Isaiah 6:8 English Standard Version (ESV)
Isaiah’s Commission from the Lord
8 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.”
This passage is often used and seem rather familiar to many but do we see the sequence of events? Isaiah is in the place to serve. He will serve where he is placed by earlier events. Then Isaiah acknowledges his unworthiness and those around him. Then an angel comes and places hot coals upon his lips making him worthy of service.
Here is Isaiah commission as he responds to his call to service. Then he is given the words to be delivered. Now comes the part that most of us overlook. He asked the Lord how long he is to serve in this capacity.
11 Then I said, “How long, O Lord?”
And he said: “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste,
12 and the Lord removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.
Most of us would be looking for an answer that deals with time. We want some answer that we can add to our calendar. While we try and deal with the answer in terms of length of service we might overlook the important words.
“The Lord removes.”
Isaiah is just a herald, the real work is done by the Lord. So often we see ourselves as the janitor cleaning up the mess and removing the impediments.
That isn’t what Isaiah is commission to do, he is called to declare the Word of the Lord.
We are all called into service. Not all of us are commissioned. The basic principle applies to us all. Placement, preparation, instruction, and service are there for all of us. Do we understand our role? Do we know what the Lord is doing?
Or do we look for new orders because of self-interest?