God's Want Ads

God’s Want Ads

Isaiah 6:1-8

            Every Sunday there are three or four pages of want ads in the newspaper.  Some are for things (“Wanted:  king-size bed”); some are for pets (“Wanted:  cobra”); Some offer items (“For sale—cheap:  one untamed tiger”).  By far the most ads are from people or companies looking to hire workers.  Those are the ones I want to focus on today.

            I’m reading a book in which one of the main characters reads the want ads from beginning to end every day.  She never does anything about the ads; she just reads them, and thinks about what she might do.  All thought, no action.  Nothing ever changes in her life.

            The Bible is full of want ads.  From the very beginning God calls people to fill specific positions:  Adam and Eve, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Saul, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, the other prophets—all receive want ads from God.  In the New Testament, Jesus sends a want ad to his inner circle of twelve disciples.  Later God calls Paul, Silas, Barnabas, Timothy, and many more.

            In each case the job description is written so specifically that only one person can fill the position.  Abraham is a wandering shepherd, frequently on the move, and with enough wealth on the hoof to be able to sustain himself and his family.  Joseph is a young man with all the self-confidence in the world.  His specific talent is interpreting dreams—his and other peoples’.  Moses, slow of speech as he may be, was raised in Pharaoh’s court, so he understands the language of the Egyptian aristocracy. 

The disciples—at least the inner circle—are working men.  They know what it’s like to put their back into a task.  This background helps them when they become apostles; they understand the hard work the job calls for.  Paul has been given a thorough Jewish education, and probably training in Greek philosophy.  In addition, he is a passionate man, who gives everything he has to whatever cause he believes in.

God knows the work, and God knows the person who can do the work.  God doesn’t have to put want ads in the papers, or contact an online placement site.  God places the want ad directly with the person who will be best for the job. 

We see this clearly in Isaiah’s call.  He is in the temple—alone, when he is surrounded by angels, and becomes aware that he is in God’s holy presence.  He believes himself unfit to answer God’s call—God’s want ad—and says so.  God will have none of it.  As with so many others, God sweeps away Isaiah’s objections.  All Isaiah needs to get started is a little preparation.  The rest is on-the-job training—something God is good at.  Once Isaiah has been touched by God, the call is issued: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”  We can sense—feel!—Isaiah’s eagerness as he responds: “Here am I!  Send me”

God has prepared a want ad for each of us.  Some have already heard their call and have answered it.  Others have heard their call, but still have doubts, concerns, reservations.  Some may just want to think about God’s want ad.  Like the woman in my book, all thought, no action.  Still others have not yet heard their call.  Rest assured, it will come—and when it does, it will be overwhelming.  We may fight it.  We may say, “There must be someone else who can do this job better.  There must be someone who has more time, better skills, fewer handicaps.  There must be someone else!”

But there isn’t.  God knows the work and the person.  God has already matched each of us with the work that must be done.  All we can do is say, “Here am I!  Send me.”