The Glorious Gates of Righteousness

The Glorious Gates of Righteousness
Text from: The Psalter, based upon Psalm 118
Tune usually associated with the text: Zerah by Lowell Mason 1837

Here is my YouTube recording of this hymn: https://youtu.be/vHKKERgLu0c

The glorious gates of righteousness
Throw open unto me,
And I will enter them with praise,
O Lord, my God, to Thee,
And I will enter them with praise,
O Lord, my God, to Thee.

This is Thy temple gate, O Lord,
The just shall enter there;
My Savior, I will give Thee thanks,
O Thou, that hearest prayer,
My Savior, I will give Thee thanks,
O Thou, that hearest prayer.

The stone rejected and despised
Is now the cornerstone;
How wondrous are the ways of God,
Unfathomed and unknown!
How wondrous are the ways of God,
Unfathomed and unknown!

In this the day that Thou hast made
Triumphantly we sing;
Send now prosperity, O Lord,
O Lord, salvation bring,
Send now prosperity, O Lord,
O Lord, salvation bring.

Hosanna! Ever blest be he
That cometh in God’s name;
The blessing of Jehovah’s house
Upon you we proclaim;
The blessing of Jehovah’s house
Upon you we proclaim.

The light of joy to shine on us
The Lord our God has made;
Now be the precious sacrifice
Upon His altar laid;
Now be the precious sacrifice
Upon His altar laid.

O Lord, my God, I praise Thy name,
All others names above;
O give Him thanks, for He is good
And boundless is His love;
O give Him thanks, for He is good
And boundless is His love.

O praise the Lord, for He is good;
Let all in Heav’n above
And all His saints on earth proclaim
His everlasting love;
And all His saints on earth proclaim
His everlasting love.

These 8 stanzas paraphrase the last 10 verses of Psalm 118. This Psalm ostensibly may refer to a Davidic king leading the nation to victory over its enemies; Israel celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles for its deliverance from Egypt; or a post-exile celebration of Israel’s return to its homeland and the rebuilding of the temple. Whichever was the original intent, its timeless and prophetic text continues in importance all the way to the 21st century.

Starting in vs 19 we are called to enter the gates of righteousness and give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate through which the righteous may enter to give praise to God and God becomes our salvation.

Psalm 118:22 is quoted by Jesus in three instances in reference to Himself. He is the stone which the builders rejected which became the cornerstone of our salvation. How marvelous and unknowable are God’s ways.

In vs. 24 we have another phrase which permeates and informs our faith: This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Out of this knowledge, we can enter the day confident in the Lord’s presence.

In vs. 26 we are told that he who comes in the name of the Lord is blessed and from the house of the Lord we are blessed. This can be taken as yet another prophetic statement about the coming Messiah as well as a statement on how the Temple will be a blessing for the people of Israel.

Vs. 27 describes God as having made his light shine upon us, and how we are to join the procession to the altar; where we are to give our thanks and praise to God for he is good and his love endures forever.