In the 118th Psalm, David speaks of the enemy surrounding him like bees and with fire and thorns. But what is so comforting and instructive to us is what he wrote in verses 19-21, namely, “Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord: This gate of the Lord, into which the righteous shall enter. I WILL PRAISE YOU: for You have heard me and have become my salvation.”
Gates are movable sections of a wall which allow entrance into a city. Here David is referring to the NEW JERUSALEM (the new heaven). Entrance into that city is through the gate of righteousness. Actually, that GATE IS CHRIST. It is through Him that all the believing children of God enter into the kingdom of heaven. They do this already in this life, with their hearts and minds; and in the day of Christ’s return, they will do so with their bodies as well. So, we can join in this prayer with David.
“This is the gate of the LORD, through which the righteous shall enter. I will praise You, For You have answered me, And have become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected Has become THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE. This was the LORD’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE; WE WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT.” (Psa. 118:20-24) Jesus said to His followers, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become THE CORNERSTONE; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes…whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” (Matt. 21:42, 44)
The Jewish leadership rejected the Son of God who is THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE, their stone of salvation, because they were not looking for a Messiah who was like Jesus. He didn’t fit their idea of a Savior. In their carelessness and hardness of heart, they rejected the very stone on which their salvation should have been built. Unfortunately, we can do the same thing when we try to fit God’s will for us and Jesus’ leading of us into our plan rather than trying to understand His Will. LET’S NOT STUMBLE ON THE STONE GOD PROVIDED FOR OUR SALVATION!
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham