Answering The Call-Hineni, Here Am I

2023.02.12.Sermon Notes_ Answering the Call-HINENI “hee neh nee” “Here am I”

William Akehurst, HSWC

Are you listening? Are you responding?

‘Hineni’ (hee-neh-nee)

“Here am I”

“Ready and At your service” our response in obedience

“Hineni” is the response of a servant

BIG IDEA: As followers of CHRIST, we have been given HIS SPIRIT within. We are not only to listen to hear that "still small voice", but we are also to respond. Hineni, Here am I, Ready at Your Service, All in.

Scripture tells us about GOD's SPIRIT in us.

Galatians 4:6 (NLT) And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”

1 Kings 19:11-13 we learn of the still Small Voice

JESUS tells us that we know that voice.

John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Isaiah 6:8 is about Answering The Call of HIS Voice.

“Here am I” is a well-known phrase from the book of Isaiah as the prophet responds to GOD’s call.

Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:

“Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?”

Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

Isaiah gave an immediate response out of obedience. A resounding “yes” before even knowing what would come next.

What does “Hineni” mean?

2 basic Hebrew words, ‘Hineh’ and ‘ani’,

‘Hineh’ meaning “behold” or “here”

‘Ani’ meaning “I” or “I am”, in some cases, “I am alive”, “I am alert”, “I am ready”.

The Hebrew word for “here” has different meanings depending on the context.

The word ‘hineni’ means ‘here’ in the Hebrew language, while ‘YHVH’ stands for GOD,

THE I AM THAT I AM. In our KJV bibles, the Hebrew YHVH is shown as LORD all caps.

We use the word Jehovah or YahWeh to state the NAME. The exact inflection is not known.

This word ‘Hineni’ can be translated as “I am” or ‘I will be’ in English. Hineni can also mean ‘I am alert’ in Hebrew.

Hineni is more than just where you are, it’s a powerful declaration – one that can be made to GOD and one that GOD can make to us.

Hineni is the offer of complete availability, a total readiness to serve.

When we speak ‘hineni’, we make ourselves fully available to whatever it is GOD might ask of us. Even without knowing what that might be. The answer of ‘hineni’ is one of faith.

THE CALL

FATHER GOD longs for HIS children to respond to HIM, to draw near to HIM and to live in fellowship with HIM. HIS Heart’s desire is to have an intimate relationship with us. That’s the true character of our loving, gracious and merciful GOD.

IN THE BEGINNING, Adam and Eve experienced this fellowship and closeness with GOD until it was disrupted by their act of disobedience, in eating of the forbidden tree that GOD explicitly told them not to eat.

Yet having disobeyed, GOD called out to Adam. Not to find him, but rather to give Adam opportunity to come clean, to confess. GOD was giving Adam a chance to become accountable for his actions.

Yet Adam’s impulse was to hide, to evade GOD’s question with a non-answer: “I heard you, I was scared, and I hid.” (Genesis 3:10)

Genesis 3:8-10 (NKJV)

8 And they heard the sound of the LORD GOD walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD GOD among the trees of the garden.

9 Then the LORD GOD called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”

10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

Instead of coming forth at GOD’s Calling, Adam hid.

Adam did not respond, “Hineni” — “Here I am”.

Genesis 22 shows a much different interaction with man towards GOD. This is the first time ‘hineni’ appears in Scripture.

‘HINENI’, THE RESPONSE OF A SERVANT

Some time later, GOD tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” GOD called. “Yes,” he replied. “Hineni! (Here I am)”. Genesis 22:1, NLT.

Abraham replies without hesitation, not knowing what will come next or what GOD is going to ask of him. Abraham heard GOD call his name, and was delighted to respond.

By answering ‘hineni’, Abraham demonstrates his readiness and his faith.

His faith is proven as he proceeds to do what GOD requests of him; to take his only son, the one he waited so many years for, and offer him as a sacrifice.

In vs.11, Abraham is on the verge of literally killing Isaac, and the angel of the Lord calls to him. What is Abraham’s response? The response of a servant: ‘hineni’.