"Here I am!" Call in the Old Testament

Webster defines vocation, a word that comes from the Latin vocare (to call), as a summons from God to an individual or group to undertake the obligations of a particular task or function in life; a divine call to a place of service to others in accordance with the divine plan. This definition concurs with the biblical tradition in identifying several different aspects pertinent to this consideration of vocation in the Old Testament. They include: call, task or function, service, and divine plan. The stories of four prominent Old Testament figures— Moses, Deborah, Jeremiah, and Esther—will be analyzed in order to discover if these aspects are present therein, and if so, how they might have functioned in the original stories. Before we do this, we should reflect on the role biblical theology plays in influencing our lives today.

Biblical theology today

In one of its pivotal theological outcomes, Vatican II revitalized biblical theology. While this turn to the Bible continues to manifest itself in many ways, one of the most significant has been the search to discover the biblical foundation or justification of some current concern. This search has resulted in the retrieval of much rich theological, pastoral and spiritual tradition. It has also provided the church with an appreciation for the ongoing presence and direction of the Spirit of God and insight into the theological development that it has brought forth.

We should be aware of the limitations of whatever methodological approach is used in any search for the biblical foundation for these concerns. In some circles what is called biblical theology is really a use of biblical passages as proof-texts to legitimate a predetermined theological conclusion. This technique fails to read the biblical material within its own literary or historical contexts and, consequently, does not accurately deal with the varied theological meanings that the text itself might yield. In more critical circles, the approach most often used today is some form of historical-criticism. This approach can be very helpful in our search for any historical precedent. However, looking for precedents or biblical foundations is both enhancing and limiting. History is an important factor in our tradition, and precedents can ground our current understanding. However, the on-going presence of the Spirit frequently brings forth realities that are new. Precedent alone can too often proscribe and limit.

The Bible does indeed contain many narratives describing God’s call of someone either to enter into a new way of life or to launch out into some form of service. However, the communities from which these narratives originated had their own cultural limitations, and we must neither ignore them nor replicate them. For example, we find stories of the calls of Moses (Exodus 3:4) and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:4), but there is no comparable call account in the Deborah or Esther traditions. This does not mean that these women were not called by God as the men were. It may well mean that the male gender-bias of the culture did not consider the women’s call important enough to record it in the same way. The challenge of contemporary biblical theology consists in moving beyond such cultural biases found in the stories and uncovering the revelatory message contained there.

The biblical call narrative consists of the call itself, a commission from God, hesitance on the part of the one called, assurance that God will be with that person, and a sign to verify the legitimacy of the commission. Not all of these elements will be found in the passages under consideration. Possible reasons for this will be suggested. Still, a careful reading will show that the themes found in these passages have much to say to us today about vocation.

“God called out to him from the bush” (Exodus 3:4)

The story of God’s call to Moses from the fire in the midst of the bush (Exodus 3:1-12) has long been a favorite in both the Jewish and the Christian communities. There is the actual call: “Moses! Moses!” (v.4); the commission: “I will send you to Pharaoh to lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt” (v.10); hesitance: “Who am I...?” (v.11); assurance: “I will be with you...” (v.12); the sign: “and this will be your proof that it is I who have sent you: when you bring my people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this very mountain” (v.12).

Moses’ call came to him while he was engaged in the normal events of his life. He was working for his father-in-law, tending the sheep. He came upon a bush, probably the kind that was common in that area. However, there was something quite extraordinary about this particular bush. He saw a fire in its midst, a fire that flamed out of the bush, but that did not consume it. Fascinated by this phenomenon, Moses investigated. It was then that he received his call. His experience was a revelation of God, not only a revelation by God. First, fire is a standard symbol of God. It is one of the four basic elements. Its dancing flames are illusive; its fiery fury purifies, its insatiable hunger consumes. Here, the fire neither consumes nor purifies, but it certainly is mysterious. God’s words also reveal something about God’s nature. God seeks to deliver the oppressed people from their affliction.

Moses is called to be the agent of this. “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor recently...” (4:10). He knows that he is not equal to the task. However, God prevails and promises assistance. This is, after all, the God who has control over the elementary forces of the universe (fire that flames, but does not consume). Called and commissioned, Moses can only trust that God’s plan of deliverance will be accomplished through him.

This account is more than a story in the life of this unusual person. In the way it has come down to us, it leaves no doubt in anyone’s mind as to the origin of Israel’s deliverance. Moses is not the liberator; God is. Moses is a simple shepherd, chosen by God to accomplish an extraordinary feat. Quite simply, this is the truth of his vocation.

“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel commands” (Judges 4:6)

The story of Deborah (Judges 4-5) does not contain the elements of the technical call narrative. This is no call from God, no commission, no hesitancy and no reassurance. However, it certainly does conform to the rest of Webster’s definition of vocation. It describes how this remarkable woman undertook the obligations of a particular task of service to others in accordance with the divine plan. Deborah is identified as a prophet and described as a judge (4:4), two very important offices in ancient Israel. As a prophet, she speaks the word of God: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel commands” (4:6). In addition to this role, “the Israelites came up to her for judgment” (v.5).

She was probably called by God, as were the other prophets. However we have no record of that call. In this biblical book, the judges were also military commanders. We see her exercising this role as well: “[I] will deliver them into your power” (v.8). We have no record of God commissioning her for either role, but we see her carrying out the responsibilities of both the prophet and the judge. The people would not have accepted her functioning in these roles if they did not believe that she had been chosen by God to do so.

