Psalm 118:14-21 says, “14) The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation. 15) The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly. 16) The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly. 17) I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD. 18) The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death. 19) Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: 20) This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. 21) I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.”
The LORD is my strength and song. Remember that the Psalmist was surrounded by enemies. He was vastly outnumbered. He seemed to be the weaker party. However, he was really the stronger party because he had the LORD on his side. This gave him a song to the Lord in his heart. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in dwellings or homes of the righteous. The lost should see the righteous and say, “Why are they so happy even when trouble is all about them?” The lost should be able to see that the LORD is on their side. The right hand of the LORD is full of power and strength. It wins over the oppressor and is exalted. Therefore, the righteous can be joyful.
With all the enemies around, the Psalmist was faced with death. He had this assurance from the LORD, “I shall not die, but live.” He knew that he would live to declare the works of the LORD. And he has done so, for we have his Psalm to read today. Some of the difficulties experienced by the Psalmist were due to chastening. The LORD had chastened him sore, or very hard, but He did not give him over to death.
Because God heard his cry and assured him that he would live, the Psalmist knew that the gates were open to him. The gates of the righteous perhaps referred to the gates of the temple. Thus, the Psalmist was eagerly anticipating the day when he would again meet with other saints and praise the LORD in their presence. He was also looking forward to the day when he would enter the gates of the LORD where he would praise the LORD forever. Just so, we look forward to entering those same gates. Charles Spurgeon expressed it this joyful way in his Treasury of David, “If the gate of the Lord's house on earth is so pleasant to us, how greatly shall we rejoice when we pass that gate of pearl, to which none but the righteous shall ever approach, but through which all the just shall in due time enter to eternal felicity. The Lord Jesus has passed that way, and not only set the gate wide open, but secured an entrance for all those who are made righteous in his righteousness: all the righteous must and shall enter there….”