Psalms 118:15-29
15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation
Is in the tents of the righteous;
The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
16 The right hand of the LORD is exalted;
The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
17 I shall not die, but live,
And declare the works of the LORD.
18 The LORD has chastened me severely,
But He has not given me over to death.
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness;
I will go through them,
And I will praise the LORD.
20 This is the gate of the LORD,
Through which the righteous shall enter.
21 I will praise You,
For You have answered me,
And have become my salvation.
22 The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This was the LORD's doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day the LORD has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save now, I pray, O LORD;
O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity.
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!
We have blessed you from the house of the LORD.
27 God is the LORD,
And He has given us light;
Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will praise You;
You are my God, I will exalt You.
29 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Such promises of hope for the righteous are found in the righteousness of Christ alone. This is His work! Salvation’s gate is God’s righteousness (John 10:9, Romans 3:21-22, 1 Corinthians 1:30), for He has called us to be accounted as righteous in His righteousness, and are saved from wrath by His work yielding peace with Him for we who become His righteousness in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). Therefore the tents of the righteous mentioned here bring true salvation with rejoicing for such grace. It is by God’s hand who does this valiantly to exalt His glory, honor, and praise. This living hope gives us the strong assurance that we shall live beyond death, and live while hear instead of walking around dead in sin, that we might tell others these things of such good news for the sheep of His pasture who enter through Him alone as the gate (Acts 4:12). Because we have been forgiven and our sins covered by the eternal sacrifice by God’s own hand (which is eternal in its efficacy, not temporarily as the old high priests (Hebrews 7:27, 9:12, 10:10), we have been given righteousness in Him to enter in, and praise on our lips as we go through as hinted at in this psalm. Because He hears our cries when we are thus convicted and answers by becoming our salvation, we understand what Jesus told the religious leaders who rejected Him, that He is the supporting cornerstone or keystone which is the only solid foundation of our salvation (Luke 20:17-19, Acts 4:11-12, Ephesians 2:20, 1 Peter 2:7-9). It is only the LORD’s doing, His work, not our works which justify and save us! The ones who understand this as Jesus Christ enter Jerusalem triumphantly cried out these words from verse 26, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!” The blessings come from God, from His house and hand to us. He is the light who gives us light and life by His sacrifice. This is why we praise our God who does such great things, why we lift up His name to credit no other for our salvation, least of all ourselves and our sin-stained works of our filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Truly, we should always be thanking our Lord God for His goodness and salvation, knowing His mercy endures forever; it cannot be removed or taken from us (Isaiah 43:13, John 10:28-29). Enter in the gate by His work for us, not by your own. Amen and hallelujah!
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