A similar moment occurs in 1 Samuel 3. Samuel, who grew to be a great prophet in Israel and the anointer of David as king, is but a young boy. He is living in the temple with the old priest Eli. One night while sleeping near the ark of God, Samuel was awakened by a voice calling his name. Samuel thought it was Eli. He ran to the elderly gentleman and said, “Here I am.” But it wasn’t Eli who called him, so Eli sent him back to bed. Again, it happened and again Eli sent Samuel back to bed.

Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." And the LORD said to Samuel: "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle. (1 Samuel 3: 7-11)

There is again an astonishing message within the text: Samuel did not yet know the Lord, yet he was lying mere yards from the Ark of the Covenant, the holiest object within the temple. Even as a child he was quick to respond, “Here I am,” though he didn’t know it was to God. When he did respond to God, God shared with a boy what would occur for man. Samuel’s life was forever changed.

Centuries later, in one of the most beautiful scenes in the Bible, the prophet Isaiah saw a vision of the Lord, seated on a throne. The train of his robe, Isaiah records “filled the temple.” Angels were above Him, two of them flying, calling to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty. The whole earth is full of his glory.”

Isaiah, in the presence of a holy God realized he was a man of unclean lips, living among unclean people and yet he had seen the Lord. “Woe to me!” he cried.

After one of the angels touched his lips with a piece of hot coal from the altar, his guilt was removed and his sin atoned for. Then God required, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” (vs. 8)

Apparently without hesitation, Isaiah cried out, “Here I am! Send me!”

When Jesus Came

In an effort to explain the once-and-for-all sacrifice made by Christ, the writer of the letter to the Hebrews penned: The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship (Hebrews 10:1).