MANY ARE CALLED, BUT FEW ARE CHOSEN
The Word of God is many things. For one, it is the trust anchor of all truth. At the same time, it is the harbinger of all life and love. As a hand-picked assembly of personally-crafted words, the Word is the single greatest feat of engineering to ever exist. For it is the engineer of human souls and of personal destinies. Of dreams and of desires. Of vision and of hope. At the same time, the Word is also spirit and it is life. It is uniquely powerful, poetic, and royally majestic. By the simple construct of words packaged as wisdom, the words of the Word are able to tear down every argument and stronghold that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. It is without hesitation the living embodiment of principal knowledge, and understanding and wisdom. As such, the Word itself is THE principal thing. "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.' - JEREMIAH 33:3.
Ultimately, though, the Word is the single greatest love letter ever written. It is the very heart of a doting Father put on public display. In that sense, being placed on public record, it is a universal and an individual challenge. It says, "test Me in this, and see if I fall short of one iota of My declaration of love for you". And of that love, every word thereof inherently imparts life. On the scales of life thus imparted, each scripture has its own unique contributions. Some of them have the voice of promise. All have the voice of love. Others have a share of peace and war. But there are those that sink their teeth in deeper too. These are those that utterly convict and powerfully transform. Having said that, there are also some that scratch the spirit and radically unsettle the mind. And of this kind, for me personally, one of these in particular has long been the scripture, “For many are called, but few are chosen”. - MATTHEW 24:14.
Having said that, there are also those whose voices are only heard when they are paired and partnered with sibling scriptures. As with the partnering of the many instruments in a symphony orchestra, the pairing of scriptures sometimes produces the most beautiful voice of all. Not only can pairing unlock another closed scripture, but in combination, they can also speak with a new voice previously unheard. And through the Spirit of revelation, in unlocking these heretofore closed scriptures, that which was once dammed up behind the veil of thorough concealment, suddenly breaks its banks, and becomes one with the most beautiful river of all - the river of the water of life."Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb." - REVELATION 22:1.
One of the examples of life unlocked and imparted by the pairing of scriptures is through the key of 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’”. In isolation, as the voice of ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ reaches across the corridors of time, a particular consideration arises: Who is God directing this petition at? In order to answer this question, we need to first know what the nature of His petition is. Is this a call unto salvation? No. Instead, “Who will go for Us?” speaks of ‘doing’ something for God. It speaks of tendering our heartfelt service unto God.
What else can we apprehend by meditating upon this scripture? It stands to simple reason that only those who recognise and know God’s voice will hear His request. So this, then, is not a petition by God made unto those who are not yet awake to the Spirit of God. Instead, this is an invitation directed at those who are already spiritually alive to the Spirit of God. So what does this petition from God then imply? Much like the Son who accomplished this before us, this is about us, as sons and daughters of the same Father, answering the invitation from our Father to fulfil His will.
The second part of ISAIAH 6:8 that follows with “Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me.’” demonstrates that God simply verbalises His request, and then simply waits for someone to respond. So, in His petitioning, and then in His waiting, is this not then the voice of the LORD shouting out TO ALL who would have an ear to hear?
Once we have answered our LORD’s call to salvation, God then calls us a second time. Whereas the first call was to hear "HIS voice", His second call is to let "OUR voice" now be heard instead. And this voice first emerges with ‘Here am I! Send me". As sons and daughters of the King of kings, for those who through the love of a Father have come to be joint heirs with Jesus (ROMANS 8:17), letting our voice be heard is the only appropriate response of gratitude to our Father's follow-up call unto "love in action".
