“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
In all serious study of the Scriptures, zeroing in on a passage, and then the verse and words, one always begins with determining the definition of the terms. That definition is the foundation for understanding all else, and yet, how difficult sometimes it is to come to grasp the true meaning of a word. The problem lies so very often in the matter of communication, or expression, of that which is true and balanced, with regard to the word in question. Thankfully, in the Hebrew language, as well as in the Greek, we have a written, and spoken, meaning of individual words, with a certain history, to prove their meaning. In regard to the Scriptures, there is another blessed “help” in grasping the true meaning. Not only are we dealing with the inspired word of God, but we have the greatest, and most knowledgeable of all Teachers, the Holy Spirit. He instructs, teaches, and reveals to the believer that which is true of Christ, according to the truths of Scripture. This wonderful fact, that God, who is the author of the word of God, is also, the one who teaches us concerning the meaning of His words. The question then arises: “Can we know fully the true meaning of the words of Scripture?” One thing is certain, God is able to reveal to us, as we seek Him, the meaning of the word according to the need of the heart. There are many men of God, who have been ardent students of the Scriptures. There are also many commentaries on the Bible, which reflect what God has taught these men. No one man has a monopoly on the truth, but we can be assured that the Lord is willing and committed to teach us all that which we need to know about the meaning of a word, a passage, even the entire Bible, always in the context that He reveals to us, and always, in accord with Who and What He is, HOLY.
What then is “mercy?” In answer to Moses’ request of God to see His glory, Moses wrote: “And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.'” (Ex. 34:6) What did the Lord mean by being “merciful?” It was Burton L. Goddard who wrote that mercy was, “…a communicable attribute of God, …expressing God’s goodness and love for the guilty and miserable. It includes pity, compassion, gentleness, forbearance. It is both free (not required by outward restraint), and absolute (covering all areas of human life.)” It was upon the Ark of the Covenant that Moses was instructed by God to put a “mercy seat.” There was a very important promise associated with that mercy seat: “And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat.” (Ex. 25:22) God is revealing the fundamental principle by which He deals with fallen, sinful man. It is that of His mercy that He has chosen to exert towards the defiled, lost, godless enemy of God, called the sinner. The expression of that word has its application in God’s will, intent, and desire, to save all men, stretching forth His hand beyond human logic, understanding, and the wretched manifestations of sin in all of their hideous forms, to take hold of the sinner, dead in his trespasses and sins, then to lift him up out of his slavery to sin, washing and cleansing him, making him a new creation in Christ. Where grace deals with God granting “unmerited favor,” mercy deals with the context of man’s inconceivable, wretched, and hopeless condition. It is in that context that Christ is committed to save. The Cross of Christ proves it.
There is a throne of grace in heaven, where the believer is to come daily. The basis of the approach to that throne is mercy, mercy to be freely received. The mercy of God is great and absolute.
Dear Father, We come to Thee to receive mercy, to worship Thee. In Jesus’ name, Amen.