Unity Of The Brethren

(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.