|
by
Doug Ward |
The biblical prophets had difficult jobs. Though they had the honor of serving
the King of the Universe, they often were given unpleasant assignments. Mike
Rowe would have been impressed.
Isaiah,
for example, lived in Jerusalem in the eighth century BC, a time when the
kingdom of Judah was threatened by the powerful Assyrian Empire. At one point
God directed him to walk "stripped and barefoot" for three years to
illustrate what Egypt soon would suffer at the hands of the Assyrian army
(Isaiah 20, NIV). Isaiah's wardrobe (or lack thereof) sent a visual message to
Judah not to pursue an alliance with the Egyptians. Instead, Judah was to trust
in God.
Commentators
believe that Isaiah did not spend the three years completely naked; he would
have been wearing a loincloth. Still, he had a humiliating and physically
painful task in those days before sunscreen.
Isaiah
knew what he was signing up for when he volunteered to be a prophet. God said
that his job was to "harden the hearts of these people. Plug their ears
and shut their eyes" (Isaiah 6:10, NLT). This does not mean that Isaiah
was to keep the people from understanding. Rather, since he would be exposing
the sins of Judah, many would tune out his message. It would be as if he were
closing these people's ears and eyes.
Because
he told Judah's leaders what they needed to hear rather than what they might
have wanted to hear, Isaiah made enemies in high places. The Lives of the
Prophets, a book from the first century AD, reports a legend that he died a
martyr's death, sawn in two by the evil king Manasseh.
But
there were others who heeded the words of Isaiah, and faithful scribes recorded
his prophecies for future generations. Along with words of correction, he also
gave words of hope, picturing blessings to come from a merciful and loving God.
Many have taken comfort in the prophecies of Isaiah with their announcement of
a coming King who would bring peace to the earth:
"For
unto us a child is born, to us a son is given; ...and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace"
(Isaiah 9:6, ESV). "He shall give justice to the poor, and make fair
decisions for the exploited"(11:4, NLT). "And they shall beat their
swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not
lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore"(2:4).
I am
grateful that Isaiah endured a limited wardrobe-and perhaps even martyrdom-to
bring good news to the world. His prophecies continue to inspire hope today.
File
translated from TEX by TTH,
version 3.66.
On 17 Aug 2026, 16:59.
