Why Isaiah Preached in the Nude for Three Years

Isaiah 20:1-4  “In the year that the commander came to Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him and he fought against Ashdod and captured it, 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. And the LORD said, "Even as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot three years 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.” (The year spoken of in verse one is 711 BC.)

The Israelites feared attack by the mighty Assyrian Empire led by King Sargon and allied themselves with Egypt and Ethiopia instead of depending on God for their protection. For three years* Isaiah preached in a completely naked state to show to the Israelites that the Egyptians and Ethiopians would be carried away naked and barefoot by the Assyrians. They would be utterly humiliated and unable to defend themselves or Israel. 

*The number three occurs 467 times in the Bible. This number is believed by many Christians to be a reference to the Trinity. Three is the number of perfection or completion. To  repeat a word or idea sequentially is to emphasize it. In Isaiah 6:3 the Lord God Almighty is praised as “Holy, Holy, Holy.”

"Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®,
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,
1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

Naked and unashamed

     "Naturists" prefer this name rather than the older name, "nudist."  They believe that it is natural to live naked and unashamed as Nature intended.  At least some naturists substitute "our Creator" for "Nature," and at least some specifically claim to be Christian.

     At http://www.naturist-christians.org/modules.php?name=Statement_of_Faith they have published The Naturist-Christians Statement of Faith.  This appears to be a completely orthodox statement of faith, with two controversial additions.  The statement accepts the following doctrines: God is the Creator,  the Trinity, all have sinned, Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, Jesus was sinless, Jesus' death was substitutionary and propitiative, Jesus was dead for three days and rose from death on the third day, Jesus ascended to Heaven and rules with His Father, all who believe on Jesus will be saved, we are called to grow in grace, believers are united as the Church, we are to tell others of Christ, and that the Holy Spirit is our Comforter until Jesus returns.

     The two controversial declarations are these:

"We believe that all people are divinely created in God's own image, and their unclothed forms are covered and blessed in His righteousness."

"We believe that the naked human form is inherently good and wholesome."

     I think that these two statements are true but unnecessary additions to a statement of faith. They are what I think is an overreaction to the squeamishness that many in the Church seem to have to our beautiful God-given animal physical nature. As reasonable and true as they are on the surface, they are certainly not explicitly included in the "faith which was once delivered unto the saints." (Jude 3). They are the opinions of some Christian believers. It may involve a disagreement over what the image of God means.

    These two statements do not rise to the level of being accursed. The statements do not appear to touch on any aspect of salvific doctrines and probably fall into the category of disagreements between believers rather than being anything heretical. God does not care what you wear to church. What you wear to church, or don't wear to church, does not save you. This, however odd it may appear to some, does not amount to a different gospel. A different gospel would involve disputes over the nature of Jesus, linking salvation to any one political system, the nature of salvation, and/or actions or unorthodox beliefs supposedly necessary for salvation.

"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."  Galatians 1:8-9.