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ASCENDING TO THE HOUSE OF GOD(Our Anticipation - Psalm 122)
Pastor Don Fortner
David sang, "I was glad when
they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord." It is no marvel
to me to read those words. There the typical sacrifice of atonement was
set forth. There the Word of God was expounded. There the glory of God was
revealed. There the people of God met together. And there God met with his
people. What a delight it was for David to go into the house of God! What
a privilege he enjoyed!
Yet, David's privilege could
not be compared with ours. When David went up into the house of the Lord,
he had all these things in type and ceremony. But now, in Christ Jesus,
the very fulness of the eternal God is revealed to
us.
As a believer, I have no
greater joy in this world than to go into the house of God. There my
family gathers. There my Redeemer reveals himself. There God speaks to my
heart. There my soul is fed and refreshed. There I find strength and
encouragement, both in the preaching of the gospel and in the fellowship
of God's saints. When someone says to me, "Let us go into the house of the
Lord," it gives me joy. I am glad to go!
It is beyond, the stretch of
my imagination to understand how a redeemed sinner can be satisfied to
neglect such a privilege. Indeed, the first sign of an apostate heart
appears to be the neglect of public worship (Heb. 10:23-26). Pastor Henry
Mahan wrote, "I was glad that I had a desire to go, that I had the
strength to go, that I understood the words spoken there, that I loved the
people assembled there, that I, the chief of sinners, should be permitted
to come into his presence."
"Our feet shall stand within
thy gates, O Jerusalem." - What blessedness we find in the assembly of
God's saints! Therefore we make it our determination to gather with them
in the place of public worship. There we join in common prayer and praise.
There we hear the glorious gospel of Christ. As we gather with God's
saints below, our hearts are lifted in anticipation of that day when we
shall enter the New Jerusalem and, seeing our Savior face to face, join in
the everlasting Hallelujahs.
"
"Whither the tribes go up, the
tribes of the Lord." - All God's elect, all the tribes of the Israel of
God, called the 144,000 in Revelation 7:4-9, are going up to
When we come into the house of
God, believing sinners assemble around "the testimony of
"For there are set thrones of
judgment, the thrones of the house of David." - Here the church is called
"the house of David" because king David was typical of Christ our King. By
the Gospel of God proclaimed in his house and sent forth into all the
world from his house, our great King judges the
world.
"Pray for the peace of
"They shall prosper that love
thee." - Spurgeon wrote, "Prosperity of soul is enjoyed by those who take
a deep interest in the church and cause of God." We find abundant
recompense for all that we do in promoting the interests of
"Peace be within thy walls,
and prosperity within thy palaces." - Let no enemy come near, let alone
enter the house of God. Let it be our earnest prayer that every palace of
our Savior, every true gospel church, be kept in the blessed prosperity of
quietness and tranquil security.
"For my brethren and
companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the
house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good." - Here are two great
motives for such prayers: (1.) God's saints are our brethren. They are our
companions in Christ. (2.) God's church is his house. These things ought
to swell our hearts. For the good of our brethren, our companions, and for
the glory of our God, let us ever seek the good of God's church in this
world.
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