Would You Ever Say This To God?

​Isa 6:8-9 - Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!"  NASU 

• Send Me! 

Let me share with you some of the background of Isaiah's very bold statement. The Israelites have become so corrupt and sinful. There lifestyle is unbelievably ungodly. In the first chapter of Isaiah here is what God has to say His children:
 
Isa 1:2-4:
Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth;
For the LORD speaks,
"Sons I have reared and brought up,
But they have revolted against Me.

3 "An ox knows its owner,
And a donkey its master's manger,
But Israel does not know,
My people do not understand."
 
4 Alas, sinful nation,
People weighed down with iniquity,
Offspring of evildoers,
Sons who act corruptly!

They have abandoned the LORD,
They have despised the Holy One of Israel,
They have turned away from Him.
 
Look at all the indictments God lists against the Israelites. They have revolted, act corruptly, abandoned the LORD, despised the Holy One of Israel and have turned away from Him.
 
God names two animals the ox and donkey that has more allegiance to their owner than the Israelites have for God. The ox He says, "knows its owner" and the donkey "knows its master's manger."
 
Isaiah hears God ask, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" and Isaiah answers God with those faithful words "Here am I. Send me!"   

• What Is The Job? 

Well, that would depend on who is the person. I would like to share the names of some Bible characters and see where the Lord told them to "Go".
 
First, Noah was told to go from the ark, take his family with him and bring out the animals.

Gen. 8:15-18 - Then God spoke to Noah, saying, 16 "Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons' wives with you.

17 "Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you, birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth." 18 So Noah went out,…"
 
Noah's family consisted of 8 people. He was told to Go out of the ark and be fruitful and multiply. As of the writing of this Pump Up the world's population is 8.2 billion people. I would say Noah obeyed God.
 
Second, Jacob was told to Go down to Egypt.

Gen. 46:2-4 - God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, "Jacob, Jacob." And he said, "Here I am." 3 He said, "I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I

will make you a great nation there. 4 "I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes."
 
Jacob went down to Egypt (75 descendants in all Acts 7:14) and when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt their population it is estimated between 2-3 million people. Exodus 12:37 says there was 600,000 foot soldiers not counting women, children and the elderly.

Jacob went and God increased their number.
 
Third, God told Moses to Go to Pharaoh and tell him to let God's people "Go". We know Moses did what he was told after some gentle persuasion by God.
 
Fourth, the apostles in the New Testament were told to "Go" and preach by one of God's angels:

Acts 5:19-20 - But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison, and taking them out he said, 20 "Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life."
 
Fifth, Philip was told by an angel and the Holy Spirit to "Go". Acts 8:26 - But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, "Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza."
 
Acts 8:29 - Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot." In both cases Philip did what he was told to do and the Ethiopian eunuch was obedient to the gospel message preached by Philip which led him to be baptized.
 
There are plenty of other people in the Bible where God told them to "Go".

Ananias was told to "Go" to the street called Straight and meet one Saul of Tarsus.
 
The Spirit told Peter to "Go" downstairs, meet the men that came looking for him and go with them to Cornelius' house. 

• What About Us? 

Has God asked us to "Go" anywhere or do anything for Him? Yes, of course He has.
 
God has a plan to help people who have sinned to avoid an eternity in Hell. We are a part of His plan. He wants us to "Go" and make disciples of all nations. God wants all nations to hear about His plan.
 
Matt. 28:19-20 - "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,  20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
 
So what is our decision? Do we have the attitude of Isaiah? Are we ready to say, "Here am I Lord. Send me!"
 
Think About This:
 
Delayed obedience is the brother of disobedience.

Stay Pumped,
 
Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word