Scripture reading: Romans 8:26–27

Eavesdropping on a
Divine Conversation

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall
I send? And who will go for us?” (Isaiah 6:8)

In the sixth chapter of Isaiah (vv. 1–8), we find all the elements of an authentic worship service. What happened to Isaiah in the Temple is a model for what should happen every time God’s people gather for worship.

_ We see God in his holiness: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord. (vv. 1–4)
_ We see ourselves in our sinfulness: Woe to me! I am ruined. (v. 5)
_ We experience grace in its sanctifying power: Your guilt is taken away. (vv. 6–7)

Many believe that when these three elements are present, our worship experience is complete. OK, I’m right with God. I’m happy. I got what I came for. Can we be dismissed now? Let’s have the benediction and go home.

I’m impressed by the fact that Isaiah’s worship did not end at verse seven. All that had happened up to that point was preparatory for what came next when we see the real purpose for worship. Then 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!” (v. 8)

Seeing God in his holiness and experiencing grace in its sanctifying power had made it possible for Isaiah to enter into the very throne room of heaven and get so close to the Holy One that he overheard God talking to himself. Among the members of the Trinity, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit were agonizing over the question that represented their innermost heart: Who will go for us? (note the plural pronoun!) Who will wake up the nation of Israel to her desperate need? Who will help her understand how much we love her and long to restore her and bless her? Who will go for us?

Isaiah was listening. Worship ushered him into intimacy with the triune God so that he was able to “eavesdrop” on a divine conversation. And as he listened, for the first time in his life he began to understand who God is, what he thinks, what he feels, and what his deepest longings are for his people and for the world. This was Isaiah’s “call” to ministry. God never even spoke to him directly. He didn’t have to. He just allowed him to listen in as he spoke to himself! Isaiah was never the same again. From now on only one thing mattered: being part of God’s mission in the world! Here am I. Send me!

The call of God is essentially expressive of the nature of God, it is His own voice. . . . God did not lay a strong compulsion on Isaiah; Isaiah was in the presence of God and he overheard, as it were, the soliloquy of God: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” and in conscious freedom he replied, “Here am I; send me.” . . . The call of God is not the echo of my nature, but expressive of God’s nature. . . . God does not have to come and tell me what I must do for Him, He brings me into a relationship with Himself wherein I hear His call and understand what He wants me to do, and I do it out of sheer love to Him. (Oswald Chambers, So Send I You)

As you worship God today, be sure that the benediction does not come too soon!

Prayer is first of all listening to God.
It’s openness. God is always speaking;
he’s always doing something.
—Henri Nouwen

point to ponder • The goal of worship is to get so close to the Triune God we can overhear the three Persons talking amongst themselves.

prayer focus • Spend some time in silence. What is God saying to you?