Here I Am, Send Me! (Isaiah 6)
Picture, if you will, an ordinary man called to an extraordinary mission. A task so daunting, it would turn the bravest among us pale. Imagine the whirlwind of emotions he must have experienced – apprehension, confusion, perhaps even dread. Yet, within that storm of uncertainty, a voice rises, steady and sure, a beacon piercing the tumultuous waves: "Here am I. Send me!"
This proclamation wasn't uttered on a battlefield, nor was it a battle cry against tangible foes. This declaration was made within the hallowed halls of heaven itself, before the throne of the Almighty God.
Who was this man who dared to volunteer himself for a mission he did not fully comprehend? And what was this formidable task that was entrusted to him? Why would he choose to endure such hardships and challenges?
The man is Isaiah himself, and the task will be revealed soon enough. To find the answers, we must dive into Isaiah 6, a text that continues to resonate today, challenging us, inspiring us, prompting us to examine our own roles and responsibilities in our journey of faith.
In many ways, we are all like Isaiah, aren't we? Called to tasks that sometimes seem daunting, asked to step into roles that may not be clearly understood, let alone desired. How do we respond? Do we say "Send me," or do we shy away, leaving the tasks to someone else?
Today, we will explore this, not to make us uncomfortable, but to bring us to a new understanding of what it means to serve, to embody our faith, and to follow the path that God has set before us. Let us join together and learn from the incredible example of Isaiah. As we dissect the narrative and bring its profound truths to light, may we find ourselves stirred, shaken, and ultimately transformed.
So, without further ado, let's step into the divine throne room, and witness the captivating vision that forever changed the life of a man named Isaiah."
Isaiah Before The Throne
Isaiah 6:1–7 (ESV) — 1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
In the first scene of this calling, we learn that Isaiah is brought up into heaven in the same year that Uzziah the king of Judah died. This is fascinating. if you remember from 1 Chronicles 26:16-21, king Uzziah, after reigning for fifty years, decided he was good enough to enter the temple of God and offer his own incense. As a result, God struck him with leprosy on his forehead. Can you imagine how Isaiah would respond after finding himself in the actual throne room of God. Not the holy place, or the holy of holies, but the real throne room.
This would not have been a casual meeting. In the Old Testament, only the high priest would be allowed to enter the holy of holies, and he could only go one time a year after extensive cleansing and sacrifice. In God's holy presence, Isaiah was given a glimpse of God's pure holiness, an experience that rendered him acutely aware of his own shortcomings. In verse 5, he exclaimed, "Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
He is terrified because he recognizes how evil he has been in his life. He knows he’s not worthy of this great honor. Can you imagine? But Isaiah isn’t immediately zapped. God didn't leave Isaiah in his wretchedness. An angel touched Isaiah's mouth with a live coal from the altar, symbolizing the purification of his sins. This is a beautiful representation of God's grace. Just as He cleansed Isaiah, He cleanses us, preparing us for the work He has called us to do.
Remember, it’s not our perfection that qualifies us for the tasks God gives us. Rather, it is our willingness to acknowledge our sins and accept His cleansing. Just like Isaiah, we are called to stand before the throne, to understand God’s holiness, and humbly accept His purification. Did you know that we are told that we can draw near to God and that he will draw near to us? There is no way we could ever be worthy of that great honor, but the grace of God and sacrifice of Christ makes it possible, and God encourages us to take advantage of this opportunity.
Whom Shall I Send?
Isaiah 6:8 (ESV) — 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
In verse 8, God poses a question to the heavenly host: "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?'"
This wasn't an ordinary question. This was God, the Creator of the universe, asking not out of ignorance, but out of invitation. This question resonated throughout the heavenly chambers and reached the ears of a freshly purified Isaiah, who was now attuned to God’s voice.
Now, Isaiah could have hesitated, could have thought, 'Who am I to undertake such a mission?'. But instead, he answered, "Here am I. Send me!" There was no reluctance, no second thoughts. He volunteered himself, ready and willing. Notice that there wasn’t a job description, and Isaiah didn’t ask for one. He doesn’t care what the work is. He is just so happy to serve God that he is excited to do anything.
What does this mean for us? Sometimes God's call may seem daunting, sometimes it may seem unclear. It might not be a divine voice resonating in a grand heavenly vision. It might be in the form of a pressing need in our church, a silent prayer from a friend, a situation where help is needed but no one is stepping up.
When these moments occur, how do we respond? Do we, like Isaiah, boldly declare, "Here am I. Send me!"? Or do we look around, hoping that someone else will answer the call?
Friends, the heart of service lies in understanding that God’s call isn’t always to the glamorous tasks. Often, it's a call to serve where no one else is serving, to speak where no one else is speaking, to stand where no one else is standing.
Isaiah's response was immediate and affirmative. It is a lesson to all of us to be open to God's call and to respond with readiness, even when the task seems challenging or daunting.
