Hebrews 4

Hebrews 4:1-16

“Let Us” Hebrews four is a chapter about faith, the blessed rest of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet, it is a chapter filled with exhortations and admonitions, giving us very clear instructions about our responsibilities. Faith in Christ is not a passive, indifferent, or dormant thing. It a vital, living principle of grace. When I was in college, my professor of homiletics and pastoral theology used to tell us something every preacher ought to always bear in mind. He repeated it almost every time he talked to us about sermon preparation and preaching. He said, “Men, where there is no summons there is no sermon.” In other words, every sermon preached ought to call for action, not physical action, but moral, spiritual action. If a sermon does not call for those who hear it to make some kind of response to it, it is not much of a sermon. The same is true of written expositions. Four times in these sixteen verses we are given two words of admonition. Four times the writer admonishes us, with himself, to do something. Look at them with me. Something to Fear Here is something for us to fear. “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it” (Hebrews 4:1). We ought to fear missing Christ. Christ is the “one thing needful.” We must have him. If we have him, we have all. If we miss him, we miss all. We must be washed in his blood, robed in his righteousness, born of his Spirit, saved by his grace, united to him by faith. Something to Do Look at Hebrews 4:11. Here is something for us to do. “Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” Let us labor that we may cease from all labor. Faith is ceasing from our works. To trust Christ is to quit trying to find acceptance with God by something we do. It is to rely upon him alone for righteousness, finding complete and perfect justification, sanctification, and redemption in him. Something to Hold Here is something for us to hold. “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession” (Hebrews 4:14). This we must hold with a death grip, for life and death are the issues, eternal life and eternal death. Whatever we do, we must hold Christ. Somewhere to Go Here is somewhere for us to go. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” In every time of need, at all times, come to God your Father, who sits upon the throne of grace, come through the merits of Christ your Savior, the merits of his blood and righteousness, and get the mercy and grace you need by the power of his Spirit.

Hebrews 4:3-10

The Sabbath We Keep Every sinner who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ keeps the sabbath by faith, by entering into his rest. “For we which have believed do enter into rest…There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.” We keep the sabbath of faith, a spiritual sabbath, not a carnal one. We rest in Christ, trusting his finished work, by faith entering into his rest. The believer’s life is a perpetual keeping of the sabbath. None of us keeps it perfectly. Our best faith in this world is still unbelief. But we do keep this blessed sabbath rest sincerely, ever looking to Christ, ever coming to Christ, ever resting in Christ. As the legal sabbath of the Old Testament was a ceremonial picture of both the rest and consecration of true faith, the sabbath we keep is a sabbath of rest and consecration to God by faith in Christ. Rest Our all glorious Christ gives rest to every sinner who comes to him in faith. He says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” “I heard the voice of Jesus say, ‘Come unto me and rest, Lay down, thou weary one, lay down Thy head upon my breast.’ I came to Jesus as I was - Weary, and worn, and sad: I found in Him a resting place, And He has made me glad!” The Lord Jesus Christ has given and continually gives us rest. In Christ we have the rest of complete pardon (Isaiah 45:22; Ephesians 1:6), perfect reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 1:20-21), absolute security (John 10:27-30; Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:24), and special providence (Romans 8:28). Consecration As the ceremonial sabbath portrayed a strict, universal consecration to God, so this blessed sabbath of faith involves the perpetual consecration of ourselves to our God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:29-30). Taking his yoke, believers find rest. We keep the sabbath of faith when we willfully, deliberately take the yoke of Christ. If you would keep the sabbath, it involves much, much more than living in religious austerity one day a week. To keep the sabbath is to bow to Christ’s dominion as Lord, willingly, learning of him what to believe, how to live, what to do, and how to honor God. To keep the sabbath is to bow to his will. How can a troubled, weary, heavy laden, tempest tossed sinner obtain this blessed sabbath rest? I can tell you, both from experience and from the Word of God, there is only one way you can enter into his rest. You’ve got to quit working! You have to trust Christ alone for everything!

