How good and pleasant it is
Psalms 133 (NIV)
when God’s people live together in unity!
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.
It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.
“Living together.” This goes beyond just getting together occasionally. It describes a family or other group of people who share a dwelling place. People who are sharing their lives.
“Living together in unity.” This goes beyond just living together. It does not mean that they agree on everything. But it does mean that they are working together toward a common goal. And their unity enhances what they can do. It is like oxen. When they are yoked together, they are stronger than the sum of their individual strengths.
But David, the psalmist, is not referring to just any group of people living together in unity. His focus is on God’s people. Not necessarily living together in the same house. But united in heart and mind. Acts 2:42-47 describes the earliest church as essentially living together in unity.
A Community of Believers
And David describes this condition as good and pleasant. The Hebrew word translated as good in this verse is ṭôḇ. This word is used in Genesis 1 to describe God’s view of His creation—it was ṭôḇ. It is also used in Genesis 2:18, where God declared that it was not ṭôḇ for the man to be alone.
It is not good for us to be alone. Even those of us who are introverts need to be part of a community—especially being a part of a community of faith. A community that, with one heart and mind, is worshipping and serving our Lord—for more than just an hour or two a week.
David goes on to describe the goodness of this community by comparing it to oil poured on the head or bountiful dew falling on the land. These metaphors are strange to us, but they expressed a good state of being to the ancient Hebrews. We might instead think of experiencing something enjoyable (replacing oil on the head) or something that makes life easier for us (replacing dew falling on the ground).
As God’s people, living together in unity is living the good life.
