The Importance Of Unity Series

The Importance of Unity

Psalm 133:1-3 A Song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing-- Life forevermore.

Psalm 133 is known as the psalm of unity and it is not coincidence that the psalm has three verses, for in the number 3, we have the number of divine completeness and perfect witness. 2 Cor. 13:1 This will be the third time I am coming to you. "By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established."

Unity Defined:

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!

The unity that God wants is not uniformity, imitation or compromise of doctrinal beliefs. It is a baptism into the Holy Spirit. 1 Cor. 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.

Unity Described:

It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion;

Like the Oil: the oil spoken of is the anointing oil which the bible gives specific ingredients and quantities to be used - myrrh, cinnamon, calamus, cassia mixed with the oil of the olive. This oil was not to be imitated nor poured upon any flesh. All these elements mixed together became one oil that was used in the anointing of people in ministry and the vessels of the sanctuary. Five speaks of Grace – the oil itself the Holy Spirit – so by grace our we saved then baptized into one body by The Holy Spirit – so IN THE SPIRIT we find true unity and power to be

Upon the Head: Aaron’s head which is typical of our great High Priest – Jesus - Ephes. 1:22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church – so we to receive the Holy Spirit through the work of Christ on the cross – He comes sent from the head - John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.

Running down: the garments always speak of ministry and lifestyle – the ministry and lifestyle of Jesus should effect our ministry and lifestyle bringing us into the unity of the brethren - Ephes. 4:13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ

Like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion:

Hermon was a mountain which flourished because of the heavy dew that rested upon it, a fruitful place – the mountains of Zion tended to be barren and lifeless – so the first message this picture displays is one that unity makes the barren and lifeless place fruitful – the second message of this illustration was the prophetic inevitability of the dividing of Gods people – Hermon was located in the area later to be inhabited by the northern tribes (Israel) and Zion became the habitation of the two southern tribes, Judah and Benjamin (Judah) which occurred after the death of Solomon – a fragmentation that warns of the dangers of division.

Unity Delivers: For there the LORD commanded the blessing-- Life forevermore.

Life: the blessing of unity is life – blessing here means prosperity – prosperity of what – life – defined as alive; fresh; strong; living thing from the root Hebrew word chayah meaning also to live, and also to revive:--keep (leave, make) alive, preserve, quicken, recover, repair, restore, save be whole. So more than just existing but having prosperous life – now we know that this life is not the bios of man but the zoe of God – God life – life that only comes in Him – the vine – so again we see unity first as being in God and as we are in God being changed and transformed by Him – in the Holy Spirit then we become one in the Spirit and the evidence is we all experience life.

Strength: life is also defined as strength – so unity also bring strength to withstand – hold on – arrive at the destination God has for us Eccles. 4:12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.