Tag: Songs of Ascents

A SONG OF DEGREES OF DAVID.
​¹ Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
² It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
³ As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life forevermore.

INTRODUCTION

This psalm of just three verses is easy to read but difficult to put into practice. It is the 14th of 15 poems in the Psalter known collectively as the Songs of Degrees or (Ascents). This is a group of psalms (120-134) sung by the Jews when returning from exile or when going up to Jerusalem for one of the annual Jewish Festivals (Exod 23:14-17; 34:22-24). Psalm 133 is said to be ‘Of David.’ This could mean either that it was composed by David or was collected by him.

Imagine families from all over Israel and beyond travelling up to Jerusalem and then residing together in the city during the festival days. People from different areas, different tribes, having different customs and different accents; yet all coming together to worship the Lord and know the blessing of his presence. What a great experience that must have been and what a testimony to the heathen nations around them! This psalm celebrates the beauty of unity.

We live in a world that is obsessed with the individual. From an early age we are taught to be self-reliant, independent and are encouraged to be masters of our own destiny. Into our modern culture of radical individualism this ancient psalm from God’s Word speaks a powerful counter-cultural truth – our faith is not meant to be lived out in isolation. Psalm 133, as I have said, is a profound reflection on the beauty of unity. In it we have an exclamation about that truth, an elaboration on that truth and a declaration about that truth.

v.1 AN EXCLAMATION
vv.2-3a AN ELABORATION
v. 3b A DECLARATION

AN EXCLAMATION (1)

The psalm commences with a wisdom saying – something like a proverb – that comments on what is good. It is expressed as an exclamation: Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! The psalmist conveys pleasure with his use of the words: ‘Behold…how…how!’ Behold (Look, stop and take notice) how good and how pleasant it is when brothers live in harmony! At this thought the psalmist bursts out with a cry of wonder and joyful praise. This is not a cool, detached, academic observation – it is an exclamation of delight.

What the psalmist says has wide application. It covers most situations because he cleverly uses words that have more than one meaning.

Brethren – can mean a) children of the same parents b) kin – extended family members c) kindred – members of a larger social unit (e.g. tribe, nation).

Dwell – can mean sit, remain or reside.

Unity – can mean ‘proximity’ or ‘harmony.’

The wisdom saying probably refers to to the ancient custom of living in extended families (cf. Deut 25:5) – with one clan occupying and working the same inheritance (ancestral land). The family members all worked for the common welfare and shared the same objectives. If one was sick or died, the others rallied around to provide support. If one was attacked, the others rushed to his defence. If one suffered financial loss, the others chipped in to help. I am sure that you can see how we could apply this concept to the local church.

The psalmist, however, takes up this social custom and uses it to make a point about the spiritual unity of the people of God. That unity likewise involves more than just living peacefully; it includes shared objectives, responsibilities and efforts to look out for and meet the needs of the others.

‘HOW GOOD!

‘Good’ carries not just the idea that something is morally correct but also that it is useful and beneficial. This word ṭôb was how God assessed his work of creation in Gen 1:4, 10, 12, 18 and 21.

HOW PLEASANT!

Notice the second adjective used by the psalmist. Nā‘ēm means lovely, good, attractive, joyous. Brothers (and sisters) living together in harmony is not just morally right and beneficial, it is also pleasant – delightful, enjoyable and lovely to experience. The two words ‘good’ and ‘pleasant’ also occur together in Gen 49:15; Job 36:11; Psa 135:3; 147:1; Prov 24:25.

The psalmist is speaking here about God’s people, the family of faith, so the lesson applies to us as well. Our unity ought not to be based on such things as personality or politics but should be because of our common salvation and mutual love for the Lord. Bringing this right up to date and making it personal, let us ask ourselves if that is our default setting in the church or assembly we attend. Do we appreciate other believers and view togetherness as a great benefit – something to be fostered and enjoyed?

Often the greatest threats to the unity of a church are sitting in its pews. Some people just cannot get along with and agree with others. One of Satan’s most effective tools is division among the people of God. We began by mentioning that this exclamation in Psalm 133 is based on the ancient idea of the extended family. We know that sometimes that didn’t work out too well. It is sad to read that even some members of the patriarchal families could not dwell together, for example:

And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. And there was a strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle: Genesis 13:6-7

The apostle Paul, writing to the early church in Philippi, said: I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. Philippians 4:2. The apostle James wrote: For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. James 3:16.

