Here Am I, Send Me

Issue 021

What would happen if we caught a glimpse of the holiness of God?

When Isaiah saw the Lord seated upon His throne, high and lifted up, his immediate response was not one of confidence, but of unworthiness. Yet something extraordinary happened during that encounter. The man who cried out, “Woe is me!” would soon be saying, “Here am I! Send me.”

What happened between those two statements? And what can Isaiah's encounter with the living God teach us about our own relationship with Him?

Isaiah 6:1 “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.”

For fifty-two years, King Uzziah had ruled over Judah. His reign had brought strength, prosperity and stability to the nation. However, his reign ended in pride and now he was dead.

It was in that very year that Isaiah saw something beyond anything he had ever imagined.

He saw the Lord, high and lifted up, seated upon His throne.

This image is a stark contrast to earthly kings, who rise and fall and kingdoms that flourish and fade. Our Lord God remains holy, sovereign and eternal.

Isaiah saw the Lord in His glory and he heard the angels call:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”

“And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.” (Isaiah 6:3-4)

Imagine that encounter. Isaiah was confronted with the majesty, glory and absolute holiness of God. And in that moment, he became painfully aware of his own sinfulness.

His words were (Isaiah 6:5):

“Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because 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.”

I think it's difficult for us to imagine this moment because we've become so accustomed to the things of this world. We live in a world so focused on the natural and the physical. Yes, we believe in God, and we love Him, but how often do we truly stop to ponder who He is and what His holiness means?

God isn't simply greater than us. He is completely set apart. There is none like Him. He is perfect in righteousness, purity and goodness.

I remember hearing R.C. Sproul explain that, in Hebrew, repeating a word was a way of emphasising its importance, so when the angels declared “Holy, holy, holy,” they were proclaiming the absolute and supreme holiness of God. This is also the only attribute of God that scripture repeats three times in this way.

And as I write these words, I realise they don't even begin to capture the fullness of what God's holiness truly means.

When Isaiah saw the holiness of God, it changed the way he saw himself. He recognised his own unworthiness. I think for most of us, we probably would have reacted as Isaiah did, recognising our smallness and sinfulness in the sight of a holy God.

But his encounter with God did not end here, because, in that moment, he experienced God's mercy and forgiveness.

(Isaiah 6:6-7) “Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said:

‘Behold, this has touched your lips;
Your iniquity is taken away,
And your sin purged.’”

What an extraordinary moment. The same God whose holiness had brought Isaiah to the realisation of his own sinfulness was also the God who extended mercy and forgiveness to him. He hadn't earned this forgiveness, nor did he deserve it, it was freely given to him by a holy and merciful God. And that same mercy is offered to us through Jesus.

And after everything Isaiah saw, after becoming aware of his own unworthiness and after receiving God's cleansing, he heard the Lord asking: (Isaiah 6:8)

“Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?”

And Isaiah answered, seemingly without hesitation, “Here am I! Send me.”

I find it interesting that Isaiah volunteered before he even knew what his mission was to be. He didn't ask where he would be sent, what he would have to do or how difficult it might be. He simply offered himself.

In verses 9–13 we also see that Isaiah's mission was not an easy one. His willingness to go didn't mean the road ahead would be simple.

Isaiah began this encounter overwhelmed by his own unworthiness, but he emerged with a willingness to serve God. What had changed? He saw God as He truly was, holy and glorious, and yet in that moment God extended His mercy and forgave him.

This is the God we serve, and what an awesome God He is. The same God Isaiah saw high and lifted up is the God we worship today. He is holy beyond anything we can comprehend, and yet He loves us and delights in us. And perhaps, as we begin to see Him more clearly for who He truly is, our response will be much like Isaiah’s.

“Here am I! Send me.”

Revelation 4:8 “And they do not rest day or night, saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!’”

Exodus 15:11 “Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?”

Psalm 99:9 “Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at His holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy.”

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Seek Him first in all things and let your life shine His glory.

Blessings ❤️ Amanda

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…" Matthew 6:33

Part of Seek First Collective