One of the most well-known and frequently quoted verses from the book of Psalms is Psalm 118:24:
This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
This verse is often used as a call to worship on Sunday mornings or as a reminder to appreciate each new day as a gift from God. However, when looked at within the full context of Psalm 118, this verse takes on deeper and more profound meaning.
It is interesting to note that, while this psalm is often attributed to David, it does not specify David as the author. This may be fitting because as we read this passage, it is helpful to put ourselves in the author’s shoes without seeing it through David’s eyes by default. What this psalm has to say about God and how He saves His people should be the same testimony we as Christians declare to the world.
Psalm 118 opens with a call to give thanks and praise to the Lord for His everlasting lovingkindness:
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting. Oh let Israel say, 'His lovingkindness is everlasting.' Oh let the house of Aaron say, 'His lovingkindness is everlasting.' Oh let those who fear the Lord say, 'His lovingkindness is everlasting' (Psalm 118:1-4).
The psalmist begins by acknowledging the eternal, unfailing love and faithfulness of God. This sets the tone for the rest of the psalm, which recounts the psalmist's testimony of God's deliverance and salvation. The theme of God’s lovingkindness and faithfulness is woven throughout this psalm, and every claim made here is built upon this foundation.
From my distress I called upon the Lord; The Lord answered me and set me in a large place. The Lord is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me? You pushed me violently so that I was falling, But the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation (Psalm 118:5-6, 13-14).
In the midst of his troubles, the psalmist found refuge and strength in the Lord, trusting in the Lord's ability to deliver him. For the Christian reader, the enemies in this passage can be seen as representing the guilt and power of sin, which were ultimately overthrown by Christ's victory on the cross. In our distress, in our lost hopelessness, we called upon God and He answered. He set us in a large place, a safe pasture free of hidden dangers and pitfalls. Yes, even Christians can go astray and drift into dangerous places, but the Shepherd is always swift to rescue any sheep who calls out in distress.
The psalmist then reflects on the joyful salvation that comes from the Lord's deliverance, with the righteous shouting in triumph:
The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the Lord does valiantly. The right hand of the Lord is exalted; The right hand of the Lord does valiantly (Psalm 118:15-16).
Having experienced the Lord's salvation, the psalmist then declares his desire to enter through the "gates of righteousness" and give thanks to the Lord:
Open to me the gates of righteousness; I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; The righteous will enter through it. I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me, And You have become my salvation (Psalm 118:19-21).
Here, the psalmist recognizes that it is only through righteousness that he can enter into the Lord's presence. For the New Testament reader, this foreshadows the way in which Christ has opened the way for all who believe to enter into a right relationship with God. It is His righteousness that earns our access to the Father. That is why the imperfect and stumbling Christian can boldly stand in the presence of God, confident in the finished work of Jesus the Savior.
It is at this point that the psalmist makes the now-familiar declaration:
The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone. This is the Lord's doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:23-24).
In the context of the entire psalm, we see that "this is the day" refers to the specific day Christ, the Cornerstone, has inaugurated His kingdom and overthrown the power of sin and death for His people – and one day, for the entirety of His creation.
The psalm concludes with a final refrain of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord for His everlasting lovingkindness:
You are my God, and I give thanks to You; You are my God, I extol You. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting (Psalm 118:28-29).
This should be the heart-cry of every Christian. The psalmist lived in a time before the coming of Jesus. He only had the signs and shadows of the Levitical laws and ceremonies pointing at a vague and indistinguishable shape in the distant future. But we as Christians live in the knowledge of the Messiah. We know His Name. We can recount what He accomplished in His life, His death, and His resurrection. We have every reason to sing this psalm even louder than the Israelites of old.
This day is a day to rejoice and be glad, for the Lord has accomplished the marvelous work of salvation, and has opened the way for all who believe to enter into His presence through the righteousness given by Christ, the chief cornerstone.
