# 09 2022 Dev. Psalm 133:1. Unity! Read all of Psalm 133 first. We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think and interact with it. This is God’s story. How will it affect your story? All passages are taken from the NIV.
Psalm 133:1 “How good and pleasant is it when God’s people live together in unity.”
Intro. Ps. 120-137 is a series of Psalms that include 15 “songs of ascents.” Songs of ascents were sung at the temple by the Priests walking up the 15 steps entering the sanctuary, also sung by pilgrims going up to Jerusalem for the three feasts required, Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles, as well as during the return from Babylon back to Jerusalem.
Psalm 133 is a three verse song of ascents. For the most part David is considered the author. It is suggested that this was written at a time when the nation came together, perhaps under a king, or at a time of war and victory. We are starting to see the importance of unity in our church and in our county.
V.1. “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”
Given the woke culture of today unity is impossible when even a small disagreement on issues facing us make the other person the enemy. Today there is no attempt to continue fellowship by agreeing to disagree. At first it seemed that the world was divided over Ukraine, but how sweet it is to see people to come together and the unity that has now developed.
V.2 describes unity in an emblematic way: unity “is like precious oil poured on the head…” The oil is precious, it is aromatic, filling the room with fragrance, it reflects well being, there was a lot of it, “running down Aaron’s beard, down the collar of his robe.” It is reserved mostly for ordination of kings and priests. James 5:13-15 recommends that those who are ill be anointed with oil in the name of the Lord and prayed over in faith, the oil being medicinal, promoting wellbeing and healing. James ends this prayer with: “If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.”
V.3. Unity, “It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion.” The dew on Mount Hermon is a marine layer coming off the Mediterranean Sea. We experience them here in California, it is a thick mist, wetting everything down. On Mount Hermon it comes at the hottest times of the year, and it runs in rivulets off the mountain watering the valley below. Like the blessings of Mt. Zion, God’s residence, now in our hearts, “For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.” Let us pray in faith for unity in our churches, in our country, and in our world, Amen! It is a matter of life and death.
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