A CLOSE LOOK AT PSALM 133

Overview

This chapter has been on my mind for a few days now. So naturally, after several occasions of having very vivid mind flashes of oil trickling down a very bushy beard (shout out to my beard gang people), I followed the Holy Spirit’s lead to look at this chapter. 

It is a short chapter; just three verses. I know these verses are profound and I know I have not even scratched the surface as to their significance however, I know that God is faithful to show me what I need to know for now and how to share that with you. 

I’ll start off with a brief explanation of what I believe to be the context of this Psalm. This Psalm was written by David and is one of the Songs of Ascents (Psalm 120-134). The Israelites would sing these songs as they travelled to Jerusalem to worship God three times in a year. Some people say that this Psalm was written by David when all the tribes of Israel met to make him king. This is just conjecture however.

The rest of the post will look at each verse in turn and try to flesh them out.

Verse 1: Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity

Behold! Stand in awe and be amazed! Behold is the first word that stands out to me. Each time the word Behold is used in the Bible, it automatically prepares us for something out of the ordinary. Seeing it here heightens my anticipation of what David wants to point us to.

The second word that stands out to me is good. Good is one of my favourite English words. It takes me back to Genesis 1, to the story of creation where God describes what He created as good. When good is used to describe a thing in the Bible, it signifies an alignment with the will of God.  In this verse, it is a thing of awe and amazement for brethren to dwell together in unity. It is also the will of God for brethren to dwell together in unity.

Unity is what we had in the Garden of Eden before the fall. Genesis 2:25 tells us that “the man and woman were both naked and were not ashamed”.  They dwelled in unity; they had no reason to hide from each other. All earthly creation was good and in tune with God’s rhythm.

Verse 2: It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down the edge of his garments.

This verse threw me off a bit. I just did not understand what Aaron and his beard had to do with unity. However, I did a bit of research and with the help of the Holy Spirit, I have more clarity on it.

God, in Exodus 30:22-33, tells us about this precious oil…. “Take for yourself the best spices: five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much, two hundred and fifty, of sweet-scented cinnamon, and two hundred and fifty of fragrant cane, and five hundred shekels of cinnamon blossom according to the sanctuary shekel, and a hin of olive oil. You shall make of these a holy anointing oil, a perfume mixture, the work of a perfumer; it shall be a sacred anointing oil.”

 

The way the spices come together to make this sacred perfumed oil is a reflection of what happens when brethren dwell in unity. The different spices could be a representation of the diversity of humankind. Although human beings are undoubtedly diverse, it is possible to achieve unity in diversity. Just like the perfumed oil which results from mixing the five spices, unity has a fragrance to it; one that is pleasing to God.

David describes the procession of the oil from Aaron’s head to his beard to the hem of his garments. The oil completes its journey without interruption. This brings to mind Genesis 11, when the whole earth spoke one language and the people decided to build a tower that would reach the heavens. God stated then that nothing they imagined they could do would be impossible for them. This is the result of dwelling in unity. To stop them from succeeding, God had to mix up their languages thereby creating confusion within them. The use of oil also reminds me of well lubricated machines functioning effortlessly. 

Verse 3: It is like the Dew of Hermon descending upon the mountains of Zion. For there the Lord commanded His blessing. Life forevermore.

Israel apparently lived in a dry land where water was scarce. Cities were built near sources of water and rain was very precious to them. Mount Hermon is referred to by some as “the snowy mountain”. The snow on the mountain (which was an estimated 100miles from Jerusalem) would evaporate and come down as rain in Jerusalem. It is a glorious thing; a cycle that sustains life. This is what dwelling in unity is compared to. The Mount Hermon does not insist that the snow that rests on it remain there, however it is there to serve the mountains of Zion by providing them with much needed rain. The sharing is effortless.

An awareness of how profound this chapter is is very crucial; the consciousness that this chapter expresses the very desire of God on how men should live - in unity, having one mind. As followers of Christ, we should desire nothing but to dwell peacefully and in unity with one another because God says it is good. When we dwell in unity, we mirror the nature of the God, i.e God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.