But accepting the call is only the first step. What happens next, when God starts to explain the task?
Tell Them This
Isaiah 6:9–10 (ESV) — 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “ ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ 10 Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
In appreciating Isaiah's brave and immediate acceptance of God's call, we are naturally led to wonder, "What exactly was the task? What was he asked to do?"
As we continue our exploration into Isaiah 6, we find that God's instructions to Isaiah were not what we might expect. Upon hearing Isaiah's eager offer, God didn't present him with an easy mission, a path paved with comfort and ease.
The Lord said, "Go and tell this people: 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes." This was an unusual and disconcerting command.
This task was far from straightforward. God was asking Isaiah to deliver a message that was difficult, a message that the people would struggle to hear, understand, and accept. This was not a mission of immediate conversion or mass repentance. Instead, Isaiah was given the grim task of preaching a message of hardening, of spiritual blindness and deafness.
One might ask, "Why would God send such a message?" But remember, God's ways are higher than our ways. His understanding far exceeds our understanding. Even in the midst of what seemed like a call to harden hearts, God was working out His divine plan to save and redeem.
In our lives too, God may call us to challenging tasks, tasks that seem confusing or even counterproductive in our limited understanding. But let's be inspired by Isaiah's trust and obedience. Let's remember that we don't have to understand every detail of God's plan to be faithful in carrying it out.
Isaiah had the courage to say "send me" without knowing the full extent of his mission. And when he received his difficult instructions, he did not back down. He stepped into the task, a testament to his faith and dedication.
And yet, even in the midst of this difficult message, God’s mercy still shines through, hinting at hope even in judgment. This brings us to our next segment of the story, and the question Isaiah asked of God: "How Long?"
How Long?
Isaiah 6:11–13 (ESV) — 11 Then I said, “How long, O Lord?” And he said: “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste, 12 and the Lord removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. 13 And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled.” The holy seed is its stump.
It's natural, as we take on challenging tasks or responsibilities, to wonder, "How long?". How long will the struggle last? How long till we see change? Isaiah too had a similar question. In his case, he might have asked this question knowing that God will not abandon his people or drive them away forever. And so, he asked the Lord, "How long?"
God's response was as unexpected as the task itself. "Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged, until the LORD has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken." This is a seemingly desolate prophecy, a vision of utter ruin and desolation. God’s not playing a game here. He’s done playing Mr. Nice Guy, and he’s ready to let the people suffer for their evil.
There's a lesson here for us, my friends. At times, our responsibilities, our tasks, our roles may seem endless, the road ahead may appear bleak and desolate. But let us remember that God works even in the midst of desolation, that there is always a remnant of hope, a promise of renewal.
Isaiah heard a dire prophecy, a daunting mission, but he also heard a promise - the promise of a remnant, of a rebirth from desolation. Which brings us to our final point, a theme that holds immense significance in our faith: "The Stump and the Seed". Let us venture further into this message of hope and rebirth next.
The Stump and the Seed
Now, this could easily lead to despair. To hear that his beloved nation would be reduced to ruins, that his people would be sent far away - that was a heart-wrenching prophecy. God speaks of a remnant that will remain, a "tenth" that will return. Then, there is another burning! But from the ashes, there is hope. Here, we see the faithfulness of God shining through. Even in the midst of judgment, even in the face of desolation, God promises to preserve a remnant.
Even in God’s judgment, His mercy and hope for restoration were evident. After declaring the extent of the desolation, God adds, "But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land."
What a powerful image! Even when the mighty tree is cut down, the stump remains, a quiet testament to its once magnificent presence, but also a promise of what may yet come. From this stump, new life can spring forth. From this seemingly dead piece of wood, a new tree can grow.
This, my dear friends, is the heart of God's message. Even in the face of daunting tasks, even when all seems lost, God is always working towards restoration. He's the God of second chances, of new beginnings. Like the seed that brings forth new life from the stump, God's 'holy seed' - His faithful remnant - is the promise of a new beginning, a promise of restoration.
Application
When we are faced with tasks or roles that seem overwhelming, when we find ourselves in situations where all seems lost, let us remember the lesson of the stump and the seed. Just as Isaiah was reminded, let us too be reminded - God's purposes, though sometimes mysterious, always lead towards hope and renewal.
Our roles, our responsibilities, no matter how challenging, are part of God's grand design. And like Isaiah, we can trust in God's plan, embrace His call, and play our part in His story of redemption.
So, when we hear God's voice asking "Whom shall I send?", may we have the courage and faith to say, "Here am I. Send me!" Knowing that no matter how challenging the task, no matter how long the journey, no matter how desolate the landscape, God is with us, guiding us, and working through us towards a promise of hope and renewal.
Let the story of Isaiah inspire us, not just to be willing participants, but eager volunteers in God's grand design, ready to bring forth new life from the stumps of our own challenges, a holy seed for God’s glory. Amen.