Here Am I. Send Me!
Prayer for Illumination
God our Father, True source of light and wisdom, let a ray of Your light penetrate the darkness of our understanding. Holy Spirit, empower us to live in light of the Living Word, declaring its truth with our words, and embodying it through our actions. Amen.
What was the greatest spectacle that amazed you? From mesmerizing light displays in the sky and valleys in the Grand Canyon to the majestic and mighty Niagara Falls with thundering sounds, to the breathtaking scrapes of emerald, jade, and purple of the Northern Lights.
We feel so small and speechless before an indescribable and mysterious display of nature. How much more if we stand before the Creator who designed such Wonders and Mysteries of the universe? In today’s text, we find Prophet Isaiah seeing the Sovereign God, the Creator and Omnipotent.
Before we go on, let us look at when this encounter happened. v1 says: “In the year that King Uzziah died.” Isaiah gives us a significant clue here. Because it is a time of transition and uncertainty for Judah.
Uzziah, also called Azariah, became king of Judah at 16 years old, in 792 BC and reigned for 52 years. Though from a long line of wicked and unfaithful kings, Uzziah was a godly, intelligent, innovative, and well-respected king. Uzziah sought the Lord and received many blessings.
He built fortified towers and strengthened the armies of Judah. He commissioned skilled men to create devices that shot arrows and large stones at enemies from the city walls. The Ammonites paid tribute to King Uzziah, and his fame spread over the ancient world, as far as the border of Egypt.
Unfortunately, King Uzziah’s fame and strength led him to become proud, and this led to his downfall. He committed an unfaithful act by entering the temple of God to burn incense on the altar, which only the priests were allowed to do.
By attempting to do this himself, he was saying he was above God-given Law. As a result, God struck him with leprosy. Consequently, he lived in a separate palace and was not allowed to enter the temple of the Lord until he died. Even though his last days were miserable, he was a powerful and talented king.
With Uzziah gone, things mostly went downhill, as the Assyrian and Babylonian threats to the northeast grew. With the enemies at the gates, the people of Judah, including Isaiah had great reason to be discouraged, fearful, and disillusioned at the death of the great leader.
In this uncertain time, God came to Isaiah and revealed Himself.
Isaiah is just going to the temple like he has gone to the temple hundreds of times before. It’s probably the Sabbath day. He walks into the temple and sees God, the very last person in the whole world he expects to see. What about you? When you enter the sanctuary, do you expect to see God?
Isaiah sees the Sovereign Lord sitting on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of His robes fills the Temple. Isaiah also sees the seraphim, angelic beings flying around the Sovereign One.
This is the only place in the Bible that specifically mentions the seraphim. Each seraph had six wings. They used two to fly, two to cover their feet, and two to cover their faces. The seraphim hover above the throne God is seated, singing praises of His glory and majesty.
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.” At the sound of their singing, the foundations trembled and the whole house filled with smoke.
Isaiah knows about ‘holiness’. They are called ‘holy people’; they have the Holy Temple and holy ceremonies. They have ‘holy’ objects such as the Ark, altar, basins, and lampstand, set aside and separated for a specific function.
But God is not just holy, a little separate, a touch different, set aside for a specific function. God is thrice holy, wholly other, completely different, set aside from EVERYTHING in creation. God’s holiness is the only attribute of God that is ever repeated three times like this. He is, ultimately, The Holy One (period).
Standing in the presence of God’s glory, Isaiah is suddenly overwhelmed with his unworthiness to be in such a place or see such things. And he cries out in despair. “Woe to me! I am ruined! I am undone.”
In ancient days, people had a common understanding that those who see God in His full glory must die (Exodus 33:20). But for Isaiah, it’s not just because He encounters the glory of the living God, but also the glimpse of the true holiness of God instantly burns into Isaiah’s inner being the depth of his sin. Seeing the Lord of Hosts makes him aware that he deserves death because of his sin.
When the seraphim declares that the Lord is “holy, holy, holy,” Isaiah becomes crushingly aware that he is completely unworthy and sinful.
