“What Kind of Throne?”

Sunday, October 11, 2015

In some places throughout Scripture the nature of God is declared plainly, explained fully, or demonstrated undeniably. In the opening chapters of Genesis, for example, the fact that God is in control of nature is demonstrated by the fact that He created nature. In the book of Exodus, the fact that God can redeem his people is demonstrated His freeing them from the slavery of Egypt. In the book of Leviticus, the fact that God is holy is seen in the holiness He demands from his people.

But while these passages exist in some volume throughout the Bible, the entire Bible reminds us of these truths. Subtle reminders of God’s character are dispersed through so many other topics.

Consider a phrase from Hebrews 4:16. “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace.” The phrase “throne of grace” is only used this once in all of Scripture, but the concepts are by no means unique to this verse.

The fact that God sits on a “throne” demonstrates His kingship. He is sovereign. He has sole reign of all that He has created. He gets to make the rules, and not only because He demands to be in charge, but simply because He is above all. Simply by pointing out that He is on a throne, the Holy Spirit has reminded us that God will always and must always have authority.

And the fact that God’s throne is one of “grace” illustrates one of the balancing aspects of His kingship. He is not a king who only demands to be respected; He is a king who deserves to be respected because of his grace and generosity. And while an earthly king can only be approached by certain people—those whom he chooses to allow—God the King approaches His people. He came down to our level with all of His blessings. He does not remain high and separated from His subjects. He is graciously willing to come to the same level as His subjects.

It is in this simple phrase that we are subtly reminded that our God is the perfect kind of ruler for us. A truly benevolent monarch with only our best interests in mind. He is a king who, despite all the reasons that he should not love us… loves us anyway! Brothers and sisters, let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace!
 

- Dan Lankford

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