Blessed Unity: God’s Plan for His People | Psalm 133

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Psalm 133 is only three verses long, yet it gives us a beautiful picture of something God desires for His people. Unity is not merely people getting along because they have similar personalities or preferences. David calls it both good and pleasant—something that reflects God’s purpose and brings blessing among His people. The importance of those words becomes even clearer when we remember the terrible cost of disunity. In 2 Samuel 1–5, the death of Saul was followed by years of division, rivalry and bloodshed before the tribes were finally brought together under David. Against that background, the blessing of brothers dwelling together in unity becomes something precious indeed.

David gives us two striking pictures. Unity is like the precious anointing oil poured upon Aaron, flowing from his head, down his beard and onto his garments. That oil spoke of consecration—of being set apart for the work and purposes of God. It is also like the dew of Mount Hermon, bringing life, freshness and abundance. Both pictures speak of something that flows beyond itself. Biblical unity is not merely the absence of an argument; it creates an environment in which God’s people can worship, serve, grow and strengthen one another. For us, this means being willing to look honestly at offences we may still be carrying, laying them down before the Lord and pursuing forgiveness and reconciliation where it is needed.

Psalm 133 is also one of the Songs of Ascents. As Israelites travelled towards Jerusalem for the great feasts, people from different towns, tribes and backgrounds came together and sang these Psalms as they approached the place of worship. Passover reminded them of God’s protection, Pentecost of His provision, and Tabernacles of His presence. Many voices were coming from many places, yet they were travelling towards one Lord. That remains a powerful picture for the church. We will not always have the same personalities, histories, preferences or opinions, but in Christ we belong to one body. Fellowship therefore gives us somewhere to practise patience, forgiveness, love and perseverance as we continue walking together towards the Lord.

Jesus prayed for exactly this before the cross. In John 17, He asked the Father that His people “all may be one”, and then that they might be one in the Father and the Son. Unity is therefore not an optional extra for especially sociable Christians; it is part of Christ’s desire for His people. That does not mean overlooking truth or pretending that difficulties do not exist. It means refusing to allow pride, offence and personal preference to pull us away from the body Christ has joined us to. We are all still being changed, still learning and, in a sense, still walking up the mountain together. May we therefore forgive freely, press into fellowship and discover for ourselves how good and how pleasant it is when brethren dwell together in unity.