be shameful. As it had been a humiliating experience for Isaiah, now a whole nation would find themselves facing the same embarrassing fate.
What happens if God asks you to do something that feels a little out of your comfort zone. We need to be ready to listen to him. We might not always understand. I’m sure Isaiah was a bit perplexed. We can learn from Isaiah’s example. He listened to God.
We have the assurance that God will never ask us to do something that is wrong. Let that truth sink in for just a moment. If the message truly comes from God, we can be confident that there is purpose. Will we understand the purpose? Maybe not. We have to be okay with that.
Take some time today to listen for God’s voice. What is he calling you to do?
Let’s pray … Lord, I thank you for how you are working in my life. I don’t always understand why things happen the way that they do. Having read about Isaiah’s situation, I am confident that you are at work making all things right. Help me to be obedient, trusting you. Give me a boldness to be the person you made me to be. In Jesus’ name. Amen.