Josiah fell to his knees before Micah, his head hung low in shame, his heart heavy, his chest tight and his eyes glistening with approaching tears. It was an unavoidable situation and he knew it; his past had eventually caught up to him. All things in the end had led him to this point, in front of his master, on his knees, ready to accept his punishment. Micah looked down at the boy, an undeniable look of sorrow etched on Micah’s face, for it displeased him greatly to have to punish his servants. Yet it had to be done. Micah clasped the hilt of his sword and in one swift movement, released his sword from its sheath.
At the sound of the sword being unsheathed, Josiah’s body slumped in resignated defeat; this was it, the punishment he deserved. Death. Micah laid his hand upon the boy’s head, and uttered word’s that would resonate deeply within Josiah’s heart.
“I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion… mercy on whom I will have mercy.” Josiah lifted his head up to gaze at his master, suddenly filled with a deeper anguish at having disobeyed his gracious master. Yet no words would form on his quivering lips. A single tear trickled down his face as master and servant faced one another for a moment.
A moment later the sharp blade in Micah’s hand pierced the boy’s chest; straight into the heart.
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Grace. Getting what you don’t deserve. What we don’t deserve….What I don’t deserve. Is each day not a manifestation of grace by the Almighty Father, who continues to give us a new day even though we use these days to dishonour Him. Surely that is grace unbound. Not restrained or tied down by bonds. Unchained. A merciful grace. It is this same grace that has taken our sins and placed them upon the head of Christ Jesus, the Messiah, the Saviour and took our Saviour’s righteousness and clothed us in it. Undeservedly! What grace! By Grace Alone! Is that not amazing? A quote from Richard Sibbes says “God knoweth we have nothing of ourselves, therefore in the covenant of grace he requireth no more than he giveth, and giveth what he requireth, and accepteth what he giveth.” Sola Gratia!
How is all this related to my excerpt above from a story I am writing entitled Grace Unbound? Well apart from the fact that the title includes the word Grace, the concept of the story comes from the idea of grace. My Sunday mornings have been spent looking into the past, at a man who is a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ, who interceded for Israel; Moses. In Exodus 32 we see the Israelites worship a golden calf, disobeying God’s command to worship only Him. They then proceed to engage in immorality, having the audacity to place His holy name on the golden calf they had made, saying that it is what brought then up out of Egypt. We then witness, in Exodus 33, God tell Moses and the Israelites that He will not go with them, though He will send an angel before them and He will drive out the tribes that occupy the land that God promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, which is the land flowing with milk and honey. This is distressing news to the Israelites for they realize that God’s presence is more important than the promised land. Moses meets with God in Moses’ tent pitched outside the camp and in there Moses intercedes for the Israelites. Moses then asks God to show him His glory. It is here where God says to Moses: Exodus 33:19 – And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” In my excerpt above, Micah tells Josiah (only he tells him in the New International Version way hehe) “I wil have mercy on whom I will have mercy…compassion on whom I will have compassion.” In Exodus 34 we see God re-establish His covenant and again write down His commandments for the Israelites. Is He not a gracious God? After all that happened with the golden calf and the revelry that occurred, blaspheming His holy name, He still remains loyal to them and proceeds to be among them with the tabernacle. Is that not a picture of grace unbound? Indeed! I am hoping that my little story can reflect how God’s grace is without boundary how it truly is a grace unbound.
A-Scribe To Describe 