"How good and pleasant it is
when brothers 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 upon the collar of his robes.
It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the Lord bestows his blessing,even life forevermore." Psalm:133
Unity among Christians is one of the most sought after spiritual commodities, yet at times unfortunately it is elusive among Christians. So often Christian unity is disrupted by personal preference and our own sensibilities that we impose upon Scriptures all to the detriment of the body of Christ. From the opening verses of Psalm:133
The Psalm depicts a family relationship that comes together "brothers live together" . That is they share life with one another.
"Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named" Ephesians 3:15
And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brothers!" Matthew:12:49
Unity among the people of God is as we read "How good and pleasant" it is something to be desired, it is very good for this unity to be among us.
"it is like precious oil poured on the head,running down on the beard,running down on Aaron’s beard,
"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." 1Corinthians:12:27
There is a healing in the unity that can be ours , this is seen even in the anointing of the sick.The anointing of unity is a healing of relationships, first the healing of humanities breach with our God, bring us into a relationship with Him, and now with each other.
Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord" James:5:14
The anointing of our Lord can heal the sickness of division and heal us of differences we might have among ourselves and the sense of disenfranchisement that some live with on a daily base. This healing unity comes only through the Holy Spirit.
Through the Spirit
A Family Relationship
"Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named" Ephesians 3:15
And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brothers!" Matthew:12:49
Unity among the people of God is as we read "How good and pleasant" it is something to be desired, it is very good for this unity to be among us.
The Anointing Oil
"It is like precious oil poured on the head,running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard,down upon the collar of his robes" Unity is here likened to the Holy Anointing Oil that was used to consecrate the High Priest Aaron and the items used in the Worship of God within the Tabernacle, Exodus:30:22-33
This anointing oil was very important, it was made made up of special high quality ingredients , it could not be duplicated or used for any other purpose but the anointing of the Priesthood. This is the same with Christian unity, there is nothing else like it, it can't be duplicated or truly reproduced. This anointing oil used to set the priesthood and tabernacle apart for God purpose ,that is it designate them for God's uses if there was no anointing there was no uses for God.
This is true in the Church today. The unity described in the Psalm is compered to that sanctifying oil , that is, if there is no unity among God's people there can be a forfeiting of uses of God. This kind of unique unity that sanctifies for the purposes of God comes only from the Church's head Jesus Christ.
Then the Lord said to Moses,
“Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane,
500 shekels of cassia—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil.
Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil.Then use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony, the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense,the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand.
You shall consecrate them so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.
“Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests. Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oil for the generations to come.
Do not pour it on men’s bodies and do not make any oil with the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred.
Whoever makes perfume like it and whoever puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off from his people.’'
This anointing oil was very important, it was made made up of special high quality ingredients , it could not be duplicated or used for any other purpose but the anointing of the Priesthood. This is the same with Christian unity, there is nothing else like it, it can't be duplicated or truly reproduced. This anointing oil used to set the priesthood and tabernacle apart for God purpose ,that is it designate them for God's uses if there was no anointing there was no uses for God.
For the Church
This is true in the Church today. The unity described in the Psalm is compered to that sanctifying oil , that is, if there is no unity among God's people there can be a forfeiting of uses of God. This kind of unique unity that sanctifies for the purposes of God comes only from the Church's head Jesus Christ.
"it is like precious oil poured on the head,running down on the beard,running down on Aaron’s beard,
down upon the collar of his robes"
As the oil flowed down from Arron's head to the skirt of his priestly robes , the unity that anoints flows down from our head Jesus to all even to the skirts of the church.
"And he is the head of the body, the church;" Colossians:1:18
As the oil flowed down from Arron's head to the skirt of his priestly robes , the unity that anoints flows down from our head Jesus to all even to the skirts of the church.
"And he is the head of the body, the church;" Colossians:1:18
"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." 1Corinthians:12:27
There is a healing in the unity that can be ours , this is seen even in the anointing of the sick.The anointing of unity is a healing of relationships, first the healing of humanities breach with our God, bring us into a relationship with Him, and now with each other.
Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord" James:5:14
The anointing of our Lord can heal the sickness of division and heal us of differences we might have among ourselves and the sense of disenfranchisement that some live with on a daily base. This healing unity comes only through the Holy Spirit.
Through the Spirit
The unity we see in the Psalm and that we are admonished to have comes to us by the presence of the Holy Spirit within and among us.
" Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Ephesians:4:,13
"until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son
of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness
of Christ."
The Holy Spirit will always direct Christins to Jesus Christ.
"He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it to you." John:16:14
Unity is equated with spiritual maturity, where there is dis-unity we can expect to find immaturity.
Like The Dew
"It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion."
