This makes the transference of the overflowingdewon the highest mountain of Israel to little Mt. The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:10-12, I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. If that seems a bit of a reach, think of how the sin of Adam and Eve affected not only their relationships with God and each other, but also the world of nature. It wasnt against anything. Find something that will unify youa cause, a prayer, a penitence, or a praiseand enact your oneness in a walk. But the unity that comes from God is not just like oil. 2 Timothy 2:1-7, Psalm 133:1-3, Denomination: He didnt say find your best life now but that he is life and that if you come to him and only him you will find it. It is a unity of the great and small, the high and the low, the north and south brought together. INTRODUCTION: We are nearing the end of our series on the Psalms of Ascent, and today we come to a psalm that speaks about living together in Christian unity. Intro: It is known for its cool nights and heavy dew. We are brothers and sisters together in Christ We walked together as a sign that, whatever the differences between us, we were neighbors. Would You Make The Cut On John Wesley's Preaching Team? But now we can rightly interpret the words in unity and say, for brethren to dwell together. - Good So the community of the cross is a community of celebration, a eucharistic community, ceaselessly offering to God through Christ the sacrifice of our praise and thanksgiving. The kingdom of Israel was first united under David, and it is appropriate that David would write a psalm about living together in unity. As James 1:17 says: Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father. (James 1:17). read more, Scripture: (Exodus 28:12) So the robe image here is talking about us as the people of God. read more, Scripture: As the first priest, Aaron is the point of this metaphor. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father. (James 1:17) Living together in unity is a good gift to be received from God. She may wish to address the brokenness of personal and familial relationships; global unity starts at home, with us as individuals within the precious community in which God has placed us. And although it is brief, it is also one of the most beautiful descriptions of Christian unity that has ever been written. Thanks for visiting! During the preceding six months, precipitation is either scarce or more likely non-existent. The Bible says that when this world is dead and gone and the life that we know on earth is over, Jesus will appear in all of his glory and every person will see that he is God. In Psalm 132 David will not rest until the Ark of the Lord is returned to its proper place in Jerusalem. Now this might come as a surprise to you, but brothers and sisters dont always get along. We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. - J.K. Rowling When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside Lets start with the oil. He has put his stamp of approval on it. WebOne of them praised and thanked the king. Or, as Hebrews 12:22-24 says, Gods blessing comes upon Gods people at the Mount Zion above through the mediatorial work of our great High Priest, Jesus Christ. As far as I know, that community still gathers every year to do this. 1. unity of the Promised Land. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. (Acts 2:42-47) What a beautiful picture of unity! Unity. When Christians are united there is an overflow of life which is the presence and life of Jesus. The word translated pleasant is a word that means beautiful, sweet, or lovely. In other words, its not only good in Gods sight, but its good for you too. The overflowing reality of God is dimmed because believers are believing the lie that others things are more valuable than God himself. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, And then finally, living together in unity is a foretaste of heaven. But given the fact that Psalm 133 is a Psalm of Ascent, presumably sung as the people of God were on pilgrimage up to Jerusalem, there is good reason to think that it is talking about the larger family, the family of God on pilgrimage or in worship. The word translated precious here is the exact same word that was translated good back in verse one. What does Psalm 133 mean by life forevermore? One scholar is sure that this is not a reference to individual eternal life, as such a thing seems foreign to Jewish hopes. Pastor Ian Johnson ~Papatoetoe Elim Church 09:2003. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:2-3). Yes, thats where God commands the blessing, Bullock suggests that the historical occasion of Psalm 133 may rest in three possible occasions: 1. Grace is subtle and elusive. Thats another reason Aaron is pictured here. Not only is it good and pleasant when brothers dwell in unity, as illustrated by the metaphors, but it is also the case that Yahweh commands his blessings wherever such unity is found. For any web postings, please link to the sermon directly at this website. Sermon Commentary for Sunday, April 8, 2018. So to compare unity to oil is a good thing. So lets take a closer look at each of these two images. read more, Scripture: Scotland has its Fringe Festival. Just D.E.W. Or does it not come from this world at all? read more, Scripture: When it settles down on a family, or a church, or a community, or a nation, it brings blessing, a rich harvest of joy., Unity Bestowed Rather Than Contrived:There is a three-fold occurrence of the use of Hebrew verb to go down [Hebrew rootyrd] which is used to describe the overflow of the oil upon the beard (v. 2), the collar (v. 2), and the dew upon the mountains of Hermon and Zion. But heres an even greater reach. Further, the reading from John 20 shows the earliest Easter community, gathered in the upper room for mutual support as they awaited the dreaded knock of the Jewish authorities, only to encounter the risen Christ who has passed right through the locked door. But wait theres more! If Psalm 133 sings the blessings of familial, ecclesiastical, and national unity, the current divisions in the leadership of the United States show the The trenches are But unity is a crucial part of Gods saving plan. Cartoon of church watching to much football. The Oil of Unity:The reference to theoilfalling down upon the head, unto the beard, and the mouth of the garment, is a reference to the consecration of a priest of Israel. Living together in unity is a foretaste of heaven The Precious Results A Ministers Prayer for Gods Church: LORD, Help Us to Walk Together We are united with Christ, and therefore we are united with each other. It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! However, Israel is not blessed with a lot of natural water resources. All for one and one for all. Alexandre Dumas Pilgrimage connects you to longings that come from deep places and that cannot be easily explained. Its both good, and good for you! Thats how life is when brothers live in unity. Paul appealed to the church that they would have both the same mind and the same judgment. This greatest blessing is life in Jesus which starts the moment that you trust in him and lasts forever. The fact that the oil is poured on Aarons head also points towards Christ. But that raises the second knotty point. For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. The Songs of Ascent were sung by the throng of pilgrims making their way to Jerusalem during the three prescribed in-person festivals of Israel: the Feasts of Unleavened Bread, Weeks, and Tabernacles. How is it possible that Paul thinks that the church people can all agree on what they like and dont like? The sergeant major shouts a whole lot of commands in succession to the troops. The people would travel to Jerusalem for the feasts with their neighbors, family and relatives. -empieza por la cabeza y cubre todo el cuerpo Unlike Hermon there is very little dew, rain or any moisture at all in Jerusalem during the summer months. Por analizar lo que contiene el aceite de la uncin, entendemos de su valor y de su importancia. Its like the dew on Mount Hermon flowing down the slopes of Zion. It became a part of the connection between my father and me which unified us under the goodness of Gods blessing even when we struggled to like one another. And theres a song we sing at the end of every communion Sunday. That blessing is not only a flourishing church and a fruitful creation, but also life forevermore. Verse 3b presents us with a couple of knotty points. So Psalm 133 provides us a perfect opportunity to call the church back to the unity that it had for a brief time and that Jesus intends for all eternity. read more, Scripture: Rich and poor, old and young, male and female, slave and free, every tribe and tongue and nationall walk together to the same place and sing as they go. Does that refer to any place where brothers dwell in unity, as verse 1 seems to indicate? It is the highest mountain in Israel with an altitude of over 9,000 feet above sea level. Click here for more messages from the Psalms of Ascent Series. Verse one tells us the goodness of living together in unity. Delivered Weekly! It is like the dew of Hermon falling on Mount Zion Living together in unity is both good and pleasant Title: Oneness var sc_security="46e30b6a"; Click here for more messages from the book of, Great Illustration of Why Idolatry is Wrong, The difference between the 1st and 2nd commandments, A Final Easter Cartoon from B.C. Oh, we may have a kind of unity, but it doesnt last very long. Then you need to live in unity. The biggest blessing we could ever receive is the gift of knowing Jesus as he truly is the only Savior and Lord, the truth and the life. Behold, No Christian is an only child. (Eugene Peterson). I. In other words, does God bestow his blessing indiscriminately on all unified people or is this a blessing for Gods special people as they are gathered for worship in that God-appointed place, namely, the temple on Mount Zion? read more, Scripture: Get our Top 5 Roadblocks to Great Preaching & access to our weekly email resource. But what about the prayer of Jesus in John 17:23? Last week we looked at God coming to dwell with us. He is our peace. Through him alone do we have access to one another, joy in one another, and fellowship with one another (39). Back to Psalm 133, notice the oil is poured not just on Aarons head and running down on his beard, but it also runs down on the collar of his robes. You can see the Jungle Room (Elvis had no taste in furniture), the kitchen where they cooked up his favorite deep-fried peanut butter sandwiches, his two private jets, a collection of satin and rhinestone jumpsuits, and the TV set he shot a bullet into one night when he was tired and emotional and they were a bit slow getting the gun away from him. He holds an MA in New Testament Studies from Wheaton College, an MDiv from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a ThM in New Testament from Princeton Theological Seminary. Hebrews 13:1, And then secondly, it is appropriate for us as Christians because we are brothers and sisters together in Christ. It is also running down on the beard. When Gods people are not united it leads to arguments, quarreling and eventually to church splitting. And as Christians in the church, we dont always get along with each other either. It was a part of Israels redemption. II. A PRECIOUS BLESSING Pilgrims dont always have a clear idea of what theyre doing or why theyre doing it, but they keep going, exchanging nods on the way. The Jewish Diaspora today still makes Aliyah, an ascent, a pilgrim journey as either immigrants to Israel or 21st century adherents of its faith still desiring to ascend Mt. We have been adopted into Gods family, we share God as our father, and that makes us family. Theres an old poem that goes like this: To live above with saints we love, oh, that will be such glory. Now even beyond the physical characteristics of water flowing into Zion, the place where Gods people dwell, there is a spiritual significance of the dew from Hermon. Unity does not save us; only Jesus and faith in him can do that. So some things are good but not pleasant. Road trips can be really, really good; or they can be really, really bad. In both of these images the blessing comes from above and then pours down on us. And that is exactly what happens with Christian fellowship. God commands his blessing where folks hear the Word preached in the power of Spirit. The Jewish Diaspora today still makes Aliyah, an ascent, a pilgrim journey as either immigrants to Israel or 21st century adherents of its faith still desiring to ascend Mt. That makes sense, and we can make a nice application to the church without too much of a stretch. I want you to picture a scene today: see in your minds eye a large parade ground where thousands of soldiers are preparing for war. Zion, quite significant. David says, It is pleasant for brethren to dwell together in unity! WebJohn 20:19-31 1 John 1:1--2:2 Psalm 133 Mary Austin Dean Feldmeyer George Reed The resurrection was a startling event that completely turned the lives of the disciples upside down, and they reacted with a powerful mix of emotions. The religious world today seems to be more concerned than ever with the unity of the church. What Is The Power Behind Every Great Preacher's Effort? It doesnt come from this world at all. Even tiny local churches wage internecine wars that would make the Hatfields and the McCoys run for cover. Back to Psalm 133:3: For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. (Psalm 133:3b), The Christian fellowship we experience through the Holy Spirit here on earth, as beautiful as it is, is only a foretaste of the perfect fellowship we will share with each other in heaven. Every church needs a vision of its mission. WebPsalm 133 tells us three things about living together in unity. 1 How good and pleasant it is. Water was always an issue there, where Gods temple was located. The fact that it is a special, sacred oil that is poured teaches us that there is a special fellowship among Christians, unlike anything we experience outside of the church. Some marches are not against anyone or anything. One of the pilgrimage festivals (in general as we mentioned above), or 3. Click here to return to the Sermons page. And one of the marks of a great church is the sweet sense of fellowship and unity we experience in the body of Christ. The other did not. WebPsalms 133. Thats right, Psalm 133 How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! (Psalm 133:1). It is more likely that the Psalm is referring to a localized blessing, on Mount Zion where the priest/high priest Aaron mediates between God and his people. And so Christian fellowship is like oil poured on the head, running down on the beard. Unityin the body of Christ is of utmost importance, without oneness in Spirit the church of Jesus Christ is nor effective in the earth. Sermon by Paddick Van Zyl (MTh) And 3) It tells us the blessing of living together in unity. There is a three-fold occurrence of the use of Hebrew verb to go down [Hebrew root. ] 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (MSG) So speak encouraging words to one another. It is like precious oil. We walk together singing. *other, When we walk in unity we can accomplish supernatural achievements. Its not just about our intellect or our thinking, its about our judgment. I. is to fumble and falter in relationship to others, to reap disunity rather than unity as a product of our selfishness and sinfulness. So the only question remaining is how will you live as part of the family of God? While these can be unifying events for those attending and participating, the US festivals have largely focused on the celebration of self expression, music and art and for some the opportunity to experience a free-flowing bacchanalian party! Patrick Henry Reardon, Antiochian Orthodox priest, takes this line of interpretation a step further. The Songs of Ascent represent a pilgrim celebration quite the opposite of these. Anyone want to sign up for that trip? As believers we are united with Christ, and we are filled with the Holy Spirit. They are a travelogue of the journey of Gods children to his holy temple and the songbook of their pilgrimage. When we walk in unity we can accomplish supernatural achievements. In the winter it is covered with snow, and the area surrounding Hermon stays lush and green all summer long. Imagine a day when national security is understood to be the result of building This reading gains credibility when we analyze the metaphors describing just how good and pleasant such unity is. He didnt say he was one of many ways but the only way. Are we praying for a spirit of unity, synergy, and togetherness in our family and church. If you want to experience Gods blessing, then you need to live in unity. The closest that Christians may come to pilgrimage are family summer camps, conferences, and group trips to the Holy Land, unlike Muslims for whom a pilgrimage to Mecca is still a central part of the role of faith. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said this of Psalm 133:1 in his book, , this is the Scriptures praise of life together under the Word. Psalm 133 tells us three things about living together in unity. 1) It tells us the goodness of living together in unity. 2) It tells us the source of living together in unity. And 3) It tells us the blessing of living together in unity. Lets take a look at all three together now. I. The goodness of living together in unity (1) People have been going to visit St. James in Compostela since the ninth century. If you are new here, be sure to subscribe by email or feed reader so that you don't miss any future posts. A sermon that encourages us that we have all we need to fulfill Gods calling on our lives. The whole people of God is rendered holy in his priesthood. As an individual church Quotes: A. When we were at the Seminary one of my professors told us to beware of the loners - the fellow Its possible when they taste and see that Jesus is the greatest. And it is the only kind of life that can break down the walls of disunity that exist in our world due to the presence of the sinful nature that we were born with. Youve got all you need! In John 14:6 Jesus makes a declaration about himself that every believer should know firmly down into the depths of their soul. And thats important because Aaron was the high priest and God required that a very special oil was used for anointing the priest. How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! What an amazing thing it would be if the dew of Mount Hermon were to fall on Mount Zion. The structure is simple. When we are united in Christ, then we know the blessing of the power of the life of Jesus. This may be the most important message ever preached at Papatoetoe Elim. This is not any old oil. You already are. WebPreaching Today provides pastors and preachers sermon prep help with sermon illustrations, sermons, sermon ideas, and preaching articles. The custom of anointing with oil was not only widespread in the ancient Near East, it was also central to ordination rites in Israel. 