A Servant’s Reply: Day 6
“Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry, and He will say, “Here I am””. Isaiah 58:9
Here I am – Sometimes the deepest implications are found in the strangest places. You will recall this Hebrew word. It is hinneh. We see it time and again when human beings respond to God’s call. Abraham (Genesis 22:1), Moses (Exodus 3:4) and Samuel (1 Samuel 3:4) are all important examples. It is the answer of a servant who is responding to a Master. This Old Testament theme certainly finds its way into the life of Jesus and of the disciples (Luke 6:46). It is exactly what we would expect as part of the great call to be the servant of God.
But something shocking has happened in this verse. God answers as a servant! The order of the universe is turned upside down. The Creator takes on the role of the slave! God Himself shows us what it means to be the servant of all.
No religion on earth could imagine such a turn of events. Gods do not stoop to serve men. Gods do not humble themselves. They demand obeisance. They expect glory. Yes, that’s how we might act if we were gods (just think about the blasphemous portray in Bruce, Almighty). But then we encounter Yahweh, a god for whom there is no comparison. This God bends to serve. This God takes on the role of a slave. This God dies in our place. This God says, “When you call, when you cry out to me, I will answer with the words of the servant, Hinneh.”
One of the great themes of the Bible is God’s sovereignty. God deserves all glory, honor and respect. But this same God also shows us a heart of deepest compassion. God is not an Almighty Ruler whose word is Law but whose heart is cold. God hears our cry. He is moved by our call. Love is God in action toward us.
In this world it is easy to believe that no one hears me when my heart is breaking. It is easy to think that my cry in the dark bounces off the ceiling, that I pray to a leaden sky and a silent God. I look at my sin. I see my failure. And I could conclude that God would never listen to me. I am unworthy. Then, suddenly, I hear a celestial voice speaking a word I could never imagine. Hinneh. God is near. He is coming to my rescue. How could I not love the One Who comforts my soul?
