In Old Testament narrative "Here I am" is the proper response of a servant whose name has been called by the one she or he serves. When the boy Samuel is called repeatedly by a voice in the night he runs to his master Eli and says "hinneni" --- "I'm here!" When the old man realizes that it is YHWH calling he instructs Samuel to respond, "Speak, LORD; your servant is listening." And Samuel does so, using the word ebed, servant (1 Sam 3:10). What comes next is a message so disturbing that Eli has to force it out of Samuel the next morning. Showing up and listening changes the course of Samuel's life and the direction of Israel's story.
In Genesis 22, God calls to Abraham and Abraham answers "hinneni" --- "Here I am." And God said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you." But at the last minute the angel of YHWH calls again: "Abraham, Abraham!" and Abraham gasps out once more, "hinneni' and Isaac is spared.
Moses is minding his own business and his father-in-law's sheep when he hears his name being called from a burning bush. He answers "hinneni!" just in case the voice might be in a position to command him----and it is:
"I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt." Oops.
In the middle of a worship service, Isaiah is overcome by a dramatic experience of God and cries out, "hinneni"! ---"Here I am; send me." To which God responds, "Your job is to preach in order that nobody will understand or repent." No wonder Isaiah responds, "How long, O Lord?" ---a lament taken up by countless preachers ever since.
But here's the thing: "Here I am" is always the right response to the voice of God because God is God and we're not. Hiding is useless (Gen 3:8-10) and running away never ends well (Jonah). You always want to be found by the One who knows your name --- the One who walks with you on the journey that, although scary at times, leads to the blossoming of your true self, to the glory of God.
In Genesis 22, God calls to Abraham and Abraham answers "hinneni" --- "Here I am." And God said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you." But at the last minute the angel of YHWH calls again: "Abraham, Abraham!" and Abraham gasps out once more, "hinneni' and Isaac is spared.
Moses is minding his own business and his father-in-law's sheep when he hears his name being called from a burning bush. He answers "hinneni!" just in case the voice might be in a position to command him----and it is:
"I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt." Oops.
In the middle of a worship service, Isaiah is overcome by a dramatic experience of God and cries out, "hinneni"! ---"Here I am; send me." To which God responds, "Your job is to preach in order that nobody will understand or repent." No wonder Isaiah responds, "How long, O Lord?" ---a lament taken up by countless preachers ever since.
But here's the thing: "Here I am" is always the right response to the voice of God because God is God and we're not. Hiding is useless (Gen 3:8-10) and running away never ends well (Jonah). You always want to be found by the One who knows your name --- the One who walks with you on the journey that, although scary at times, leads to the blossoming of your true self, to the glory of God.