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Here I am, send me

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. 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. And one called to another and said:“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;the whole earth is full of his glory!”And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 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!”Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”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.”
Isaiah 6: 1 - 8

An account of the calling of Isaiah.

Isaiah was given a vision of God on His throne, with the seraphim calling out "Holy, holy, holy (triple emphasis) is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory".

Isaiah is no fool. He knows the consequence of being in the presence of God, and even worse, looking upon the King, the LORD of hosts. He knows his own sins - a man of unclean lips, dwelling in the midst of a people of unclean lips.

The consequence is death and judgement. No way, can a sinful man can stand in the presence of a Holy God. Isaiah recognises this.

Then, the miracle. The seraphim touches his mouth with a burning coal from the altar. The altar, for a sacrifice to be made in heaven. The altar, for a Great High Priest to continually intercede for His people. The altar - now empty - but symbolic of the work that Jesus will come to do - to touch the lips of people - to take away their guilt, and to atone for their sin.

The question Isaiah hears God ask then, is one that we all hear today. God says "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?". Jesus says "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (excerpt) The question never changed. Who will go for God?

Isaiah says - "Here I am, send me".

It's not "Hey, my neighbor's a good guy! Send him!". It's not "I don't speak very well. People won't listen to me!" (Cue Moses). There are no excuses. He says - "Send me!"

And why? Not particularly because he had compassion on the people (though I'm sure he did - following his response later on). Not particularly because it's the "cool" thing to do. Not because it made him "special".

But only because he knew the glory of God. Because he knew the depths of forgiveness given to him that day. Because when we know the glory of God, our depravity in sin, and we know the boundless love and forgiveness given to us through Jesus Christ our Lord, we say "Here I am, send me"

And (He) "will be with you always, to the end of the age"
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