In our response of love unto His will, the principle of partnering again perpetuates. And of this service, one biblical description for it is the act of willingly placing one’s life upon the altar of thanksgiving for the significant privilege of election and membership unto the sons and daughters of the Kingdom. This altar of thanksgiving is a love offering and a pledge of service unto love for that privileged membership and citizenship. This service is both a gesture of reciprocal love, and the natural and heartfelt response to God by those who are thankful for His love, His salvation and His relationship. The more we get to know God, and realize what He has done, and what He wants to continue doing for us, the more we will respond with gratitude birthed out of the womb of love. In the same way that praise is at the heart of true worship, the heart of true "gratitude-in-action" takes on the form of loving counter service. Let both our praises and gratitude for God flow out of our realization of who He is, what He has done for us, and how much He loves us.
In this manner, then, in both pairing and returning to the scratchy sandpaper of MATTHEW 24:14, “For many are called, but few are chosen”, by leaning on MATTHEW 24:14 with the weight of ISAIAH 6:8, suddenly, out of the side pops a once previously hidden truth. The many that are called speaks to those who would respond to the will of the Father with the spirit of ISAIAH 6:8. Only those who declare with their own voice, “Here I am!” are those who are subsequently then chosen. But until the declaration of: “Here I am!” first finds voice, the caveat of “Many are called, but few are chosen” prevails and presides. Free will is the privilege and the prescription of all who would link arms and voice with God. The invitation is to all, and the membership of being “chosen” extends to all who would confess “Here I am!” It is we ourselves who ultimately determine if we be chosen.
“God has preordained events,
but not the individuals.”
- Roland Buck –
In pairing ISAIAH 6:8, with MATTHEW 24:14, God is reaching out to all His own to raise up their hands in love by replying to “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” It is only those who raise their own voice and reply “Here I am! Send me” who are chosen for God's agenda. God has preordained events, but not the individuals. For that, He is looking for volunteers. God is looking to us to step up and step forward and, of our own free will, volunteer “Send me!” We have a choice, once again, a second time, to be part of His grand orchestra of preordained events, and at the same time, to have the unquestionable privilege of being stitched into the history of His Story. And all we need to do is shout back at His petition, “Here I am! Send me”.
And this response is not necessarily one of enrolling into five-fold ministry. This love response is anything that expresses and accomplishes His will. It can be a kind word. It can be a prayer. It is feeding the poor, clothing the naked, adopting orphans, loving the broken-hearted. It is visiting widows. It's about fulfilling the two greatest commandments.
So the question snuggled in the midst of “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?”is “who will”? So, then, who will? The sad truth, though, is “Many are called, but few are chosen” simply because few volunteer. The hope of God is that all will.
Ultimately, though, the Word is the single greatest love letter ever written. It is the very heart of a doting Father put on public display. In that sense, being placed on public record, it is a universal and an individual challenge. It says, "test Me in this, and see if I fall short of one iota of My declaration of love for you". And of that love, every word thereof inherently imparts life. On the scales of life thus imparted, each scripture has its own unique contributions. Some of them have the voice of promise. All have the voice of love. Others have a share of peace and war. But there are those that sink their teeth in deeper too. These are those that utterly convict and powerfully transform. Having said that, there are also some that scratch the spirit and radically unsettle the mind. And of this kind, for me personally, one of these in particular has long been the scripture, “For many are called, but few are chosen”. - MATTHEW 24:14.
Having said that, there are also those whose voices are only heard when they are paired and partnered with sibling scriptures. As with the partnering of the many instruments in a symphony orchestra, the pairing of scriptures sometimes produces the most beautiful voice of all. Not only can pairing unlock another closed scripture, but in combination, they can also speak with a new voice previously unheard. And through the Spirit of revelation, in unlocking these heretofore closed scriptures, that which was once dammed up behind the veil of thorough concealment, suddenly breaks its banks, and becomes one with the most beautiful river of all - the river of the water of life."Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb." - REVELATION 22:1.
One of the examples of life unlocked and imparted by the pairing of scriptures is through the key of 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’”. In isolation, as the voice of ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ reaches across the corridors of time, a particular consideration arises: Who is God directing this petition at? In order to answer this question, we need to first know what the nature of His petition is. Is this a call unto salvation? No. Instead, “Who will go for Us?” speaks of ‘doing’ something for God. It speaks of tendering our heartfelt service unto God.
