How well do you find you can remember what you’ve just read in the Bible? Have you ever found yourself reading a passage finish and you know there’s been something really important you’ve read (it’s the Bible after all) but you can’t remember what that was. We often do that with familiar passages like with the Psalms. A good practice is if you can to read the Psalms aloud, not just read them in our heads. Could you open your Bible’s at Psalm 133 as I would like us to read that Psalm 133 together this morning. Psalm 133
A song of ascents. Of David. 1 How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! 2 It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes. 3 It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. (NIV)
So what does Psalm 133 have to teach us?
As we’ve done in the past I want us to notice at the top of the Psalm, under the Psalm number, the superscriptions, which is actually a part of the Psalms itself. Some superscriptions are mysteries to us, their meanings has been long lost, some like today’s are plain at the top of Psalm 133 we read “A song of ascents. Of David.” What we know from just a few words we know 2 things about this Psalm. This is a song that is part of the Psalms of ascents series written by King David. The other thing clear from this Psalm is the central theme, it is from one word in verse 1, and notice the word together. “Together” assumes unity, as we read in verse 1: 1 How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! For King David no matter what tribe or family you come from as part of the people of God you are a part of God’s extended family. Here togetherness is shown by 2 images that are good and pleasant, which are about who we are our identity & also what we do. Historically it wasn’t until under David’s leadership that the twelve tribes of Israel united. Under King David the land extended to the far reaches to fulfil the promises of God to Abraham. We read about that in 2 Samuel 5:1-10 how under King Saul Israel was a nation built on distrust and disunity. Now under King David’s leadership tribal jealousies were put aside in a spirit of cooperation to become a united kingdom. You can see this theme run through this Psalm with this unity David could lead the nation to establish the capital in Jerusalem, as well as make the plans for the building of the temple that Son Solomon would construct. This Psalm maps out the togetherness of Israel for centuries of their history as David spells out this togetherness for the people of God. The images of oil and dew that are good & pleasant are how he expresses it, verse 2
2 It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes.
What David recalls is what happened back in Exodus 29-30, when Aaron the High Priest had his head anointed with oil. Here all his sons were also set them apart as priests so that they could serve God at the tabernacle to conduct the services and to perform the sacrifices . As we know they were apart for a particular purpose; as we now see David likens that image to togetherness, unity. Aaron was the first High Priest Israel was also told by God not only did the priests work amongst them, in fact the whole nation was to be a nation of priests, Exodus 19:3-6=
3b “This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
This anointing of Aaron and his sons was a point of differentiation. It was also a call on all the people of God to be a nation of priests that set them apart from the nations around them. It was also to be the thing that reminded them of their unity together under God
A reminder to be in the world but not of the world. The second image of togetherness comes from the image of dew we read in verse 3 It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. Geographically Hermon is in the far north of Israel, n our modern day Lebanon ranges, as reaching 10, 000 feet; whereas Mount Zion is some 200 miles further south and is actually a small hill. Zion is the hill on which the temple in Israel would stand. So we get David’s point that this dew that falls at night in a land that is usually parched and thirsty being mostly desert is the same dew that reaches the highest peak down to the lowest hill and yet both receiving the same blessing from God
Now the second part of verse 3b For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. Here blessing is given by God with the greatest blessing of all to his people is life forevermore, eternal life
So how does Psalm 133 fit into the Psalms of Ascents?
Because this Psalm was written some time before the temple was built, As Psalm 133 is a song about fellowship that revives the spirit and soul of life, for the pilgrim on their journey to Jerusalem. These Psalms of ascents were travelling songs sung on their way up to the temple steps. This song is about togetherness, our family identity. The other thing I think that jumps out is that strong sense of God’s blessing of things that are good and pleasant that we celebrate from God. The question is how distinguished is our togetherness as the people of God, in that sense of how differentiated and integrated are we as the people of God. Let me explain this one a little more, what I mean by differentiated is the sense of how we are seen by others in the community for what we are like – how would they describe TCPC. What marks us out as followers of Jesus together? How well do we go at making ourselves known with the message of the gospel about Jesus? As Psalm 133 asks us is How am I going to live in the community as a person of faith?[1]
And so What does that mean for me as a pilgrim following Jesus today?
Psalm 133 reminds us that God wants togetherness in his church as the well known author Philip Yancey writes,
“Christianity is not a purely intellectual, internal faith. It can only be lived in community.” So the question is not, “Am I going to be part of a community of faith” but “How am I going to live in this community of faith?” We can pretend that we’re on our own, but eventually we realize how much we need each other. If it is not visible that we care about one another, it is doubtful whether we love one another…The author of Hebrews urges, “Let us consider how we can spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (10:25). We are not solitary saints. We are incomplete until we find fellowship with others who share our faith.[2]
We are a family and if your family you grew up in was anything like mine, there were times when we didn’t always agree on something, or we just didn’t want to talk too much with that person. With family in the end though we worked it out, we talked it through that’s part of being in a family where you decide your family matters and that working stuff out together was a priority rather than taking each other for granted; just as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 2:15-16
15 For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?
The gift God has given to us is one another, of one another’s giftedness in Jesus; and off one another’s part in this family big or little. This is God’s gift of life forevermore – it is that eternity together will be a long time. So what do you find pleasant and good that you give thanks for at TCPC that you celebrate as a gift from God? What is it you most want God to bless here? A way of thinking about that is who have you been praying for this week? So remember King David’s reminder as we go into our week How good and pleasant is when brothers live together in unity!
Let’s pray
David Hassan @ Tamworth Community Presbyterian Church 16-7-17
[1] Peterson, Eugene A Long Obedience in the Same Direction IVP Downers Grove, Illinois, 2000 p176
[2] sourced by Robert Leroe,