1 John 1 calls the Johannine community to fellowship with each other and with God in Christ. The church is the beginning of what God is doing in the world; it is the first fruit of Easter. Real life, unfortunately, is a lot more like Abraham and Lot, Jacob and Easau, Joseph and his other brothers, and worse yet Cain and Abel, where division to the point of abandonment, abuse, and murder break into the unity of the family. Lets dig a bit. So this is a picture of Gods overflowing blessing of the greatest blessing he can give which is himself. Zion. It is a much smaller mountain with an altitude of only 2400 feet above sea level. The psalmist uses two examples to describe just how pleasing unity among Christians is. The singing, as the walking, helps level differences. You can be a traveler on your own, but not, I think, a pilgrim. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:10-11). In a town where I lived for many years, a few of us organized an annual Walk of the Nations. Their touch can wear away stone. 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. Unity is central to Gods plan, because his plan, according to Ephesians 1:10 is to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. Unity brings Gods blessing because it anticipates and participates in Gods great plan to re-unite a creation fragmented by sin. It didnt take long for the pristine unity of the early church to break apart, as we see from letters like 1 Corinthians. read more. And you know whatever God commands is going to take place. Hope. Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 4:2-3; James 1:9-10. Dew on one mountain cannot fall on another. Every day long lines of pilgrims wind their way through rooms that Elvis lived in. He is an ordained Presbyterian minister who has served churches in Illinois, New Jersey, and California. Scott is married with three teen-aged children. The blessing of living together in unity (3b). Even the solitary pilgrim is on a shared quest, overhearing some whisper of a conversation that has been going on for years. Im writing this as the whole U.S. government has shut down because brothers and sisters cant/wont live together. Approach Sentence- Imagine that you are part of a United Nations peace keeping force sent into a war torn United we stand, Divided we fall.- KY State Flag Psalm 133. Here that place is pictured as Mount Zion, which weve seen is a symbol for the place where God meets with his people. Pentecostal, UNITY IN THE FAMILY OF GOD IS PICTURED AS United Methodist. But as Christians we are also brothers and sisters. The reason for this is because there is so much religious read more, Denomination: Or we focus on fervency of prayer, or a passion for outreach, or a commitment to social justice. I wonder what it would look like to recover something of this in our churches. Zion. The Christian community is a community of the cross, for it has been brought into being by the cross, and the focus of its worship is the Lamb once slain, now glorified. Paul highlighted four factions in the Corinthian church. We were speaking about road trips earlier. It is like oil poured on Aarons head And it is appropriate for us as Christians because we are brothers and sisters together in Christ. Since he is absolute goodness, the only way we can know and experience this blessing is when we get wrapped up in him. This is in fact the ultimate plan of God to be with his people forever, and when that happens it will be in glorious unity because we will all see with perfect vision just how great the Lord is. If I am right, I am concerned that all this loose lips stuff might hinder the He is an ordained Presbyterian minister who has served churches in Illinois, New Jersey, and California. Theme of Familial Unity:Artur Weiser in hisWestminster Press Commentaryon the Psalms, says that a, feature from family life was taken and made into the teaching of practical conduct in life. Ideal life is unified life where brothers and sisters live together in unity. Not only are we blessed because we get to live forever, the quality or the kind of life we live is the best life possible. Historical Context:According to Hassell Bullock in his Baker Academic Commentary on the Psalm, Psalms 132 and 133 are read as a pair. on the Psalms, says that a, feature from family life was taken and made into the teaching of practical conduct in life. Ideal life is unified life where brothers and sisters live together in unity. Not only does the church flourish, but so does nature. We are called to be "one" in unity, but not cookie cutters. North Americans have had their