Unity is a necessity for the fruitfulness of the Holy Spirit within the like of the church, what the dew does for the agriculture of Israel the unity among Christians does fro the church. If we want the church to have abundance of fruitfulness there needs to be unity.
The dew is described as descending from Mount Hermon, which was located in the furthest north of Israel, from here we are told it descends on the land.
God' throne is mentioned in the Scripture as being in the North.
"I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also on the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:" Isaiah:14:13
Unity is compered to dew that descends from the Mount Hermon upon Mount Zion. In the culture of Israel the reference would have great meaning, Israel was a agricultural society, they would have understood the blessing and the need for dew as vital part of abundant crops.They would have understood this speaks of fruitfulness and abundance.
"It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion."
Unity is a necessity for the fruitfulness of the Holy Spirit within the like of the church, what the dew does for the agriculture of Israel the unity among Christians does fro the church. If we want the church to have abundance of fruitfulness there needs to be unity.
The dew is described as descending from Mount Hermon, which was located in the furthest north of Israel, from here we are told it descends on the land.
From the North
God' throne is mentioned in the Scripture as being in the North.
"I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also on the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:" Isaiah:14:13
Mount Zion, was on the north side of the oldest part Jerusalem, where the Temple of God was built, it was the most sacred place in Israel , it represented the presence of Israel's God among the people. It was were the people met their God.
"Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King." Psalm:48:2
It tells us that it is from, the "North" representing the Throne of God, that unity comes down to God's people and like that dew it brings abundant fruitfulness among Christians.
"For there the Lord bestows his blessing,even life forevermore."
This unity Jesus himself prayed for among His people. This unity He asked the Father for on our behalf is the same unity that Jesus has with the Father. Jesus did not see His Father as a separate "person" in the way we might normally think of it, this is what we prays for among the people of God, that we would not view Him as as a separate "person" from ourselves and one another, we should see each other as "one"
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me"John:17:20b-23
"The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ." 1Corinthians:12:12
"so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others" Romans:12:5
"How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! Amen
Forever More
Unity in Jesus Christ will bring many blessing to Christians, more than can be counted or wrote about or talked of this side of eternity. This unity will bring so much to Christian's live individually and collectedly as the assembled Church.
"For there the Lord bestows his blessing,even life forevermore."
This unity Jesus himself prayed for among His people. This unity He asked the Father for on our behalf is the same unity that Jesus has with the Father. Jesus did not see His Father as a separate "person" in the way we might normally think of it, this is what we prays for among the people of God, that we would not view Him as as a separate "person" from ourselves and one another, we should see each other as "one"
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me"John:17:20b-23
"The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ." 1Corinthians:12:12
"so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others" Romans:12:5
Unity in Christ
The kind of unity that we are encouraged to have among us is not
produced by human agreement or mutual goals, or even doctrine , theology or any other means other then through Jesus Christ. If our unity is derived through Jesus then we can have true unity, for other means which may bring us together will at some point drive us apart as soon as preference or needs or interpretations are revised. There will be strife and a stifling of the fruitfulness and a diminished effectiveness in the work of the body of Christ.
So important is unity that Scripture in-joining the avoidance of those who cause division among Christians. Paul writing to early Christians and to all Christians throughout the ages speaks of this very thing in his Epistle to the church at Rome and mentions the cause of the strife they and all churches through out the centuries have at time encountered.
"I
urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put
obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have
learned. Keep away from them.
For
such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites.
By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people" Romans:16:17-18
Paul tells us that division arises out of some one's "own appetites" that means that the church in Rome was experiencing division because someone(s) wanted something but was not getting it, therefore they caused division.
This tells us that division, no matter how it is masqueraded, is not over truth or right or wrong but rather arises out of the carnal nature's want to be gratified, and in their minds this was being kept from them so they created division among the people of God.It is the same even now where division is there is someone who wants something, what ever it might be, position, influence, recognition, adoration or power.
The people of God need to discern and recognize division when they see it.
This unity in Christ supersedes, nationality, race, gender, language, education,vocations, doctrines ,theologies , traditions or denominations, association, ministries or any other boundaries that maybe a hindrance to Christians coming together .
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians:3:28
This unity in Christ supersedes, nationality, race, gender, language, education,vocations, doctrines ,theologies , traditions or denominations, association, ministries or any other boundaries that maybe a hindrance to Christians coming together .
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians:3:28
If we come together in Jesus and find our unity in Him above all things we will see the blessing of God fall upon the church , all to His glory and His alone.Our unity is in Jesus alone.
Rev.Todd Crouch, Pastor
The Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
Washington, Pennsylvania.
The Fountain of Life Broadcast heard on the RKP
Radio Network 1710 & 1670 AM in Washington and North Franklin, Pa. and on 1710 AM in Bentleyville ,
Pennsylvania. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com
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