Hebrews 4:5-10

“There remaineth a rest” The seventh day rest was a typical day of rest. And the land of Canaan was a typical land of rest. The unbelieving Jews did not enter into Canaan but turned around and wandered in the wilderness until they died. They never entered into God’s rest. Some Must Enter The multitudes perished in the wilderness, but the Word of God did not and could not fall to the ground. Canaan must be inhabited by Israel. Israel must possess the land of God’s promise. Therefore, God raised up Joshua (the type of Christ) to do what Moses (the type of the law) could never do. And Joshua led the chosen nation into the land of promised rest. Don’t miss this. – The type must be fulfilled! The Lord Jesus Christ, our great Joshua, must and shall bring God’s Israel into the blessed rest of eternal salvation, every one of them. The covenant promise must and shall be fulfilled. Some must enter into rest (Hebrews 4:5-6). Today “Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts” (Hebrews 4:7). Nearly four hundred years passed between Joshua’s day and David’s day; but the Word of God was the same. And the day in which God speaks to us, “Today,” is our day, the day of grace and salvation. This seventh verse specifically speaks of this gospel day. God set this day as the day when chosen sinners would enter into this true rest which he promised by faith in Christ. Today, this gospel day, is the day of salvation; now is the accepted time. We have nothing to do with the legal, typical rests (sabbath days) of the Old Testament. We now possess what those days only pictured (Colossians 2:16-17). Joshua and Jesus “For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day” (Hebrews 4:8). Joshua’s name was changed from Oshea (“Let God save”) to Joshua (“God shall save”), when he was sent to spy out the land of Canaan (Numbers 13:16). The law may bring us into a dry, thorny, desolate wilderness, where we may pray for a Savior and cry, “Let God save.” But the gospel brings us into the land of rest and gives us a Savior, Jesus, who is Jehovah our Righteousness! Joshua is here called “Jesus” because his name in the Old Testament means exactly the same thing as Jesus in the New Testament, of whom he was a type. Yet, even the rest he gave in Canaan was only a typical rest and spoke of another, more glorious rest. The Rest that Remains “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9). The word “rest” here is “sabbath” or “a sabbath keeping.” This rest is Christ our Sabbath, the sabbath rest we find in him. Those sinners chosen of God in eternal election, for whom Christ died, and to whom faith is given, those who believe on the Son of God do enter into a spiritual rest. It will be perfect rest in glory; but it is begun here. Heaven is but a perfection and a continuation of what he begins in our hearts when he brings us to faith (John 6:37-40). All the sabbaths of the Old Testament, all those sabbaths required by the law of God in the days of carnal, ceremonial worship, were designed to portray this glorious gospel rest and the rest of heaven that shall follow. Ours is a sabbath without end. As the Lord God ceased from his works (Genesis 2:2), so God’s elect, believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, have ceased from our works, when we trust Christ. That is what the law of the seventh day sabbath portrayed. God also required Israel to keep a seven year sabbath, during which the ground rested from its slavery, curse, and toil, portraying that rest which shall soon come to God’s creation and his people (Romans 8:20-21). Then, the law required a seventh seven year sabbath, every 49 years the whole land celebrated a year of jubilee. During that time all debts were discharged! – All mortgages were cancelled! – All bondmen were set free! – And all that had been lost was restored! Do you get the picture? Christ is our Sabbath. We rest in him by faith, and by faith alone! That is exactly the interpretation the Holy Spirit gives us in Hebrews 4:10. – “For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God [did] from his.” This verse very clearly applies both to Christ and to his people. The Lord Jesus Christ had a work to do in preaching the gospel and in obtaining the salvation and redemption of his people. This work was given to him and he finished it. He ceased from these works, never to do them again. He is seated in heaven, having entered his rest (Hebrews 10:5-14), just as we are told God ceased from the works of creation when he had finished them. This is exactly what every believer does when he comes to Christ. We cease from a religion of works and rest in Christ.

Hebrews 4:9-11

Christ Has Entered His Rest The word “rest,” which is used over and over and over in Hebrews 3, 4, means to repose back, to lay down, to be at peace, to cease from work, to be at home. But, the word translated “rest” in verse nine is an entirely different word. The word here translated “rest” means sabbatism, or “a keeping of a sabbath.” The Holy Spirit here shows us how the Old Testament law regarding the sabbath finds its fulfillment and complete accomplishment in Christ. Hebrews 4 declares that all who believe on the Son of God keep the sabbath by faith in him. Christ’s Rest Here we are told that The Lord Jesus Christ has entered into his rest, and that his rest is glorious, because he has finished his work (Isaiah 11:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21). Our Savior’s rest in heaven is glorious; his rest in heaven is his glory. As God the Father rested on the seventh day, because his work of creation was finished, so God the Son rested in the seventh day of time and entered into his rest forever, because he has finished his work of making all things new for his people (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 10:10-14). In Matthew 28:1, “In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.” The verse quite literally reads, “In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the sabbath.” This is what that means – When the Lord Jesus Christ died at Calvary and rose again, the old sabbath of the law ended and the new sabbath of grace began! Behold our exalted Savior! Do you see him seated yonder upon his throne in heaven? There he sits in the undisturbed, undisturbable serenity of his absolute sovereignty. His rest is his glory (John 17:2; Philippians 2:9-11; Isaiah 45:20-25). The fact that our great Redeemer has entered into his rest declares he has finished his work (John 17:4; John 19:30). He has, by his obedience in life, brought in an everlasting righteousness. And, by his obedience in death, the Son of God has obtained eternal redemption for his people. Salvation Sure Because Christ has finished his work, the salvation of his people is certain (Hebrews 9:12). All his redeemed ones must enter into his rest (Hebrews 4:6). The works were finished before the foundation of the world in God’s purpose (Revelation 13:8; Rom. 29-30). They were finished in time when the God-man took his seat in heaven as our forerunner (Hebrews 6:20). There is no more work to be done. Christ did it all. Since he has finished his work, he sat down in his glory. There he is resting! This is what the sabbath days in the Mosaic economy pictured.

Hebrews 4:11-16

Labor to Quit Laboring In the fourth chapter of Hebrews, we are called to rest in Christ, to look to Christ alone for acceptance with God, to trust him alone for wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. This is what it is to truly keep the sabbath. Hebrews 4:11 – “Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” We must labor to quit laboring. There is nothing in all the world more difficult, more contrary to our flesh, than this. Without question, we all, if we enter into Christ’s rest, enter into it by degrees. We have a constant struggle with self-righteousness. Therefore, we must strive against that, the most horrid of all sins, that we may rest in Christ. Hebrews 4:12 – “For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” It matters not whether we say the Word in this verse is Christ or the Scriptures. What is said here is true of both the written Word and the living Word. Pastor Henry Mahan, in his Bible Class Commentary, explains the passage in this fourfold way… The Word is alive. The word “quick” is an old English word for alive. This is a living Book, the words of our living Redeemer (1 Peter 1:23-25; James 1:18). The Word is the living seed. The Word is powerful. Our Lord and his Word are active and effectual. He spoke for the elect in the council and covenant of grace (Hebrews 7:22). He spoke all things out of nothing in creation (Hebrews 11:3; Genesis 1:6; Genesis 1:9). He spoke and revealed the Father (John 14:10). He spoke and the dead came forth (John 5:24-25). The Word is sharp as a two-edged sword. The Word is an edge; it has no blunt side. It is alive all over. You cannot come near the Word of God without its having some effect on you (2 Corinthians 2:14-16). Our Lord comes “not to send peace but a sword”, and that sword begins in our own souls, wounding and killing. However, it kills nothing but that which ought to be killed – our pride, envy, lust and sins. The Word is piercing and can find its way anywhere. Although the soul and spirit are invisible and the joints and marrow are covered and hid, so penetrating is the divine Word that it reaches the most hidden and secret things of men and women. It is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Christ knows the heart and will make manifest all that is therein by the Word (Luke 16:15). Hebrews 4:13 – “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things [are] naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” Christ, our Lord, is the omniscient God. Nothing is hidden from him. By his word, he strips us naked and lays us open, exposing the thoughts and intents of the heart. Believers rejoice and find comfort in this, as Peter did (John 20:17), even in the teeth of our sins. Unbelievers, hypocrites tremble at the thought of our Lord’s omniscient discernment. Hebrews 4:14 – “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] profession.” Our Lord Jesus Christ is a Priest like no other. All the priests of the Mosaic economy were but typical priests. All those who claim to be “priests” today are mere impostors. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only real Priest there is. All the priests of the Aaronic order died and, therefore, had successors. Christ is our eternal Priest, and has no successor. All other priests were but men of the earth and earthly. Christ is our great High Priest in heaven. Moreover, he who is our great High Priest is a Priest who is touched by that which touches us. Hebrews 4:15 – “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin.” Our Lord Jesus Christ is a compassionate High Priest, one who has been pierced by the very same things that pierce us. He was tempted in all points like we are. Yet, he is a Priest accepted in heaven, because he is a Priest without sin. Still there is more. Christ is a Priest upon a throne, and his throne is a throne of grace. Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” What reason we have to rest in him! If Christ is ours, we have all that can be required to give us peace. Let us ever come to him. Coming to him, we shall find rest for our souls (Matthew 11:28-30). – Come reverently, as unto God upon his throne. – Come freely, as to a friend. – Come gladly to him whose throne is the mercy-seat, the place of grace. – Come for the grace you need. – Come to Christ, our great High Priest, who sits upon the throne of grace, to dispense mercy to his people, as often as you need it, in every time of need.

Hebrews 4:12-13

The Power of the Word It is by the Word of God, specifically by the preaching of the Word, the preaching of the Gospel, that God saves his elect and instructs, directs, and comforts his saints. It is “the power of God unto salvation” to all who believe (Romans 1:16-17; Romans 10:17; 1 Corinthians 1:21-23; James 1:18; 1 Pet. 23-25). It is trough the ministry of the Word that the Lord God gives consolation and hope to his people and perfects his church (Romans 15:4; Ephesians 4:11-16). Divinely Ordained Instrumentality I realize that there are many who object to the fact that this Book declares plainly that God saves sinners only by the preaching of the gospel. They tell us that such doctrine limits God’s sovereignty. But the teachings of Scripture in these, and many other passages, are crystal clear. – God has sovereignly ordained the salvation of his elect; and he has sovereignly ordained the means by which he will save them. He chose us “unto salvation through the sanctification (regenerating grace and effectual call) of the Spirit and belief of the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13). That puts the matter beyond dispute. It is not a debatable issue. If God has purposed something, he has purposed all the means necessary for its accomplishment. Why does the farmer till his ground and sow his seed? He knows he cannot cause seed to vegetate and grow. But he also knows that if God gives the increase, it will be through the instrumentality of these means, and that it is only in the use of these means that he can hope to receive the increase. We know that the means used (gospel preachers) to effect the salvation of God’s elect are, in themselves, utterly powerless unless God makes their labors effectual by the power of his Spirit. What encouragement was there for the prophet Ezekiel to prophesy to the dry bones except this – God had determined in connection with his preaching to give them life. What encouragement do we have to preach the gospel of Christ to those who are dead in trespasses and sins except this: – God has determined to give efficacy to the Word of His grace. God has a chosen people in this world; and, as the gospel is the appointed means for effecting the salvation of his chosen, he will send it to those whom he has purposed to save. God had much people in Corinth. Therefore, he sent Paul there to preach the gospel. And by the Word preached, chosen, redeemed sinners were born again and granted faith in Christ. A Matter of Great Importance This is a matter of tremendous importance. God saves his people by the Word of the Gospel. Yes, it is the gospel preached, “By which ye are saved.” (1 Corinthians 15:3; Ephesians 1:13). It is the naked, unadorned Word of God, plainly preached, by which Satan is conquered, dead sinners are brought to life, and our thoughts and imaginations are brought into captivity to Christ. The Book of God, and the Book of God alone, is our weapon of warfare (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). Let us never be so foolishly unbelieving that we try to make the Word of God relevant. The fact of its existence makes it relevant! It is utter unbelief, which compels preachers, churches, and religious people to try, by varying methods, to make the gospel effectual. It is God the Holy Spirit alone who makes the gospel effectual. Our responsibility, our only responsibility, our enormous responsibility, is to make the gospel known in the generation in which we live. “The power of God unto salvation” is not religious programming, religious entertainment, religious activity, or learned methods of evangelism. It is the gospel itself which “is the power of God unto salvation.” Let us then be found faithful in preaching it, for Christ’s sake. The Design of the Word Hebrews 4:13 shows us that the Word of God is designed to strip us naked before God. – “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things [are] naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” Christ, our Lord, is the omniscient God. Nothing is hidden from him. By his Word, he strips us naked, and lays us open, exposing the thoughts and intents of the heart. Believers, like Peter even in the teeth of his terrible sin, find great comfort in the fact that, he who is our Lord and Savior knows all things. Unbelieving religious hypocrites tremble at the thought of Christ’s absolute omniscience. Reverence the Word Let us ever reverence the Bible as the Word of God. Let us ever come to the Scriptures for quickening for our own souls. This is our souls’ bread. Here we find waters of life for the refreshing of our souls. Here are green pastures in which Christ’s sheep may both feed and lay down. It is by taking heed to the Word of God that we cleanse our ways. It is by hiding God’s Word in our hearts that we check the evil that is in us by nature. If we truly reverence the Bible as the Word of God, the Bible alone must determine both our faith and our practice. Let others say what they will about the matter, that man, that church, that denomination has a true, absolutely orthodox creed, whose only creed is the Word of God. Let us reverence the Bible as the Word of God by praying continually that God will make his Word effectual wherever it is faithfully preached (2 Thessalonians 3:1).

Hebrews 4:14-15

A Warning, An Admonition, and A Necessity In the Book of Hebrews we see the superiority of Christ over the angels, over Moses, over Joshua, over all who came before him. However, the primary feature of our Savior’s excellence, supremacy, and superiority is in his character as our great High Priest. An Exalted Priest In chapter one, the Holy Spirit describes him as our great, sin-atoning, almighty, effectual High Priest, who, having put away the sins of his people, is now exalted to the throne of glory. Yonder he sits, a priest upon his throne, our Priestly King, our Kingly Priest! A Merciful and Faithful Priest In the second chapter, we are told that our dear Savior, that God who has redeemed and saved us, is a real man. He came into this world in human flesh that he might become our Savior, our “merciful and faithful High Priest.” If he would be our Savior, if he would be merciful to sinners and yet faithful to his own holy character, the Son of God had to become one of us, bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh. As such, he had to be made sin, to put away our sins by the sacrifice of himself. An Inspiring Priest In Hebrews 4:14-15, the Spirit of God urges us to persevere in the faith, to hold fast our profession, to keep looking to and trusting Christ. He does so by showing us the character of Christ as our great High Priest. “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Do not miss the argument given in these two verses. We are urged to continue in the faith and in faithfulness to Christ, because he is our great High Priest. If you realize what this means, nothing could be a greater incentive for trusting, honoring, loving, and serving him to the end of our days, faithfully. “Let us hold fast our profession.” – We have, by our words and in believer’s baptism, made a public profession of faith in Christ. Like Jephthah of old, we have lifted our hands to God. Let us never go back! We must not allow the religious world to entice us, the material world to seduce us, or anything else to move us away from Christ and his gospel. Let us tenaciously hold to the old paths of solid gospel doctrine (Jeremiah 6:16), cling to Christ alone as our only hope before God, and devote ourselves to him in faithfulness. This admonition is given in such a way that it suggests both the great value of Christ to our souls (“Unto you therefore which believe, he is precious!”) and the danger of dropping him, the danger of letting Christ, his gospel, and his salvation slip through our fingers. Necessary Perseverance The perseverance to which we are admonished, without question, is the gift of God’s free grace. We persevere because he preserves. It is written, concerning all those to whom God almighty gives eternal life, “they shall never perish;” and they shall never perish (John 10:27-28; Ecclesiastes 3:14; Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24). Yet, this perseverance is our responsibility. It is something we must do. It is something all true believers will do. We must hold fast the profession of our faith. We must not be moved away from the hope of the gospel. It will require strength and courage that only God can give. Yet, it is a strength and courage that he gives us by his Spirit, through the use of appointed means, through the ministry of the gospel and the sanctifying influence of his saints in the assembly of public worship. Let us “hold fast our profession ” Hold it without wavering, for Christ’s sake, for the gospel’s sake, for the glory of God, and for the encouragement of other believers. We must do so because it is essential to the everlasting salvation of our souls (Matthew 10:20). It is the priesthood of Christ that the Holy Spirit here uses as an argument to inspire and enforce our perseverance in holding fast our profession. He is the High Priest of it. He espoused our cause and abode by it. He bore witness to the truth of the gospel. He prays for the support of our faith. He pities us and helps us. And he has passed into the heavens, where he appears for us, owns us, and will own us forever as his brethren.

Hebrews 4:16

“The Full Assurance of Hope” Since we have such a great High Priest in heaven as the Lord Jesus Christ is, one who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Here is a call to prayer that tugs at the hearts of all who need mercy and grace. What a gracious, blessed admonition this is! I do not pretend to know much about prayer; but I do know what God has taught me and is teaching me. Prayer is one of the most important aspects of every believer’s life. Yet, it is one with which we struggle constantly. It is a subject about which there is enormous confusion, even among God’s elect. I cannot think of a single text in Scripture which gives us more encouragement and reason to pray than Hebrews 4:16. A Throne When we approach God on his throne, we rejoice to know that his throne, that throne upon which God our Savior sits, from which he rules the universe is “The throne of grace.” Once it was called “the mercy seat,” but now “the throne.” In drawing near to God in prayer, we come to God upon the throne. No one approaches God who does not approach him upon the throne. He who is God almighty is that great and glorious Monarch of the universe who sits upon the throne of total, absolute sovereignty. “When God enacts laws, he is on a throne of legislation: when he administers these laws he is on a throne of government: when he tries his creatures by these laws, he is on a throne of judgment, but when he receives petitions, and dispenses favors, he is on a throne of grace.” (William Jay) The idea of a throne inspires awe, bordering upon terror. It repels rather than invites. Few of us could approach it without trembling. Yet, here is the throne of the King of kings and Lord of lords, the scepter of total sovereignty, absolute holiness, and immutable justice. Before this great King the greatest earthly monarch that ever wore a crown is but a worm. Before him, all the nations of men are less than nothing and vanity. How dares any sinful man approach him who is infinite majesty? Blessed be his name, we come to him upon his throne, because he sits upon a throne of grace. Therefore, we are allowed, and even commanded, to come to it boldly. Coming to God Prayer is coming to God upon his throne. If we would come to God, we must come to him as a King. We must bow before him with reverence, confidence, and submission. Faith, in its essence and in all its exercises, is surrender to the Lord God as our great King. In prayer we come to this great King as to One who gives as a King. We ask great things from the great King. We ask great things with expectation, because he is as magnanimously good as he is great. We ask great things, because he is infinitely rich in grace and in power (Philippians 4:19). He who is our God and King, remember, sits upon a “throne of grace.” This King sits on his throne on purpose, specifically to dispense grace. It is his design, his object in displaying himself as King, to dispense grace. Glory Revealed It is in hearing the prayers of the needy and dispensing grace to them that our God and King is honored and glorified. It is upon his throne of grace that God our Savior is revealed in his glory. You will remember that this throne of grace is that which Isaiah saw (Isaiah 6). It was typified in the mercy-seat, which was upon the ark of the covenant in the Old Testament, where atonement was made. This is what John beheld in Revelation 4, 5, where he saw the Lamb that had been slain. When he saw the throne of God and of the Lamb, he saw the rainbow encircling the throne, declaring that every act of the throne is according to God’s covenant of grace represented in the rainbow. He saw the book of God, the book of God’s decrees, full, complete, and sealed. Then, he saw the Lord Jesus Christ, the crucified Lamb of God rise up in the midst of the throne. He saw the God-man take the book and open it. He it is who is the center of all those decrees. He it is who opens and fulfils them in providence (Revelation 5:9-14). It is here, in Christ, the crucified Lamb of God, sitting upon the throne, that we behold God’s majesty and mercy, his justice and his grace, his truth and his goodness (Exodus 25:17-18; Exodus 25:22; Hebrews 9:1-12; Hebrews 10:19-22). The Lord God to whom we come and before whom we bow in prayer, even in hearing prayer, acts as a sovereign, but whose sovereignty is the sovereignty of grace. It is to this throne, the throne of the great God, that poor sinners are bidden to come. Oh, what a privilege this is! All who come to the throne of grace have free audience with the King of Grace! Come Boldly Let us, therefore, come boldly to God upon the throne, through the merits and mediation of Christ, our great High Priest. Come “boldly,” that is to say, freely, without fear, pouring out our hearts to our heavenly Father. Come with reverence, as before God our King; but come boldly, with all the freeness of a child to the most loving father imaginable. Remember, he who is the God of the universe is our heavenly Father. We have every reason to expect him to do us good (Romans 8:32). Come in every time of need for the mercy and grace needed, expecting him to supply the need, for Christ’s sake.