The psalmist realised that there is not always harmony among the people of God. There are disagreements, some of them bitter. Sadly, it seems that for many maintaining unity is not a priority. It is almost as if the psalmist is saying to people like that: Wake up! Look at the incredible beauty of what you have when you are united in your purpose and witness! Realise how good and how pleasant it is!

AN ELABORATION (2-3a)

The psalmist knows that not everyone will believe his exclamation and so he elaborates on the notions of ‘good’ and ‘pleasant’ with rich illustrations, comparisons that would have been familiar to his first readers in the day and age he wrote. He uses two similes: unity between brethren is ‘like oil’ and it is ‘as dew’.

OIL

The oil is described as ‘good’ (same word as v.1), the KJV translates ‘good oil’ as ‘precious ointment.’ At the mention of ‘good oil’ a social custom would spring instantly to mind, a feature of ancient hospitality. In the hot, dry and dusty Near Eastern climate a mixture of olive oil and sweet spices was used for skincare. Travellers or guests would be welcomed with soothing oil being poured upon their heads (Psa 23:5; 92:10; 141:5; Lk 7:46.

Th psalmist then clarifies that he is not speaking of just any oil, but of the sacred anointing oil, made using a special formula (see Exod 30:34-38 for the ingredients), that was used to consecrate Aaron and the priests to the service of the Lord (Exod 30:30; Lev 8:10-12). In the imagery of Psalm 133 this oil is poured upon the head of Aaron, meaning any priest. The emphasis here is on the lavishness of the pouring; it is not just a dab of oil but such an abundance that it runs over the priest’s head, down his full beard and over the collar (lit ‘mouth’) of his robe.

That, says the psalmist, is what the unity of brethren is like. It is like a generous quantity of oil poured out in a sacred anointing. Unity marks us out as people saturated with the oil of consecration, set apart to serve God and exuding the delightful fragrance of holiness.

DEW

The second simile is ‘as dew of Hermon.’ Mt Hermon is the highest peak in Israel and is snow-capped for most of the year. The River Jordan, a key water source in the country, rises on its slopes. The dew (light rain, drizzle) of Hermon symbolises life-giving moisture, fertility, blessing, refreshment and pleasure.

Unity, says the psalmist, is like that dew of Hermon. It revitalises what is dry and promotes renewal and growth where there is stagnation. It provides daily, gentle refreshment.

Note: verse 3a – It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! causes much discussion among scholars. How can the psalmist claim that the dew of Mt. Hermon, which is situated at the far north of the country, precipitates on the mountains of Zion (Jerusalem) some 125 miles to the south of Hermon? The best answer seems to be that the metaphor is presenting an ideal situation. Unity is something wonderful, it is as if the dew from Hermon (or, dew like that of Hermon) were falling on Zion.

A DECLARATION (3b)

The psalm ends with a move from description to proclamation. We have noticed the exclamation – it describes unity. Then the elaboration – that illustrates unity. Now the declaration tells us the cause and effect of unity.

Notice the word ‘for.’ It is crucial because it tells why. It gives us the reason for the goodness, the pleasantness, the abundance and the refreshment. They all come from the Lord; ‘for’ (because) he bestows his blessing wherever unity is found.

Notice the word ‘there.’ It is in an environment where there is unity that God’s blessing is experienced. Where brethren dwell together in unity the Lord commands the blessing. This is his deliberate, powerful act. The psalmist reminds us that this is not just present blessing (peace, growth, powerful witness) but also future blessing – ‘life forevermore.’

Note: many take ‘there’ to mean Zion rather than, as I have suggested, anywhere unity is found.

SUMMATION

God’s people living together in unity is good and pleasant. It enriches our lives. It is abundant and refreshing like oil and dew, and it draws down God’s blessing. Strange as it may sound, ‘coming down’ is a feature of this ‘psalm of ascents’ (going up): the oil is poured on the head, flows down the beard, down to the collar of the robe. The dew comes down from Hermon. The blessing comes from God above.

Let us remember the exclamation: ‘How good and how pleasant unity is!’
Let us meditate on the elaboration: unity is beneficial and refreshing.
Let us rest on the declaration: where there is unity the Lord commands the blessing.

The New Testament does not contain a direct quote from Psalm 133 but it does say quite a lot about unity. Allow me to close by quoting Col 3:12-15 from the Christian Standard Bible:

Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, ¹³ bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. ¹⁴ Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts…