by Heike Staiger
The theme of our blogpost this year is “grace”. Today we want to look at the “throne of grace”.
What is the “throne of grace”? What does the “throne of grace” mean for us?
We read about this throne in Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV): “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
What comes to our mind when we hear about a throne?
Perhaps some of us are thinking of the coronation of Charles III last year or simply of a splendid, upholstered, gold-decorated chair.
According to a definition1, a throne is a “pompous armchair of a monarch for ceremonial occasions, usually placed in an elevated position”. But a throne does not only refer to an armchair or a chair of the king, it also represents the “rulership of a monarch”2.
What do we read in the Bible about a throne?
Perhaps Solomon’s throne comes to our mind, of which it is written in 1 Kings 10:20 (NKJV): “nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom”. But this is not the only scripture, there are many more biblical passages in which the word “throne” is mentioned; in the New King James Version in 168 places3.
The Bible does not only speak of thrones (a pompous royal throne) and of Jerusalem, which will be called The Throne of the Lord (Jeremiah 3:17 NKJV). We read about the throne of God, the seat of the king, the seat of the ruler from which the Lord reigns, e.g. in Psalm 103:19 (NKJV) “The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.”
We also read in the Bible of different descriptions of the throne, such as:
Throne of glory
Jeremiah 17:12 (AMP) “A glorious throne, set on high from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary (the temple).” (In German Bibles it reads “Throne of glory”.)
Throne of Majesty
Hebrews 8:1 (NKJV) “Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.”
We also read about thrones who bear witness of a certain virtue, an attribute of God that is relevant for His rulership, for example:
Throne for judgment – He is the judge
Psalm 9:7 (NKJV) “But the Lord shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne for judgment.”
Revelation 20:11.12 (NKJV) “And I saw a great white throne … and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
The Bible also speaks of the throne of grace
Have you ever thought about the fact that we don’t read about a throne of love in the Word of God, when God is the God of love, or what about a throne of healing? But we do read about a throne of grace!
We already read about the mercy seat in the Old Testament, for example Leviticus 16:2 (NKJV).
At that time, access to the “mercy seat” in the Holy of Holies was only permitted to the high priest once a year, with sacrifices and certain regulations (Leviticus 16). How different is this today in the New Covenant:
Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV): “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
What does a throne of grace indicate about the King who sits on that throne?
Have you ever thought about this? If His throne is called the throne of grace, then He is the King who is known for His grace, His surpassing grace! What an outstanding attribute. Our God is a God of grace, not just a little bit of grace. No, our Lord is full of grace! In 1 Peter 5:10 (NKJV) it is even written “The God of all grace …”.
The word grace means “kindness granted or desired, benefaction, thanksgiving, gratitude, favor, acceptance … It denotes a favour granted without expectation of recompense or reciprocity, … which has its sole motive in the goodness and candour of the giver …”4 This is who our God is!
God encourages us through the writer of Hebrews that we may come with boldness to this throne of grace – to the God of all grace!
What does the work “boldness” in Hebrews 4:16 express?
Some Bible translations do not use the word boldness, but it is written that we approach God´s throne “with confidence” (NIV) or even “with confidence and without fear” (AMP). We may come brave and undaunted in God´s presence.
Let´s remember a certain, very well-known passage in the Old Testament. We learn from Esther that at that time there was a law if someone went into the inner court to the king without being called, this person would be put to death – except the king hold out the golden scepter (Esther 4:11b).
We do not have to be full of fear and uncertainty, but can come boldly and full of confidence to the King. Why is it like this? We find the answer in the previous verses: we have a High Priest who stands for you and me. Not a high priest as in the Old Testament, who was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies once a year, a high priest who brought sacrifices for the people – no, Jesus our High Priest himself became the sacrificial lamb for us! Yes, justified and cleansed through the blood of Jesus, we may come to God bold and full of confidence! Does this not fill our hearts with renewed gratitude for our Lord and Savior?
Hebrews 4:16 speaks of “come” to the throne of grace
“Applied to the spiritual realm, it means: to draw near (to God), to approach, to come near (in prayer)”5– As children of God, we may draw near to Him, simply enter into His presence, come to the Almighty God, the Creator of heaven and earth, before whom all knee will bow. We can come boldly and full of confidence into God’s presence, to our Father!
Why are we encouraged in Hebrews 4:16 to come to the throne of grace?
1. That we may obtain mercy
2. That we find grace to help in time of need
Let us never forget what the Lord has done for us and that it was done out of grace. We can’t add to it, we can’t earn anything by our best and most godly behavior, it is His grace alone.
Be encouraged! Maybe you are in a difficult situation right now, maybe you are confronted with challenges and you don’t know what to do or you are being bombarded by satan, the accuser because of your failure, your guilt. Run to the throne of grace! You may come with boldness!
Our God is there, waiting for you.
References:
New King James Version (NKJV)
Amplified Bible (AMP)
New International Version (NIV)
1 Translated from German website (https://www.dwds.de/wb/Thron)
2 Translated from German website (https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Thron)
3 https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/
?quicksearch=throne&version=NKJV
4 Translated from German Study Bible (Elberfelder Studienbibel, Sprachschlüssel)
4 Translated from German Study Bible (Elberfelder Studienbibel, Sprachschlüssel)