I submit to us that, for the most part, KINFOLK LIVING TOGETHER IN UNITY IS AN ODD OCCURRENCE. For the most part,Kinfolk Getting Along on a Daily Basis, enjoying Peace and Harmony day after day after day is AN ODD OCCURRENCE. That is Different from what happens on a daily basis. It is Extraordinary. Unusual. Even Strange.
It is Uncommon. Infrequent. It is the Exception rather than the Rule. It is Rare; for it only Occurs Occasionally. Kinfolk, whether it be of the physical or spiritual kind, Living Together in Unity Is AN ODD
OCCURRENCE!
The occurrence was so odd that David gets excited, and says to us in Verse 1: "Don’t you dare miss this! Don’t overlook this! Don’t minimize the important of this! Look at this Odd Occurrence! Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!"
I believe David is arguing the fact that Often both the Family of Flesh and the Family of Spirit Are Together, But Rarely Are WE UNIFIED!
We share together the same bonds of birth, blood, body, bionics, brain and behavior. We share together the same bonds of bias, beliefs, burdens, blots, blemishes, blame, bondage and battles. We share together the same time-space continuum which we call Earth. We are constantly together in the same space and time, and yet, Rarely Are We UNIFIED!
Rarely do we come together as a family of blood or Spirit without arguing, bickering, fighting, splitting, dividing up into separate camps; choosing
sides, forming cliques. Generally, when we are together in the same place at the same time, we are a divided house, a fragmented and fractured family.
That is true in whatever sphere you care to examine.
In the political arena, both political parties share together the same House,and yet they are divided. On yesterday, President George W. Bush, Al Gore and President Bill Clinton shared the same stage at the same time, but we know they aren’t unified. The Southern Baptist Convention and the Baptist General Convention of Texas share the same organization and space, but we know they aren’t unified. And here we are tonight together in this beautiful sanctuary; but we aren’t united. We are divided along the lines of
denominations, race, culture, class and geography. Yes, we are together in the Same place and time, but not all of us are in agreement with the other.
The descendant of Abraham, the Jews and the Palestinians, share the same blood, occupy the same land at the same time, and yet, they cannot dwell
together in Unity. And that is particularly true of us Preacher/Pastors. We have our own agendas; our own opinions and ideas; our own circle of friends and associates; our own houses and ministries. And rarely if ever do we dwell together in Unity. And so, I thought it would be helpful and wholesome if we would look afresh at this passage of Scripture tonight. Because even though it is Odd, yet it can Occur. And I would suggest tonight that the Odd, Occasional, Uncommon, Unusual and Exceptional can become the
Ordinary. The Odd can become the Ordinary. Because I think that is what David is suggesting in this Psalm; particularly when, in a few minutes, we examine that Third Verse.
I. BUT FIRST, LET ME ARGUE THE FACT THAT THE
SAINT LONGS FOR UNITY.
And one reason why I have reached that conclusion is the Life of David.
For if there was ever a person who Longed for Peace and Harmony among Brethren, it Was David. Because for most of his life, David was dogged by the Disunity and Discord of a Dysfunctional Family Life.
It started in his formative and growing up years in the home of his father,Jesse. For even then, he and his brothers lived together under the same roof of their father, Jesse, but there was no Unity. His brothers had a problem with David. It was manifested when he slew Goliath. For Eliab, his oldest brother,
told David that he had a pride-problem and a naughty heart. Now any time you live with your kinfolk and they think that you think you are better than they are and that your heart is nasty, then there is no peace and harmony in that home! I believe that David longed for unity among his blood brothers when he was growing up at home.
But then, David was, so to speak, adopted into the family of the King while he was still young. Perhaps he hoped to find unity in the palace of the king. But that was not to be also. For even though he and King Saul lived together under the same roof, there was no unity for David in the palace.Saul kept constantly trying to kill him or to have him killed.
Then later on when David had his own family, it was a dysfunctional family absent the element of unity. For Absalom, his son, tried to steal the crown
and the kingdom away from David. I tell you, David knew the pain and heartbreak of living in the midst of hate, confusion and the threat of death from family members.
Therefore, when Unity finally occurred in his life, David got excited!
Which led me to believe that the Preacher/Pastor, the Prophet, the Parish Priest and the Parishioner in the Pew all LONG FOR THIS ODD OCCURRENCE OF UNITY! Finding no peace and harmony among our kinfolk; finding none at school, in the work place and in the community at-
large; we came to the community of faith seeking peace and found it in the Christ of God. We even experienced what the apostle Paul calls "the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." But we also found out that it must be Kept Up by All. But all are not endeavoring to keep it up. And so, we have come to expect to find disunity and disagreement whenever we come together in
the same place at the same time. But we still Long for the day when THE ODD BECOMES AN ORDINARY OCCURRENCE - "when brethren dwell (constantly, consistently) together in unity."
II. I THINK DAVID IS TRYING TO TELL US IN VERSE 2
THAT THE OCCURRENCE IS ODD BUT YET OVERWHELMING.
Listen to what he says in Verse 2(read). That word "Precious" itself suggests that the Occurrence is Odd, Rare, Unique, Uncommon, Exceptional.
For the priest was not Anointed with oil everyday. It was only a Once-In-A-Lifetime-Thing.
ODD YET OVERWHELING signified by the way It Kept RUNNING DOWN! The precious ointment kept running the beard of Aaron to the skirts of his garments!
THE OVERWHELMING ODDITY OF THE OCCURRENCE
HAS TO LAST UNTIL THE ORDINARY COMES! The once-in-a-lifetime overwhelming anointing of the Spirit has to last until the Ordinary Dew of the New Jerusalem Comes!
III. AND THAT LEADS ME FINALLY TO THE CONCLUSION THAT
THE ODD SHALL BECOME THE ORDINARY.
That is what David is suggesting in Verse 3. Because Dew, Haze, Snow,Moisture is AN ORDINARY OCCURRENCE ON THE MOUNTAIN. Every morning some type of moisture was found on the head of the mountain!
EVENTUALLY IT GOING TO MAKE IT TO THE VALLEY! The mountaintop anointing will eventually make it to the valley of disunity! The Anointing guarantees eventual Peace in the Valley!
THE LORD HAS PROMISED IT! LIFE FOR EVER MORE! "For there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore." THE ODD SHALL BECOME THE ORDINARY! THE UNUSUAL SHALL BECOME THE USUAL. BRETHREN SHALL DWELL TOGETHER IN UNITY!!! For the mouth of teh LORD has spoken it. Amen!
