This is the day that the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24
The “day that the Lord has made” in Psalm 118:24 is not just any day. The psalmist is not saying “God has made today, just like he did yesterday, and every day that God makes is reason to be glad, so let’s rejoice.” No, he’s referencing a specific day. Let’s read it in context.
Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD;
the righteous shall enter through it.
I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
This is the LORD’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
(Psalm 118:19–24 ESV)
“The day that the Lord has made” in Psalm 118 is the day the same that “the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”
Doesn’t that sound familiar? We’ve heard that before. Jesus quotes this passage in Matthew 21 and Peter tells the Jerusalem rulers and elders plainly in Acts 4 – “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone” (Acts 4:11 ESV).
So the stone of Psalm 118 is Jesus. And the “day that the Lord has made” is the day that God put forth Jesus for our salvation. It’s a reference to the “day” of salvation.
This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!