Psalm 133:1-3 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, coming down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard, coming down upon the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing–life forever.

King David was a man after God’s own heart. I wonder if he wrote that Psalm after sitting around one day listening to a group of priests bickering outside the tabernacle as they rotated worship shifts! Or perhaps he’d just looked out his window in time to see an old man stumble, having been pushed aside by a wealthy merchant too caught up in his own importance to notice him. Whatever the reason, I think he had noticed displays of pride, irritability, and unconcern for others, enough to think, “What would it be like if every single person in this city showed genuine care and respect for family members and strangers alike, even those they disagree with?” I bet as his imagination played out and the Holy Spirit added His own wisdom to David’s vivid imagination, he concluded that living together in absolute harmony had potential far beyond just a stalemate! He began to understand what God had in store for a people that would choose to set aside their differences and truly live together in harmony.

David wrote a Psalm poetically describing 2 things:

First, genuine unity would create an atmosphere filled with the Holy Spirit’s presence! David’s psalm describes the oil on Aaron’s beard. Oil had been poured (not just dabbed!) on Aaron the day he was anointed to be Israel’s priest. The oil had been crafted using 4 spices, giving it a wonderful aroma. I imagine David also thought about the day holy oil had been poured on himself when Samuel anointed him to be king. In 1 Samuel 16:13 it says that “The Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day onward.” He had never been the same since! If God’s Spirit had come upon him that day, surely His Spirit had come powerfully upon Aaron as he’d been anointed to be priest! I bet David daydreamed about all the fragrant oil that was poured out, seeing it run down Aaron’s beard and even saturating parts of his robe. Though Aaron had been anointed priest well over 300 years before he had even been born, clearly David was drawn to ponder what that day must have been like. I can picture David closing his eyes, imagining the amazing aroma of the anointing oil that would have wafted in the breeze. Surely he sensed how powerful the Holy Spirit’s presence must have been that day!

Second, the blessing of life forevermore can only truly begin in this life for a people who are committed to prioritizing unity. Life doesn’t feel like a blessing when we are at odds with one another. Whether I’m boiling inside, determined to prevail in my debate with someone, or if I’ve become offended and carry that offense like a suitcase chained to my wrist, I am not enjoying the blessed life that God has purposed for me. I am called by my Lord to be in unity with His people.

1 Thessalonians 5:13b-15 Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, admonish the undisciplined, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient toward all. See that no one pays back evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.

A thousand years after King David died, Jesus came to show us the Father and to redeem mankind. What was the theme of His final prayer before going to the cross for us? Unity. These words, from John 17:20-23 reveal what weighed heavily on His heart. – “I am not praying only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their testimony, that they will all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me. The glory you gave to me I have given to them, that they may be one just as we are one – I in them and you in me – that they may be completely one, so that the world will know that you sent me, and you have loved them just as you have loved me.” Jesus wanted us to be one with Him and with each other. Why? So the world know that He really was God’s son, and so they’d know how much God loved them. 

Oil dripping down beards sounds like a strange way to show the world the truth of the gospel. But maybe it’s not so strange. Maybe when David wrote his psalm he thought that if God’s people would determine to “dwell together in unity” that the people who don’t know God would catch a whiff of that wonderfully scented oil, and the Holy Spirit would use that to attract them to Jesus.

Father, help me to always want to help fulfill Jesus’ prayer by making unity with Your people highest priority. Holy Spirit, impart to me Your wisdom and teach me how to pursue unity. It’s not hard with people who agree with me, but when they don’t…help me Lord!