Who said hineni

Ananias in Acts is called by name by the Lord, and he responds idou ego, before the Lord gives Him his command, to find the blind Saul of Tarsus, and heal him. This word expresses a commitment to a life of service to the Lord; it is fully in the spirit of scriptural hineni. Earlier we mentioned that the Lord Himself speaks hineni to reassure His people. We could say that in a sense, hineni is the very identity of God: He is here with us, not just now, but all through the past, and at every point of our future.

So, what does all of this mean for us? Well, it can be summed up in the question: are we living a hineni life? Are we regularly listening for the Lord calling our name, in prayer? When He calls, will we respond with a hineni — send me? What great things may the Lord do through us, if only we can answer hineni? Second, will we take responsibility, to say hineni to family, friends — or to anyone who needs our full attention?

Can we provide that person with the gift of our whole presence, not distracted by the smartphone, or the TV, or with half our mind on the next task we need to do? Can we change our plans when the Lord calls our name, especially when He appears in the stranger, or when someone in need calls at an inconvenient time?

In readiness he fulfilled the will of God. Absalom desired the power of the throne for himself, and David and his supporters had to flee in exile.

They took the ark of God with them:. Here I Am. This was a risky move, but it paid off. The prophet Jeremiah understood what it was like to be surrounded by enemies. He brought bad news to Jerusalem and the people hated him for it. Jeremiah recognized those who had authority over him, politically, but he stood strong knowing that God was the One in full control:. For he has prophesied against this city as you have heard in your hearing.

Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, and on this city and on its inhabitants; for truly YHWH has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.

Jeremiah was bold. Hineni was a very brave, look at me, statement, but in one instance it was twisted and used for deception:. Isaac asked Esau to hunt, prepare a meal for him so that he could officially bless Esau before he died, passing on the birthright to him. Rebekah overheard the conversation and convinced her younger son, Jacob, to disguise himself as Esau, and present Isaac with meat from a hunt, in order to gain the birthright of the eldest.

Jacob agreed:. Who are you, my son? Get up, please, sit and eat of my game, that you may bless me. Jacob never says it. Look at me. Here I am. He knew his blind father could not see him, but he also knew it would not be safe to call attention to himself. It was a bold call for action, and for many humans in the Biblical, it was their brightest moment. God called out, by name, those He needed to fulfill His plans.

In the case of Ananias, his quick response changed the course of the life of Paul, who was arguably the most prolific recorded missionary of the first century. And so Abraham obeyed God and took Isaac to the land of Moriah to be a sacrifice. But Isaac was a perceptive son:. Did Abraham understand what he was saying? Abraham was alert to the needs around him and responded quickly in both instances. He obeyed God and at the same time tried his best to be attentive to his son.

Regardless of the terrible mission he believed he was sent to do, Isaac remained an caring father, but he found it more important to be an obedient son of the Creator.

His loyalty to God did not go unnoticed:. Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. One of the most famous Biblical stories is Moses and the burning bush.

His presence was far too overwhelming for human eyes. Our banishment from the Garden of Eden sealed that fate. But it would not be sealed forever. A Messiah, from the line of David, would change everything. Samuel was the son of Hannah, the barren woman who prayed for a son. God granted her request, and in thankfulness she dedicated her son to YHWH and brought him to the priest Eli, after she had weaned him. In that day I will carry out against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end.

For I have told him that I am about to judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons brought a curse on themselves and he did not rebuke them.

So Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the house of YHWH. But Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. I have something important to tell you. The fact that humans rejected God with an air of entitlement made God ache:. For humans to have a holier than God attitude is quite alarming and embarrassing.

What an insult to the Creator. The Hebrew people had been rescued from slavery, been made into a great nation, had wealth and treasures, but they forgot the hand that fed them. They brought a curse upon themselves and YHWH had to turn against the Hebrew people for their disobedience. In sight of the all the nations that surrounded them, the very One who had saved them from Egypt had to executed judgement against them.

Are you being obedient to what God is calling you to do? Think about it for a moment. This is a time for courageous leadership, for peace-bringing presence, for hope-filled words, and biblical wisdom. This article was first published on convenenow.

Used with permission. Ed Stetzer, Ph. Forgot your password? Servant Leadership. Leadership Development and Discipleship. Don't miss any of this great content! Sign up for our twice-weekly emails: Subscribe. Come near to God and he will come near to you. James a NIV. Our Writers.