The passage “here am I; send me” comes from Isaiah 6:8 in the Old Testament. This verse describes the calling of the prophet Isaiah by God to go and speak His words to the people of Israel. To understand the full meaning of this phrase, it’s important to look at the context surrounding it in Isaiah 6.
Isaiah’s Vision and Call (Isaiah 6:1-8)
Chapter 6 begins with Isaiah having a powerful vision of the glory and holiness of God in the temple. Isaiah sees the Lord seated on a throne, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim were above the Lord, calling out “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3). The pivots and thresholds of the temple shook at the sound of their voices. Isaiah is overwhelmed by the majesty and holiness of God, and cries out “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!” (Isaiah 6:5).
One of the seraphim flies to Isaiah and touches his mouth with a burning coal from the altar, cleansing him from his sin. After this, the Lord speaks: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” (Isaiah 6:8). Despite having just encountered the awesome holiness of God and his own sinfulness, Isaiah responds without hesitation:
“Here am I! Send me.” (Isaiah 6:8)
This vision and call narrative provides crucial context for understanding what Isaiah says and what it means.
Isaiah’s Ready Obedience
“Here am I; send me” first expresses Isaiah’s immediate obedience to serve the Lord. Though he feels unworthy before the glory of God, Isaiah does not shrink back or hesitate when God seeks a messenger but is ready to go. The response “here am I” mirrors the Hebrew word “hineni,” which means “Here I am.” It communicates Isaiah’s availability and willingness to do whatever God commands of him.
Similarly, in the call stories of other biblical figures like Abraham (Genesis 22:1), Moses (Exodus 3:4), and Samuel (1 Samuel 3:4), “Here I am” expresses being attentively ready to listen and obey the word of the Lord. Isaiah’s response reflects deep faith that despite his limitations, with God’s empowerment he is willing to answer the call to go speak God’s message.
An Urgent Message for Israel
“Send me” indicates Isaiah’s understanding of the importance of the mission on which God is sending him. God seeks a messenger to speak on his behalf to communicate His words to the nation of Israel. Throughout the book named after him, Isaiah contains messages warning Israel to turn from sin and return to following the Lord.
Isaiah realizes the urgency of this call from God in his context. At the time, Israel faces the threat of attack from foreign powers due to her rebellion and idolatry. God is calling the nation to repentance and faithfulness to the covenant. By responding “send me,” Isaiah volunteers to take up this vital yet difficult prophetic mission, no matter the cost. His life would now center around speaking God’s words to a resistant people.
Parallels to Isaiah in the New Testament
There are several parallels between Isaiah’s calling and commissioning by God and the calling of Jesus’ disciples in the New Testament Gospels:
- In John 12, the apostle John says that Isaiah saw Jesus’ glory and spoke of him in this temple vision (John 12:41). Isaiah’s vision of the glory of God prepared him to hear and respond to God’s voice.
- In Luke 5, when Jesus calls His first disciples Simon Peter, James and John, they are about to catch fish. But when Jesus tells them to go into deeper water and let down their nets, they obey and bring in a huge catch. Luke 5:8 says when Simon Peter saw this, “he fell down at Jesus’ knees saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.'” Peter responds like Isaiah did to the glory of God.
- Also in Luke 5, Jesus says to Simon and the other fishermen, “from now on you will be catching men” (Luke 5:10). Jesus appoints them as “fishers of men” to bring people into the Kingdom of God through the message of the Gospel.
Like Isaiah, Jesus’ first disciples are called and sent out to speak God’s message. Their response is similar to Isaiah’s “Here am I, send me!” They leave everything behind to follow and serve Jesus in His mission.
Application for Believers Today
There are several important applications of Isaiah’s response for believers in Christ today:
- It reminds us that God is still at work calling people to Himself for His mission. Though we are unworthy like Isaiah, God can use anyone when we make ourselves available to Him.
- It shows our need for spiritual preparation and cleansing before we can effectively serve God. Repentance clears away hindrances to clearly hear God’s voice.
- It reflects a willing obedience to God’s call over personal comfort. Like Isaiah, we must count the cost but put the importance of serving God above all else.
- It displays radical availability to the call of God. We do not get to pick and choose what tasks we will obey, but faithful service means going wherever He sends us.
- It reveals that God wants messengers who will courageously speak His message to people who may not listen. We must godly and compassionately communicate God’s truth to our world.
For Christians, serving the risen Christ as His witnesses continues the call first issued to Isaiah. May we respond as wholeheartedly as Isaiah did to God’s call with the words “Here am I, send me!”
The Broader Context of Isaiah 6
Looking at the broader context of Isaiah 6 also enriches our understanding of Isaiah’s ready response to God’s commission. The vision and call of Isaiah in chapter 6 functions as a critical hinge point in the book of Isaiah:
- Chapters 1-5 contain Isaiah’s message of judgment on Judah for her sins against God. His warnings urge the nation to repent and avoid coming calamity.
- Starting in chapter 7, Isaiah speaks prophecies to Judah and the surrounding nations. His prophecies look forward to the coming Messiah who will rule in righteousness and bring salvation.
Isaiah’s dramatic encounter with God’s glory and holiness prepared him to be God’s prophetic messenger to call Judah to repentance in light of coming judgment. But it also assured Isaiah that God still had a future plan of redemption for His people. This encouraged Isaiah to continue declaring both warnings of judgment and promises of hope.
In the midst of deceit and despair, Isaiah 6 fueled Isaiah’s confidence in God’s sovereignty over all nations. His vision of the Lord as the true king over Israel and the world anchored his trust in God’s faithfulness. Even though judgment was coming, God’s purposes would ultimately prevail.
The Lord confirmed these purposes to Isaiah, saying “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given… Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:6-7). The divine encounter in Isaiah 6 assured Isaiah that God was still working out His redemptive plan.
Key Themes and Hebrew Words in Isaiah 6
Certain Hebrew words and idioms in Isaiah 6 also shed light on key themes connected to Isaiah’s calling:
- “Holy, holy, holy” – The threefold repetition of “holy” is a Hebrew superlative emphasizing God’s absolute moral purity, glory and perfection.
- “Woe is me!” – Isaiah’s cry of “woe” recognizes his sinfulness and guilt before the Holy God.
- “Unclean lips” – Lips represent speech throughout the book of Isaiah. Unclean lips symbolize Isaiah’s and Israel’s sinful words.
- “Coal…touched your lips” – The hot coal from the altar cleanses Isaiah’s lips, allowing him to speak God’s holy words.
- “Whom shall I send?” – The Hebrew plural indicates the Trinity acting in unity to call Isaiah.
- “Here am I! Send me” – As examined above, this shows Isaiah’s obedience and willingness to go.
These key details help demonstrate major motifs in the chapter related to God’s holiness, human sinfulness, cleansing, and God sending out His faithful messengers.
Isaiah’s Calling and Ministry
After the account of his dramatic calling, Isaiah 6:9-13 gives Isaiah instructions for his difficult ministry. God warns him that the people will not listen to his messages of judgment and repentance. However, God calls Isaiah to faithfully preach so that a holy remnant would eventually respond.
Isaiah’s ministry spanned decades, speaking God’s warnings and comfort to multiple kings and audiences. Tradition suggests he was eventually martyred by being sawn in two. But the courageous obedience of his response – “Here am I, send me!” characterized his long prophetic career.
As one initially shaken by the glory of the Lord, Isaiah was transformed into a bold messenger. His example urges believers in any generation to make themselves available to be called and sent by God. Though the message may be difficult, God uses and empowers those who faithfully answer His call, “Here am I, send me!”