The House of the LORD

“(A Song of degrees of David.) I was glad when they said unto me,

Let us go into the house of the LORD.”

(Psalm 122:1)

This Psalm was one of many called ‘Songs of degrees’ because they were sung by pilgrims journeying up to Jerusalem and the temple. Many people from all parts of the Promised Land journeyed up to Jerusalem each year for the feasts, especially the Passover in the spring, the Feasts of the Tabernacles and the Harvest in the autumn. During these seasons, companies of people went up, step by step from one town and another and would meet up and journey on together.

What a beautiful picture of the LORD’s people today who walk together in Christ, members of His body, belonging to the house of the LORD, His church. The word ‘church’ means 'called out ones’. And so it is of those sinners, chosen by God the Father from eternity and in time called out to the LORD Jesus by His effectual grace, from every tribe, nation and tongue, Revelation 7:9. He has made them a kingdom of priests unto God by the shed blood unto death of the LORD Jesus, Revelation 1:5.

In the Old Testament, the house of the LORD was a physical temple where people went to worship with their sacrifices offered up by the priests unto God. Today, the temple is not physical but the Spiritual body of the LORD Jesus, John 2:21. The house of the LORD in the Old Testament foreshadowed the person and work of the LORD Jesus as God’s House, made up of those sinners that He has redeemed and they are joined together as believer priests to offer up sacrifices of praise through Him Who is God’s High Priest and Mediator, Hebrews 13:15; “But Christ as a Son over his own house; whose house are we, if [as] we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” (Hebrews 3:6)

People today talk about ‘going to church’ as if it is a place, when it is a chosen, redeemed and called out people. The church is a community of believers that have been bought by the blood of the LORD Jesus Christ on the cross, Ephesians 2:13-22, therefore they meet together around the throne of Grace, wherever they can join together in that oneness of the Faith, once delivered unto the saints, Jude 1:3. Just like the church of old that would journey to meet together, so we walk this pilgrim path together in Christ, rejoicing in His work accomplished for chosen undeserving but thankful sinners. As we serve out our life sentence, we rejoice together in God’s work of Grace for us and in us and cherish the fellowship that we enjoy together being members of His House. As the LORD’s House, we are His household, members one of another as the true family of God, Ephesians 3:15.

1.) A household whose members value one another, understanding our need for one another’s fellowship but more importantly our continual need of the LORD Jesus our Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification and Redemption, 1 Corinthians 1:30-31, 12:15-24.

2.) A Household that relates to one another with a true caring concern for one another, putting differences aside by the Grace of God, all being sinners saved, forgiven and justified by the work of the LORD Jesus, therefore one in Him, 1 Cor. 12:25-26.

3.) A household whose unity is one in heart in Christ, not mere formalism or outward appearance, Ephesians 4:1-6.

4.) A Household that seeks the common good of the other members, not looking out for their own interests, Philippians 2:1-4.

As David declared, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.” So also are the members of Christ’s household who rejoice whenever we can meet together in Him to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth, John 4:24.