I WENT WITH THEM TO THE HOUSE OF GOD

When this psalm was written (we suspect by king David), he was still in exile, in the land of Jordan, seemingly far from Jerusalem and the house of God (the tent on Zion). In fleeing from Absalom, David had come to Mahanaim on the east of Jordan, 2 Sam. 17. 24. Mentally, he was “cast down” (repeated twice); twice he recalled the mocking of the enemy, “Where is thy God?” (because David was separated from His dwelling place on mount Zion).

Yet by faith David anticipated better things. He was thirsting after the living God; he expected to be able to praise Him; David’s song and prayer would be possible again, even though God’s waves and billows had gone over him in the divine governmental dealings with His servant.

And why did David expect to “appear before God” again?, v. 2. Certainly he had said that he would see the ark and “his habitation” again according to God’s will, 2 Sam. 15. 25. The reason was that David had experienced the fellowship of the house before, and nothing would stop his experiencing it once again; he said, “I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holy day”. He recalled the happy spiritual experiences over the twenty or so years between the tent being erected on Zion and this flight from Jerusalem. These holydays were the feast days; three times a year all males had to “appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose”—the feasts of unleavened bread, of weeks (Pentecost), and of tabernacles, Deut. 16. 16.

For believers today, is there a similar desire to gather in the Lord’s Name with His people? Not just anywhere, but in local churches or assemblies that gather according to revealed N.T. principles. Do we arrange the positions of our homes, our employment, our holidays, so as to render possible regular attendance? In Acts 20. 6, Paul arranged his time (“seven days”) so as to meet with the church at Troas on the first day of the week. In Tyre, he stayed seven days with the disciples evidently, we believe, to pass a Lord’s day with them, Acts 21. 4, and the same may be said about Puteoli, 28. 14.

“They assembled themselves with the church”, Acts 11. 26.