1 How good and pleasant it is when God’s people 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 on the collar of his robe.
3 It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life for evermore.
(Psalm 133 NIVUK)
 

I wrote this around the same time as I was preparing the sermon on Nehemiah 6 to 7, where one of the themes was “Community” – specifically, the Church is called to be a community/family of God’s people, and to exist following the principles or ideals of a community/family; i.e. all are welcomed in Jesus’ name, have a place and a purpose, etc. As I was searching for other Scripture passages which also speak of this, I stumbled across this wonderful little Psalm.
 
This is one of the “Songs of Ascent”. That is, the Psalms (Psalm 120 to 134) sung by the People of God as they journeyed toward Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. The Songs of Ascent contain many different themes, which help remind the People of God who they are, who God is, and what He has done for them.
 
This is particularly significant when we connect the Songs of Ascent with the Passover. By singing these songs, those journeying to Jerusalem are grounding themselves once again in their identity as God’s People; those whom He saved from slavery in Egypt. They are remembering that, when they were powerless to save themselves, God came and rescued them, bringing them “home” to the Promised Land. These reminders would no doubt have helped the People as they then shared in the Passover together – the meal shared before the Spirit of the LORD “passed over” the Israelites, to bring judgement upon the Egyptians; all thanks to the blood of the sacrificial lambs.
 
The People who sang Psalm 133, then, would do so to create a sense of unity: although they descended from different tribes and families, they were united together because of the salvation they shared.
 
I trust that already the parallels for us today are becoming clearer as you read!
 
We too know that salvation of God, thanks to the blood of a “sacrificial lamb”. Jesus is sometimes described in this way, as He took upon Himself the consequences of our rejection of God, in His death. In doing so, God is able to declare us as set free from these consequences, granting us the status of His dearly beloved children. In this declaration, we are also “brought home” – home into the family of God; home into His Church in the present; home into His presence for all eternity, in the New Creation, in the future.
 
Because this salvation is achieved for us by Christ, and His perfect and complete work, we cannot lose our place so long as we persevere with Him. And since this is granted to us by Christ, we are able to share in unity with other followers of Jesus: the worldly divisions we might draw melt away in the light of that which primarily unites us – that is, our shared faith in Christ.
 
We all could tell stories of the pain of Church disunity. And while there may be times someone could argue Christians should legitimately part company, that is not my focus here. Rather, I would want to echo David’s observation: that when the People of God live together in unity, it is good and pleasant; in fact, it is so precious, it is like the anointing oil poured on the priest to purify him of sin, and set him apart in God’s service; it is so refreshing, it is as if the dew of Hermon (which was known to be extremely plentiful!) was being poured down upon Mount Zion.
 
Such is the power of a united People of God (in the Church): that through us, God is able to bring the message of Gospel purification to that which is broken, and is able to refresh a dry and dark world!
 
As we continue to meditate on God’s call for our Church, let us pursue the kind of unity which can purify and refresh!
 
With every blessing,
Stuart
Email: slove@churchofscotland.org.uk
Tel.: 07916 176 873