Living Together in Peace

Psalms 133:1–Psalms 134:3
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God desires unity for us, and Satan works night and day to keep unity from us. How good and how pleasant it is when you find a group of believers who dwell together in unity. Jesus prayed for our unity in John 17:21. Nothing is more good or pleasant than to see believers serving God with one mind and one heart. The oil refers to the oil poured upon the head of the priest when he was set apart for his duties. Dew symbolizes the unity of the Spirit as it forms when all is still and at rest. Rush, worry and constant activity will never bring about unity. When Jewish pilgrims sang this psalm as they journeyed to Jerusalem, they did not sing solo or travel alone. They came to the feasts and holy days from many different walks of life, regions, and tribes. No matter how hard the pilgrimage conditions were, the fellowship of God’s people made the journey refreshing. We too are pilgrims; we have a destination, our heavenly home, and we are traveling together. It’s foolish to try to be a believer in isolation.

Psalm 134 says we are to bless the Lord. This is what we will be doing for all eternity. We will be blessing and praising the Lord who has done great things for us. From the least to the greatest, from the king on the throne to the slave in the field, everyone is to praise the Lord. The word “bless” is the key word in this passage as it is used in each verse. The first two verses ask us to look for ways to bless God and the last verse shows Him blessing us. It is thought that this psalm was prepared for the 24 Levites, the three temple priests and the captain of the guard whose duty it was to keep watch from sunset to sunrise, over the sacred temple and its contents. It’s easy to waste time with idle thoughts, but a good poem or song can be an effective tool to keep our minds on the Lord. No one can render blessing to the Lord without receiving blessing from the Lord. 

Application

There is a bond of unity among Christians that the world knows nothing about. My wife and I have traveled in 52 countries, and we immediately strike a bond of fellowship with Christians everywhere we go. What an amazing gift from God, to have fellowship with our fellow believers!