I suppose chapter twenty of Isaiah is everyone's fear for following God. Every believer would like to follow God but they fear what that might "cost" them or might "take" them or might "subject" them to. I remember growing up and hearing stories of missionaries who went off to some far away land and left all behind and then were killed by the people of that land. Of course, the people were lead to the Lord in the process but never-the-less the missionary died. I struggled with how that was possible for God. I probably only heard one of those accounts but that was enough. Here in Isaiah 20 we the account of the prophet Isaiah taking up his cross to follow God. In this chapter God tells him to stripe down naked and walk around town. Yes, that is what God tells him to do. Modesty is not the point here with God's instruction. Isaiah is to take off his clothes, show his buttocks and allow the Israelites who escaped to Egypt to observe him. And, Isaiah is not to "streak" through the city hoping to give people a "glimpse" of him. He is to do this for three years!! This raises the bar for all "object" lessons. The purpose of the object lesson is to warned those who disobeyed God and sought "help" from the Egyptians that they would still be lead into captivity via the Assyrians. They would be lead away from Egypt and they would be "exposed" for the unbelievers they were (20:4). Isaiah was an obedient prophet. God uses an unusual method. I'm not sure what God would have you and me do today to be His instrument or voice. But, whatever it is, I doubt if we would be asked to do the same as Isaiah. But, would we be willing to do what God asked, if He asked?
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