How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe. Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion. And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting.

Psalm 133

Dear God, I ran across this Psalm this morning, and it was so nice and short I thought I would just spend some time with it. Maybe I’ll even try to evaluate it as my wife would a poem.

First, I try to imagine what David was experiencing when he wrote it. Thankfully, the text gives us a hint. Before the Psalm starts it says, “A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David.” So it’s not a song ABOUT pilgrims. It’s FOR them. David loved them. He loved his fellow Israelites, and he felt a kindred brotherhood with them. He appreciated their unity. He gave them a song to sing to help encourage their camaraderie and bind their spirits together. Since it was a pilgrimage (perhaps to celebrate the Passover), perhaps it was about worshipping you and remembering what you have done for all of them. Regardless, it was the unity of spirit that touched him and he wanted to say something about it.

Harmony is repeated a couple of times. It is precious. It is refreshing. Precious as the anointing oil poured over Aaron. Harmony often has to fight out sinful nature. We have our own brilliant thoughts and when people don’t agree with us we lose that harmony. But when we can find a common cause around which to rally, it can be “wonderful” and “pleasant.” David is making sure they don’t overlook how precious this experience is because it doesn’t happen all of the time.

“Refreshing as dew.” I wonder how much dew Israel gets. It’s so dry there, does it often get humid enough / cold enough to leave dew in the mountains? Is it unique? I always think of dew as kind of messy. It messes up my shoes when I walk through wet grass. It keeps me from mowing on a cool morning. But David calls it refreshing. And he calls this unity refreshing. When is the last time I experienced unity with a group of people? Whenever I do, refreshing is a good description of how it feels. Energizing would be another word.

And over all of this, in the midst of this unity, you pronounce your blessing. You love it when we come together. You anoint it. You encourage it. You redeem us in it and remind us that the world is not about us.

Father, this psalm should probably be read at the beginning of every Christian retreat, every church service, and every holiday gathering for family. It reminds us of how tying our hearts and purposes together with others and joking together for a common goal can a beautiful experience through which you can bless us with your peace and joy.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen