At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore (Ps. 16: 11)
“Mercy and truth preserve the king: And his throne is upholden by mercy”
Proverbs 20:28
Thrones are established by two things. One of them is intuitive, and we understand it naturally, and the other is pretty counter-intuitive.
First, kings are frequently established by strength, by conquest. That is pretty simple to understand. Either it happens, or somebody understands that this is how it frequently happens, and so they make their attempts on the basis of it. “Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal” (Isaiah 7:6).
The counter-intuitive way to establish a throne is pointed to by our proverb. Truth and mercy are a king’s preservation. One of the things that upholds his throne is mercy.
In this, our thrones are like God’s throne. But what is counter-intuitive to us (because of our sin) is not at all counter-intuitive to Him. “Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: Mercy and truth shall go before thy face.” (Psalm 89:14). Notice how these things harmonize—justice, judgment, mercy, truth. There is no discordant note there.
“And in mercy shall the throne be established: And he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness” (Isaiah 16:5).
Christian leadership understands that these things all go together. Righteousness and peace are friends, after all. They kiss each other (Ps. 85:10). This should not be surprising to any Christian, because when we petition the Lord for mercy, we are coming to a throne of grace. “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). An understanding of this should be down in our bones, in such a way as to enable us to petition the Lord for mercy with boldness. We must not come to Him crawling. His promises are stronger than that. His throne is mightier than that.