The picture of Deborah found in this passage is uncharacteristic of the biblical portrayal of women. In literature with a decidedly male bias, most women are identified in relation to their husbands. She, on the contrary, is considered significant enough to be named as an individual. Though she is also identified as the wife of Lappidoth, this relationship plays no part in the roles she fulfills. If people come to her for judgment, it is safe to presume that she is known for her wisdom and fairness. Barak, the military leader to whom she delivered a message from God (v.6-7), lacks courage and refuses to heed God’s command unless Deborah accompanies him (v.8). Deborah, on the other hand, appears to be fearless. This does not mean that women are more courageous than men. Biblical characters are sketched in ways that underscore religious or theological meanings. In this narrative, Deborah’s character demonstrates how God chooses those whom the society least expects to accomplish great things for God and for God’s people.

“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” (Jeremiah 1:5)

The call narrative in the story of Jeremiah includes a quite personal element. The very first words suggest that the prophet had been chosen even before his conception. This opening passage continues with the commission designated by God: “a prophet to the nations I appoint you” (1:5). In keeping with the traditional pattern of the call narrative, Jeremiah advances a reason why he should not be expected to accept this commission: “I know not how to speak; I am too young” (v.6). Despite Jeremiah’s hesitation, God will not be deterred: “Have no fear before them, because I am with you to deliver you” (v. 8). These words of assurance are almost identical to those found in the Moses tradition (“I will be with you” [Exodus 3:12]). In both cases, it is the power of God that will accomplish God’s plan, not the proficiency of the person called, regardless of what this proficiency might be. Although the account of Jeremiah’s call does not include explicit mention of a sign that might verify the legitimacy of his commission, it does state that God touched the man’s mouth, saying: “See, I place my words in your mouth” (v.9).

The words that Jeremiah spoke to the leaders of the kingdom of Judah of his day were harsh and upsetting. He was told by God to deliver words that would “root up and ... tear down ... destroy and ... demolish … build and ... plant” (v.10). These words challenged the religious and social practices of his day, practices that were not faithful to the covenant bond that joined the people to God. However, as harsh as this message might have been, it also promised the possibility of a new life (build and plant). Once again, it would be up to the people to decide by their commitment whether their fate contained only destruction, or might also include transformation and rejuvenation.

We know from the book that bears his name, that Jeremiah was not happy with his prophetic role. He admits that he decided: “I will speak in his [God’s] name no more.” However, he was unable to keep the message to himself: “...it becomes like fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones” (20:9). The vocation to serve God by serving God’s people could not be denied.

“I beg you that you spare the lives of my people” (Esther 7:3)

The story of Esther is one of “rags to riches.” The setting of this tradition is the royal court of the Persian empire. Though Cyrus the Persian ruler had decreed that the Israelites could leave the land of exile and return to their own homeland, many faithful Jews decided to remain in Persia and build a life there for themselves and their children. The family of Mordecai, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, was one such family. Mordecai had a young relative named Hadassah, whose beauty caught the attention of the royal attendants. They brought her before the king, who chose her to be his queen. She was henceforth known by her Persian name Esther, a form of the name of the goddess Ishtar. When a plot was devised to eradicate all of the Jews of the realm, Esther was in an ideal position to speak on their behalf. However, one could not come before the king without being summoned. To do so would place one’s life in jeopardy. What was Esther to do?

No call narrative is found in this tradition. However, one cannot deny the role that Esther played in saving her people from extinction. She used the privilege bestowed on her, because of her beauty and her subsequent elevation to queenship, to plead for their survival, and she did this while placing herself in grave danger. If the king had determined to execute all of the Jews, then revealing her ethnic background could have cost Esther her life.

Many today might find several details in this story quite troubling. In the beginning of the story, Queen Vashti was deposed because she refused to flaunt her beauty before the inebriated king and courtiers. Esther, on the other hand, complied with the standards of beauty that were in vogue. At the end of the story, those who opposed the Jews were themselves slaughtered. Without justifying such behavior, we must remember that these stories came from societies that lived by standards different from ours. We must always be wary of any judgment that does not take into consideration the distinctive values and traditions of other cultures. Esther might have gained her privileged position in a way we question, but she did not cling to it selfishly when her people needed her help.

Old Testament vocations, then and now

This brief examination of vocation as found in these four passages reveals several points that continue to be important for us today. Without feeling that we must pattern our lives after the lives of those depicted in the Bible, we can still embrace some of the values found there and express them in ways that are relevant to our time. First, the call from God to place oneself at the service of others is made known through the circumstances of ordinary life. It might occur while one is at work (Moses), or simply caught up in the circumstances of one’s state of life (Esther). It might be that the one’s natural abilities are called upon as avenues of service (Deborah), or that the desire to serve is placed in one’s heart from the very beginning (Jeremiah). In each case, the one called made a life-changing decision in responding to that call.

Second, as the stories are told, it is very clear that the deliverance through Moses, the direction from Deborah, the message of Jeremiah, and the salvation that resulted from Esther’s plea are all examples of how God works through individuals who of themselves are limited and who might also be afraid of what they are asked to do. The wondrous feats were God’s victories, not theirs.

Finally, it is important to note that these individuals were not chosen for their merit. Nor was their call meant for their own enrichment or enhancement. They were called for the sake of the community. The kind of individualism that plagues many Western societies today was unheard of in the ancient world. This does not mean that individuals were sacrificed for the group, but that individuals had a keen sense of group identity, group solidarity and group responsibility.

These stories prompt us to be open to God in the circumstances of our lives, to acknowledge that we are merely earthen vessels of divine power or instruments in God’s hands, and to offer ourselves for the service of others. If we can do this, who is to say that God will not accomplish through us feats that match what God accomplished through Moses, Deborah, Jeremiah and Esther?

This article first appeared in Horizon, Spring 2006, published by the National Religious Vocation Conference. Reprinted with permission.