The Throne of Grace

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

Hebrews could be my favorite book of the NT. As an intuitive-thinking type (INTJ if you're into MBTI), whenever I read Hebrews I am always drawn into deeper reflections by the writer's ideas, explanations of truth, and use of language. Unlike, say 1 John or James, where all the truth is on the surface and is fairly easily gathered in a single reading, every reading of Hebrews requires re-readings and further contemplation. Whatever gets picked up on the surface of Hebrews opens up to more that is beneath the surface waiting to be mined for meaning.

The verse above is like that. The writer begins in verse 14-15 talking about our "great high priest," Jesus, who left heaven to become a man like us in every way, yet remained sinless. He is not an impersonal deity meting out judgment, but a an advocate for us who knows our temptations and weaknesses. Because of that (verse 16), we can be confident to come before the "throne of grace" so we can "receive mercy" and "find grace." That's a beautiful word picture on the surface, but dig a little deeper and it becomes even richer.

My first thought was, "Do High Priests sit on thrones?" After a brief word study, the answer is, "No...Kings sit on thrones." But some other passages in Hebrews add detail to these words. In 1:8-9, the writer quotes Psalm 45 that talks about the "throne of God" where God the King (who is also the Son) dispenses righteousness and justice. In 8:1, the writer says that our "high priest" sits at the "right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens," and in 12:3 that Jesus "sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" when his work on earth was done.

So here's the picture that emerges. God, the Majestic King of the universe, sits on the "throne of God," but he is a righteous and just God. Jesus, our "high priest," sits at his right hand, interceding for us, representing us. If God were not on the throne, there would be no hope of ultimate justice in the universe, that sin and evil will be judged. If Christ were not our high priest, though, we as sinners would have absolutely no hope of mercy and grace. But because Jesus our High Priest and divine advocate is there, we can go to the very "throne of God" the King with confidence. Rather than the judgment we deserve, we will "receive mercy"--we are weak and sinful, and yet God will be merciful to us because of Jesus. But more than that, we will "find grace." The implication is more than just finding something expected, but that we will "discover" this incredible grace of God, something we weren't even expecting. Grace should always be a surprising discovery!

Perhaps that is what a "taste of grace" is all about--picking up pieces of mercy that fall from God's throne that provide a surprising discovery of God's grace. Grace to you.