Isaiah 20:2 “at that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go and loosen the sackcloth from your hips and take your shoes off your feet.” And he did so, going naked and barefoot.”

YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING, GOD!

Naked! Did the Lord say, “Take off your clothes”? I don’t know about you, but if the Lord had told me to walk around naked and barefoot for THREE YEARS, I might have questioned His wisdom. Not Isaiah! He just did it. He obeyed. I am sure he must have been a little embarrassed. He had to be. I am sure he got cold. I am sure people pointed and laughed. But he stayed true to the Lord’s command.

Now, hopefully, the Lord won’t ask you to strip down and walk around. You would get arrested today if you did. But what else has He asked you to do that you think sounds crazy? What command is He directing you to obey that you have thoroughly ignored?

TEACHING MOMENT

I am sure you give your children directives each day. They probably think your commands are just as stupid. They may have even said so. But does that change the fact that you asked them to do it? No! The next time this occurs in your household, use this verse to explain to them the necessity to follow the commands of God no matter how ridiculous they may sound. God has a purpose in everything He asks us to do.

In the day we are living most of the Lord’s commands sound stupid in comparison to the world’s outlook on life. Most of what the world is doing is in direct contrast to the Lord’s commands. We may appear to them to be “walking around naked and barefoot.” But we are supposed to be just like Isaiah here. He obeyed to send a message to the nation. The message was “if you don’t repent, you are going to end up looking just like me, being led into exile.”

We have a message for the world. It’s the same message. If the world does not repent and begin following the Lord’s commands, as we are trying to do ourselves, they too will end up in exile. But their exile will be eternal. So, keep preaching the message. Do whatever the Lord commands so you can be used, like Isaiah, to reach a unrepentant nation.