Read Isaiah 4—6
I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And
who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
Isaiah 6:8
Anyone reading the first few chapters of Isaiah’s book might be
inclined to ask, “What right does this man have to pronounce judgment?”
The answer is found in chapter 6: Isaiah’s account of his call
to ministry. Before he announced any “woes” on others, he first confessed
his own sins.
The sight of a holy God and the sound of the holy hymn of worship
brought great conviction to Isaiah’s heart. Isaiah cried out to be
cleansed inwardly, and God met his need. If this scene had been on
earth, the coals would have come from the brazen altar where the
sacrificial blood had been shed, or perhaps from the censer of the high
priest on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:12). Isaiah’s cleansing came
by blood and fire, and the Word of the Lord verified it. Before we can
minister to others, we must permit God to minister to us. Before we
pronounce “woe” upon others, we must sincerely say, “Woe is me!”
Isaiah’s conviction led to confession, and confession led to cleansing
(1 John 1:9).
“Go and tell” is still God’s command to His people. He is waiting
for us to reply, “Here am I. Send me!”
Something to Ponder
Are you willing to say, “Here am I. Send me!”? Why or why not?