(Psa 133:1 NKJV) Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!
(Psa 133:2 NKJV) 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.
(Psa 133:3 NKJV) It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing; Life forevermore.
Fifteen Psalms (Ps 120 - 134) are called "Songs of Ascents," "ascents" being the correct rendering of the word translated "degrees."
Though the origin of the phrase is obscure, the generally accepted view is that the Hebrew term ma aloth (goings up) refers to the songs sung by pilgrims on the ascending march from the Babylonian captivity to Jerusalem, or that they were sung by worshipers from all parts of Palestine as they went up to Jerusalem for the great festivals (Deu 16:16).
Jerusalem was surrounded by mountains (Pss. 121:1; 125:2; 133:3), thus such trips involved a literal going up. It is conjectured that these psalms were sung on such occasions (Isa. 30:29; Ps. 132:7).
An alternate view is that the headings, "A Song of Ascents," refer to the fifteen steps leading to the Court of Israel in the Temple, and that these Psalms were sung on these steps.
Four of these 15 psalms are ascribed to David (Pss. 122; 124; 131; 133), 1 to Solomon (Ps. 127), and the other 10 are anonymous.
The Pleasantness of Unity.
(Psa 133:1 NKJV) Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!
good - towb, tobe; good in the widest sense such as a good or good thing, a good man or woman; it can also mean, beautiful, best, better, bountiful, or cheerful
It is the same Hebrew word used in the Genesis account of creation when God looked at all He had created and pronounced it “good.”
It is used in Genesis 24:16 to describe Rebekah, the future bride of Isaac. The word is translated here as “beautiful” or “fair.”
David is saying in our text that it is good or a beautiful thing for brethren to dwell together in unity! Just as the Lord pronounces His creation “good,” David says it is good for the people of God to dwell together in unity.
David uses another word in Psalm 133:1. He uses the word “pleasant.”
pleasant - na'iym, naw-eem'; delightful, pleasant or sweet.
(2 Sam 23:1 NKJV) Now these are the last words of David. Thus says David the son of Jesse; Thus says the man raised up on high, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel:
(Psa 16:11 NKJV) You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
(Psa 135:3 NKJV) Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.
With these two words David is saying that the unity of the brethren is good—it is something good to look at. It is like seeing two of you children playing together at peace.
David also says it is pleasant. Unity of the brethren is not only a beautiful thing to look at, it evokes a pleasurable emotion or feeling. When a mother sees her children playing together and not fussing and fighting, she smiles and gets that warm feeling inside.
David says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”
The Participants of Unity.
Who is shown in this picture of unity? Who are the folk that the camera is focused on? Who is the artist about to apply the strokes of his brush in drawing this portrait? David says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”
Notice David isn’t writing, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for men to dwell together in unity!”
Notice David isn’t writing, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for nations to dwell together in unity!”
Notice David isn’t writing, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for black folk and white folk to dwell together in unity!”
It doesn’t say this because David isn’t referring to a superficial or surface kind of unity. He isn’t talking about a unity that can be forged between the nations. He isn’t writing about a unity that is only skin deep.
Again David says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”
Now, the word “brethren” here doesn’t refer to those who are blood relatives, it refers to those who are spiritually related to one another as children of the King.
If you are brethren dwelling together in unity it won’t matter whether they are men or women—there will be harmony.
If you are brethren dwelling together in unity, it won’t matter what nation you are residing in or what political party you are a member of—there will be harmony.
If you and someone else are brethren dwelling together in unity, it won’t matter if your skin color is different—there will be harmony.
So, we’ve seen the purity of unity and the participants of unity. Now let’s look at the portrait of unity.
The Portrait of Unity
(Psa 133:2 NKJV) 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.
In verse 2 and 3, David begins to describe the picture of unity. In verse 2, he uses the words, “it is like.”
David is comparing the unity mentioned in verse one to the oil that consecrated Aaron (cf. Lev. 8:12). David is taking a picture of the priesthood and using it to illustrate unity.
The oil spoken of was poured only on those who were of the priesthood—specifically the high priest. The Bible Knowledge Commentary notes that this oil poured on Aaron’s head flowed down on his beard and shoulders, and onto the breastplate where was found the names of all the 12 tribes of Israel. It says the oil thus symbolized the unity of the nation in worship under their consecrated priest. As the oil consecrated Aaron, so the unity of the worshippers in Jerusalem would consecrate the nation under God.
Now how does this relate to us in the age of the Church?
Again the Old Testament tells us that this oil was poured upon the head of the high priest only. (Exodus 30:30). This was to be a shadow of the divine anointing of Christ as the great High Priest.
In Luke chapter four, Jesus entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read and the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book, and found the place where it was written,
Luke 4:18-19 "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."
In Hebrews 1:9 it is written of Jesus, “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”
Thus the oil symbolizes the unity of believers, those who have been blood-bought; unified in worship under their consecrated Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ.
In other words, those of us who have trusted in Jesus Christ as Savior are brought into union with one another by the precious, shed blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We have been brought into union with one another. Jesus prayed that this would happen in John 17:
John 17:19 "And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
John 17:20 "I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;
John 17:21 that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me.
John 17:22 "And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one;
John 17:23 I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me.
I believe that God the Father answered His Son’s prayer. We are all one in the body of Christ. However, the challenge for us is to stay unified; thus the Apostle Paul passionate request written in Ephesians chapter four:
Eph 4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
Eph 4:2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love,
Eph 4:3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Eph 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;
Eph 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
Eph 4:6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
The Power of Unity
There is power when we are living in harmony with one another.
Psalm 133:3 - It is like the dew of Hermon, Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing-- life forever.
Here David was comparing the unity mentioned in verse one to the dew that fell upon the mountains. He mentions the “dew of Hermon.” I am told that this dew was especially heavy. It was a refreshing and invigorating dew for the animal life and vegetation.
What David was saying through his comparison was that the unity of the people of God—the influence of their unified worship was a refreshing influence on their nation and the surrounding areas.
Likewise, unity in the church is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the fellowship of God’s people in the local assembly—refreshing and invigorating!
You like me have come into the assembly of God’s people where there was disharmony and strife and bickering and this disunity zaps your strength and threatens your joy.
But you like me have come into the assembly of God’s people where there the mood was much different. There was joy and gladness and you were invigorated and could leave ready to face whatever the world, the flesh and the devil sent your way.
Unity is a refreshing influence not only within our church but it also continues running down the mountain into our community.
In the book of Acts, where we find a historical account of the early church, there are these words:
Acts 2:1-2 – “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.”
When the believers were on one accord—when they were unified, the Holy Spirit came upon them with power!
Later in the same chapter we find the results of this unity. Peter, the coward who earlier denied the Lord Jesus would courageously stand and preach with power and at the end of his message we find these words:
And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation." Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
(Acts 2:40-47)
Because of the unity of the believers in Jesus, the Holy Spirit empowered them and many in the community got saved. I suppose this is what David means when he says unity is like, “the dew of Hermon, Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing-- life forever.”
People received eternal life because of the unity that found in the followers of the Lord.
Let me close with the words of a song. The name of the song is, We are one in the Spirit.
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord.
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord.
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored,
and they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love.
Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love.
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand.
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand.
And together we'll spread the news that God is in our land.
and they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love.
Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love.
We will work with each other, we will work side by side.
We will work with each other, we will work side by side.
And we'll guard each man's dignity and give up all our pride.
and they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love.
Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love.
So all praise to the Father from whom all things come.
And all praise to Christ Jesus, His only Son.
And all praise for the Spirit who makes us one.
and they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love.
Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love.