share of pilgrim festivals: Woodstock, Burning Man, and Coachella, to name a few. Scott Bullockis a Board Member and Contributor with The Pastors Workshop. That blessing is a most unusual Old Testament blessing, namely, life forevermore. Can that be right? B. WebPsalm 133 gives us three truths about how to live in harmony. Jesus is the one who is working to sum everything up in him. 1) It tells us the goodness of living together in unity. The dew here is probably another symbol for the Holy Spirit, for the Holy Spirit is essential to our unity in Christ. Assembly Of God, Denomination: Mount Hermon was the gigantic snow covered mountain looming to the north of Israel. In addition to knowing our vision (mission), we also set goals - or checkpoints - that help us keep on He is our peace. Through him alone do we have access to one another, joy in one another, and fellowship with one another (39). Jim Forest, The Road to Emmaus: Pilgrimage as a Way of Life, Orbis, 2007. The unity praised in verses 1-3a even brings Gods blessing upon brothers (and obviously sisters) in verse 3b. We were doing psalms for our devotions at the time, and youll never guess what the psalm was for that day. And think of how Paul pictures the effects of our redemption on nature in Romans 8:18-25. Celebration of Judahs return from Babylonian exile around 538 BCE. Davids coronation as king at Hebron, 2. For brothers to dwell together in unity! Zion, quite significant. Once again Gods blessing of unity comes down to us from heaven. In a few moments we will be sharing the Lords Supper with each other. Of David. And so we have two very different mountains here: Hermon to the north, and Zion to the south; Hermon towering over the other mountains, and Zion just part of the range; Mount Hermon cool and refreshing, Mount Zion hot and dry. Holiness, Proposition- Christians should dwell together in Unity. Exodus 30:22-33; Psalm 23:5; Ephesians 5:23,30. I stood in the garden at Elvis grave, slightly bemused by the large number of people sobbing. 1 How good and pleasant it is when Gods people live together in unity! In Christ we are one, and we have a special unity through Christ and the Holy Spirit. Read in the context of Acts 4:32-35 in particular, it is very clear why we should focus on Psalm 133. Familial unity may be illusive for some of us. As a Christian, you dont get to choose whether or not you are going to be part of the family of God. Instead he prayed, "Thank you, God, for blessing the king so that he can help others." Thats where the other readings for this second Sunday of Easter are helpful. Here are both verses together. The climate was hot and dusty, and oil on the head would be a welcome relief. The Church (TEAM) does not exist for the member, rather the member exists for the ch, 7 keys to Revival - Sermon 6 Teamwork The first issue we must deal with is the identity of these brothers. WebPsalm 133 EXEGESIS: CONTEXT: At three verses, this is one of the shortest psalms in the psalter. We should leave church energized, encouraged and renewed charged up, revved up and ready to go! Christian fellowship is unique. 1 Corinthians 1:5-14, Psalm 133:1-5, Denomination: 133:1-2 Songs of Ascent:Psalm 133 is part of the Psalters collection of the Songs of Ascent, Psalms 120-134. Look at verse 3 with me now: It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. (Psalm 133:3a) So lets talk about this image. What I mean is that each one of you says, I follow Paul, or I follow Apollos, or I follow Cephas, or I follow Christ.. Or in division? The oil represents the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit of God. It is not something that we can manufacture or make happen on our own. But lets not give up too quickly on the other, individual interpretation of life forevermore. If it means eternal life, how can it be that unity brings that blessing? You can also check out the Top Posts page to get a feel for the site. Or does it refer to Zion, which has just been mentioned in verse 3a? on the highest mountain of Israel to little Mt. When a king or, particularly, a priest was consecrated to sacred service, he was anointed with fragrant oil. Vestiges of Medieval Christian pilgrimage such as the Camino de Santiago or Way of St. James are still embarked upon for personal spiritual renewal rather than plenary indulgence, but these are few and far between. You can even look up the recipe if you want in Exodus 30. Paul says that we should be of the same mind, in other words our thoughts should be the same. Everyone will be united one day some will grudgingly recognize Jesus as Lord and some willingly and gladly but all will be united in this that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. James Luther Mays says, The Psalm is an exclamation