Naked and Barefoot

In 713 BC, Azuri, the king of Ashdod, rebelled against Sargon II of Assyria while he was fighting different kingdoms north of Assyria. He had been long waging war on King Midas of Phrygia, Rusa of Urartu, and Elam and Media to the east. His long term goal was to retake Babylonia, which had been taken by Marduk-apla-iddina, who had allied himself with Elam, in 720 BC. Azuri thought it was a great time to revolt, seeing how his forces were busy elsewhere. Sargon sent his commander to crush Ashdod, and Azuri was replaced as king with Ahi-Miti. 

In 712 BC, king Tarhunazi of Kamari in northern Syria rebelled against Assyria. This drew the attention of Assyria northward for a time, as Tarhunazi was seeking to align himself with Midas. The locals of Ashdod replaced Ahi-Miri with Yamani, a local noble. Yamani sought to make an alliance with Judah and with Egypt. The Egyptians refused, choosing to stay on good terms with Sargon. Hezekiah of Judah was in no position to help Ashdod, nor was he interested in allying himself with the Philistines. The next year, Assyria returned, defeated Yamani, and destroyed Ashdod. Yamani escaped to Egypt. This would allow Assyria to return to its long held goal of reconquering Babylonia. 

In the year that Sargon sent the commander to Ashdod, the LORD spoke to Isaiah and told him, ‘Go and loosen the sackcloth from your hips and take the shoes on your feet.’ And Isaiah did just that, walking around Jerusalem naked and barefoot for three years! Surely this was a strange sight to behold, but prophets had been known for some fairly extravagant methods of getting people’s attention. God was using Isaiah to speak to Israel and Judah, and to anyone else who would hear, to show them that He was sovereign in the affairs of all nations, not just among the sons of Israel.

Time passed. Isaiah continued to walk naked and barefoot through the summer and winter, spring and fall. He did not cease to testify before the LORD and His people. Then God said, ‘Even as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot as a sign and token against Egypt and Cush, so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old, naked and barefoot with buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt. Then they will be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope and Egypt their boast. So the inhabitants of this coastland will say in that day, ‘Behold, such is our hope, where we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria.’

Isaiah’s testimony was true. It also fell on deaf ears. The Philistines fled to Egypt to get away from Assyria. For a time they enjoyed peace. Sargon recaptured Babylon, then he died in Anatolia fighting King Midas. The next king of Assyria fought against an alliance of Cush and Egypt in 701 BC at the Battle of Eltekeh, which effectively halted Sennacherib’s advances towards Jerusalem. In 673 BC, Esarhaddon of Assyria fought against Cushite Pharoah Taharqa near the Philistine city of Ashkelon. He was initially defeated by Taharqa, but several years later Esarhaddon returned to fight against him at Memphis. They forced Taharqa to retreat to Cush.

Between 667 and 663 BC, Ashurbanipal, King of Assyria, returned to Egypt with a stronger army and defeated the Egyptians and Cushites at the Sack of Thebes. This effectively put down the rebellion and the Cushites were defeated. Taharqa and Tantamani his successor were gone. The Cushites returned south into their homeland around Ethiopia and never again sought to expand northward. 

God spoke the truth concerning those peoples. They were lead away naked and barefoot just like Isaiah prophesied. The Philistines had gone to them for help and deliverance, but they found no escape. As God allowed Assyria to conquer Egypt and Cush, the remnant of Philistia were conquered along with them, just as He said they would be.