Isaiah’s Proper Response: “Here Am I! Send Me.”
The opening verses of Isaiah 6 is a high point in Scripture. The glory of God is on full display and we are arrested by the splendor of it all.
Still, though we are enthralled by the scene, can you imagine actually being there like Isaiah was?
The astonishing nature of it all caused this great prophet to state his sinfulness, as well as that of the whole nation. Still, God showed that the sin of this man was cleansed.
It is in that moment that God asks the question, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” (Isaiah 6:8)
With the splendor of God all around, and with the knowledge that his sins have been atoned, the prophet stated the beautiful words, “Here am I! Send me.”
While the remainder of this brief chapter shows Isaiah that he will be going to a rebellious people and that most–if not all–will not listen and truly obey, it is still his commission to go.
But that response that Isaiah gave should have our attention. In those two very short sentences that form his response, we see at least two things that make for a faithful response to the Lord even today.
Full Sacrifice
The prophet said, “Here am I.” He did not say, “Here are my lips.” He did not say, “Lord, you have part of me.”
Instead, Isaiah said that he was there; all of him.
It brings to mind the first of the greatest commands enumerated by Jesus, doesn’t it? How many sermons have you heard that point out that little word “all” that is found four times in that command? The Lord said, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). It simply does not leave room for anything to be left out.
Paul would teach that all Christians are to be “a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1-2). That implies giving all to the Lord.
It could have been easy for Isaiah to promise a certain amount of time or just a percentage of his effort. The prophet realized, though, that all of him needed to be in the service.
Readiness
“Send me.” There was no timetable on that part of Isaiah’s response. Whatever this assignment would turn out to be, Isaiah was ready to respond and go. And he was ready to do so right then, on the Lord’s command.
We see commands in the Bible that we can do, but we also see others that may not fit what we think we want our life to be right now, so we put off full compliance with the commands of God.
But Jesus said, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). That “looking back” implies that this person wants to follow God, but at his own pace and in his own way.
That’s not obedience!
Instead, when we read a command in Scripture, our response needs to be “send me.” There should be a readiness to follow each and every command, no matter how difficult, right in the moment and season of life in which we find ourselves.
Conclusion
While we never need to lose sight of the glory of God, of which we get an amazing glimpse in Isaiah 6, the response of the prophet is there, in part, to help us see what our response should be to God, as well.
We see His glory through Scripture, as well as in nature and creation. We are reminded that we are sinful, but that our sins are atoned for and God remembers them no more.
Knowing that, when we see a command of God, may our response be like that of Isaiah: “Here am I! Send me.”
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AUTHOR: Adam Faughn