What else can we apprehend by meditating upon this scripture? It stands to simple reason that only those who recognise and know God’s voice will hear His request. So this, then, is not a petition by God made unto those who are not yet awake to the Spirit of God. Instead, this is an invitation directed at those who are already spiritually alive to the Spirit of God. So what does this petition from God then imply? Much like the Son who accomplished this before us, this is about us, as sons and daughters of the same Father, answering the invitation from our Father to fulfil His will.
The second part of ISAIAH 6:8 that follows with “Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me.’” demonstrates that God simply verbalises His request, and then simply waits for someone to respond. So, in His petitioning, and then in His waiting, is this not then the voice of the LORD shouting out TO ALL who would have an ear to hear?
Once we have answered our LORD’s call to salvation, God then calls us a second time. Whereas the first call was to hear "HIS voice", His second call is to let "OUR voice" now be heard instead. And this voice first emerges with ‘Here am I! Send me". As sons and daughters of the King of kings, for those who through the love of a Father have come to be joint heirs with Jesus (ROMANS 8:17), letting our voice be heard is the only appropriate response of gratitude to our Father's follow-up call unto "love in action".
In our response of love unto His will, the principle of partnering again perpetuates. And of this service, one biblical description for it is the act of willingly placing one’s life upon the altar of thanksgiving for the significant privilege of election and membership unto the sons and daughters of the Kingdom. This altar of thanksgiving is a love offering and a pledge of service unto love for that privileged membership and citizenship. This service is both a gesture of reciprocal love, and the natural and heartfelt response to God by those who are thankful for His love, His salvation and His relationship. The more we get to know God, and realize what He has done, and what He wants to continue doing for us, the more we will respond with gratitude birthed out of the womb of love. In the same way that praise is at the heart of true worship, the heart of true "gratitude-in-action" takes on the form of loving counter service. Let both our praises and gratitude for God flow out of our realization of who He is, what He has done for us, and how much He loves us.
In this manner, then, in both pairing and returning to the scratchy sandpaper of MATTHEW 24:14, “For many are called, but few are chosen”, by leaning on MATTHEW 24:14 with the weight of ISAIAH 6:8, suddenly, out of the side pops a once previously hidden truth. The many that are called speaks to those who would respond to the will of the Father with the spirit of ISAIAH 6:8. Only those who declare with their own voice, “Here I am!” are those who are subsequently then chosen. But until the declaration of: “Here I am!” first finds voice, the caveat of “Many are called, but few are chosen” prevails and presides. Free will is the privilege and the prescription of all who would link arms and voice with God. The invitation is to all, and the membership of being “chosen” extends to all who would confess “Here I am!” It is we ourselves who ultimately determine if we be chosen.
“God has preordained events,
but not the individuals.”
- Roland Buck –
In pairing ISAIAH 6:8, with MATTHEW 24:14, God is reaching out to all His own to raise up their hands in love by replying to “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” It is only those who raise their own voice and reply “Here I am! Send me” who are chosen for God's agenda. God has preordained events, but not the individuals. For that, He is looking for volunteers. God is looking to us to step up and step forward and, of our own free will, volunteer “Send me!” We have a choice, once again, a second time, to be part of His grand orchestra of preordained events, and at the same time, to have the unquestionable privilege of being stitched into the history of His Story. And all we need to do is shout back at His petition, “Here I am! Send me”.
And this response is not necessarily one of enrolling into five-fold ministry. This love response is anything that expresses and accomplishes His will. It can be a kind word. It can be a prayer. It is feeding the poor, clothing the naked, adopting orphans, loving the broken-hearted. It is visiting widows. It's about fulfilling the two greatest commandments.
So the question snuggled in the midst of “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?”is “who will”? So, then, who will? The sad truth, though, is “Many are called, but few are chosen” simply because few volunteer. The hope of God is that all will.
- To God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be all the glory. Forever and ever. Amen and amen.
- God's richest blessings, Wayne Biehn
