Before the Throne of God Above

My earliest memories are linked with church. Our ‘tin tabernacle’ with wooden walls and a corrugated iron roof, was my second home. Every Sunday morning, we sung old hymns from a little black book. Most I haven’t seen or sung for many, many years.

About thirty years, ago one of these little-black-book songs ‘reappeared’. Charitie Lees Bancroft’s hymn, written in 1863, that I believe was one of C.H. Spurgeon’s favourites, was ‘rediscovered’ and put to a new tune by Vikki Cook. We started to sing it in church again!!

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea:
a great High Priest, whose name is Love,
who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on his hands,
my name is written on his heart;
I know that while in heaven he stands
no tongue can bid me thence depart.
It’s an old hymn full of theology and references to Bible verses. Jesus, the great High Priest of Hebrews 7, who ‘is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.’ (v.25) is the one who was seen by the prophet Isaiah as the compassionate mother with a baby, ‘See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands…’(49:16). This Jesus stands ‘before the throne of God above’, in heaven, representing us, representing me.

When Satan tempts me to despair,
and tells me of the guilt within,
upward I look, and see Him there
who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Saviour died,
my sinful soul is counted free;
for God, the just, is satisfied
to look on him and pardon me.
The hymn describes the gospel that I believed and responded to as a teenager, when I asked Jesus to be my ‘personal saviour’. The story of an innocent man dying, bringing love and forgiveness is one that has been part of my whole life. Over the years there have been times when I’ve known guilt or despair; I have reimagined and reframed the story and the truth; its centrality to my heart, my experience and my life remains.

Behold him there! the risen Lamb!
My perfect, spotless righteousness,
the great unchangeable I AM,
the King of glory and of grace!
One with himself, I cannot die;
my soul is purchased by his blood;
my life is hid with Christ on high,
with Christ, my Saviour and my God.

This is a wonderful mixture of pictures and metaphors. Jesus, the high priest, the mother, the dying Saviour, is also the sacrificial Lamb, the I AM, the heavenly King of glory.

When I first sung this hymn, I could answer many questions about its meaning. Today I’m more likely to question the answers. However, its deep truth brings certainty, strength, peace and hope.