Isaiah describes himself as a man of “unclean lips” surrounded by people of “unclean lips”. He is calling out his lips specifically because it is with the lips, our words, that we reveal who we are in our hearts.
Jesus said, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). Hearing the pure praise of the Lord from the lips of the seraphim, seeing the splendor of God’s holiness, Isaiah knew in an instant his unworthiness.
God, in His grace, does not leave Isaiah lost in his sinfulness. One of the seraphim flies towards Isaiah with a burning coal from the altar in his hand. He places the coal against Isaiah’s mouth and tells him that his guilt is taken away and his sin is paid for.
At this point, Isaiah hears the voice of the Lord. God is asking who He should send. ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Who is “us” that God is speaking for? Perhaps referring to the three Persons of the Trinity, Father, Son, and Spirit?
In the Gospel of John, John quotes from this very chapter of Isaiah and then concludes: “Isaiah said these things when he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him” (John 12:41). It is Jesus that is One of the Persons in the Triune God who is on that glorious throne in Isaiah’s vision.
Moments earlier, Isaiah might have refused such a mission. He was painfully aware of his unworthiness to speak on God’s behalf. Now, purified by God’s grace, Isaiah comes forward for God’s mission in obedience and humility, saying “Here am I. Send me!”
God’s coming to Isaiah in the year Uzziah died and revealing Himself as the King and the Lord Almighty was significant. He wanted to assure Isaiah and Judah that He is the one true King of all, no matter who sits on the throne of Judah.
Also, showing His absolute holiness, God reminded Isaiah and Judah of their sinfulness. By pressing Isaiah’s lips with the burning coal, God took away his guilt and atoned for his sins. And finally, God commissioned Isaiah to tell Judah the truth.
We just sang ‘Holy Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty’. We may think we know what ‘holiness’ is but I don’t think we can grasp the ‘Holiness’ of God.
Though Jesus is high and exalted, immense and transcendent, He made Himself lowly and came to us, who were sinful, unrighteous, and subject to eternal death.
Through Jesus Christ who sacrificially and willingly gave Himself for our sins, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have been redeemed, forgiven, and reconciled to God.
And just like God called Isaiah to proclaim the truth, God calls us to proclaim the message of truth – the message of the Gospel, the message of hope, the message of healing and reconciliation.
Many times, we feel inadequate to be used by God. We don’t know what to say; we don’t know what to do. So, when God asks, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”, we say, “Send her… she’s extroverted and she will be good at it.” “Send him. He’s young and gifted.” “As for me, I’m shy. I’m too old. I’m not talented enough. I’m afraid. I’m kind of busy.”
What are your excuses? When God is searching for someone, do you think He is looking for a person with a good academic education, much work experience, several certificates and licenses, highly specialized knowledge and skills, the ability to speak multiple languages, great wealth, and good looking?
God is seeking a person who has a willingness and obedient heart, who cares for others, and who desires to do what pleases God. Despite fear, if you answer in humility “Here am I, Lord. Send me,” the Holy Spirit will provide you with courage, wisdom, and the right words to speak.
Today is Healing and Reconciliation Sunday. The church is committed to walking toward reconciliation. This includes advocating that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is the framework for reconciliation, responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, and engaging with the findings of the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Calls for Justice.
It sounds huge and sometimes, we don’t know where to start. We can begin with small things like acknowledging the impacts of colonialism and the resulting systems of racism; acknowledging the church’s harmful acts towards Indigenous peoples in the name of God; learning more about the culture of Indigenous peoples; or wearing red dresses on Red Dress Day on May 5th.
Red Dress Day is the National Day of Awareness for Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people.
Friends, through Jesus Christ, we’ve seen and tasted the splendor of God’s glory and holiness. But many still have not seen or experienced His lavish love, gracious gift of forgiveness, healing light, and transforming power.
And God wants us to go. God wants you to bring the message of Hope, love, truth, and healing to those still struggling and lost on the margins. Would you answer His calling? Here am I. Send me.
Let us pray.
Holy God, High and lifted up, as we come to the sanctuary, we see You and feel Your presence. Spiritually awaken us and fill us with joy and willingness to serve You. In the glorious name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.