blown away!

Then the LORD said, “As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years 

as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush,

today i have to step back and tell you something that i'm still in awe about.  remember last Friday's post about a naked friend? Well, turns out that all the commentaries and speculations point to the Prophet Isaiah having to be naked to help his friend and fellow countrymen trust in God at a crucial time. 

I'm totally not making this up. seriously..  Isaiah's friend was, drum roll please....  King Hezikiah!! 

I was NOT expecting King Hezikiah to show up in the Psalms, and I was even less expecting him to show up in a random verse about Isaiah being naked. i'm blown away.  so, there is treasure here for us all i'm sure of it!

i'm still lost in studying the details, but the view from 1000 feet above is that the three years before King Hezikiah went into battle and "struck down the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watch tower to fortified city" 2 Kings 18:8; were the three years that Isaiah walked naked and barefoot. He did this to show people what they would become if they didn't trust 100% in God to help them and if they did trust in something else besides God... they would become slaves, in every sense of the word. 

that's a pretty extreme thing for a friend to do for a friend don't you think?  God's plan and purpose in Isaiah walking around in practically his birthday suit for three years for his friend does have practical insight for us today... i just can't tell you what that is today.. there is just so much here and i think i have to keep it slow and simple to really digest all the things that God would have for us. hope that's ok with you! 

God is good and faithful to show us what we need each day. He loves you so much he wrote a book for you!! I encourage you to read it! it just might blow you away!!!!!