Oh the fragrance and fruit of unity! “There the Lord commanded the blessing—life forevermore” (Ps 133:3).
Forgive me for my enthusiasm, but Psalm 133 has to be one of the greatest revelations from God’s heart in the Bible. It says so much with such an economy of words. It’s no surprise that David—Shepherd, Sovereign, and Sweet Singer of Israel—is the author. The subject is the heartbeat of heaven. He writes, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (v 1). A thousand years later, the Lord Jesus would say in His High Priestly prayer, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us” (Jn 17:20-21). Believer, He included you in the group shot! Wonderful, isn’t it? Now David paints for us two delightful pictures of unity. The first speaks of fragrance and the second of fruitfulness, the two wonderful by-products of unity. First, he writes, “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” (Ps 133:2). Subtly we see the Divine Trinity. The high priest is a type of Christ. He represents the God of heaven. The oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit. All Three are the compelling forces that bind the saints together. “There is…one Spirit,…one Lord,…one God and Father of all” (Eph 4:4-6). From head to hem, the Spirit unites the whole Body. The second scene shows “the dew of Hermon” (Ps 133:3) forming the headwaters of the Jordan with life-giving resources throughout the land. “Running down” and “descending” (vv 2-3) are the same Hebrew word. Unity comes from above. We can’t make it—but we can break it. Let’s endeavor “to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph 4:3).