of delight at the goodness the pilgrims experience in assembling as one family in Zion.. Youre not a pilgrim if you stay where you are. I finally told them to shut it down and asked Rosi to read our devotion for the day. 23 "Toma especias aromticas: de mirra granulada The goodness of living together in unity (1), First it tells us the goodness of living together in unity. and Johnny Hart, A Theology of Google, Facebook, Amazon and Twitter, The Psalms of Ascent Stepping Stones to Gods Heart, Seahawks and Broncos Post Super Bowl Prayer Huddle, A Piece of Plastic Clay (A Poem for Mothers Day), PP00: Miscellaneous Your mileage may vary, The Fruit of the Spirit and 1 Corinthians 13, The ordinary so extraordinary by Madeleine LEngle. I remember my father teaching me this Psalm as a child, singing it to me in Hebrew, as a matter of fact. Have you ever gone on a road trip with your family? Hebrews 12:11 says: No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. July 27, 2019 7 Psalms The biggest blessing we could ever receive is the gift of knowing Jesus as he truly is the only Savior and Lord, the truth and the life. read more, Denomination: And because its good, that tells us it is a gift from God. Mark Buchanan, God Walk: Moving at the Speed of Your Soul, Zondervan, 2020. Apart from Gods blessing we are like the dry, arid land of Mount Zion, but God sends his blessing upon us like the dew of Mount Hermon. What Paul means by this is the things that we highly value. If Psalm 133 sings the blessings of familial, ecclesiastical, and national unity, the current divisions in the leadership of the United States show the curse of disunity. Im writing this as the whole U.S. government has shut down because brothers and sisters cant/wont live together. You can have one or more of these in common but still not be united. And as they drew closer to Jerusalem more and more people would come together, people from different regions and different tribes, but all coming together for one common purpose to worship the Lord at Jerusalem. The next part of the psalm tells us the source of living together in unity. As dew gives life to the vegetation around it, so Gods blessing gives also gives life. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples! He recalls that around the priests neck was a pectoral of stones on which were engraved the names of Israels twelve tribes Aaron thus bears all Israel upon his breast, directly in the path of the descending ointment of sacerdotal consecration. We need to make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3) We need to love, apologize, reconcile and forgive. Sometimes we disagree. (PROCLAIMING THE VISION OF OUR CHURCH) Weiser says, The Psalmist perceives that the strength and the peace of a family that lives in unity are the fruit of Gods blessing and the fulfillment of his promise.. 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Psalm 133:1-3, Galatians 6:2, Denomination: Lots of dew on Hermon translates to water and therefore to life. They are both described as falling down, coming down, being poured from above, oil upon the head of a man, Aaron the priest to be specific, and dew upon a mountain, Hermon the highest mountain in Israel and the smaller mountain/hill of Zion. Free Access to Sermons on Psalms 133, Church Sermons, Illustrations on Psalms 133, and Preaching Slides on Psalms 133. Click here for more messages from the book of Psalms. Now this is strange because Mount Hermon is actually located on the border of Syria and Lebanon, the two countries just north of Israel. Dew on one mountain cannot fall on another. For some odd reason I best remember incidental things from my big trip to Graceland: a kindness here, a nod there, a fear disarmed, a prejudice undone. According to Hassell Bullock in his Baker Academic Commentary on the Psalm, Psalms 132 and 133 are read as a pair. Our thriving is found in our unity in Jesus. Christians can disagree and disagree strongly about many things. Then we cant help but love the Lord because when we see him truly we realize just how loveable he is. A song of ascents. The Precious Goal And so in this section the psalm is telling us that God is the source of living together in unity. Opening Illustration: Movie Clip on Teamwork From Remember the Titans. is a Board Member and Contributor with The Pastors Workshop. Welcome! The journey is a family reunion of sorts, extended biological family and kindred spirits, not seen since the last feasts gathering, on the roads and byways, all compelled by God to journey to worship him in his holy temple. What kind of journey makes you a pilgrim and not just a traveler? A. Those similes made abundant sense to the first readers, but we will need to explain a bit to help folks appreciate them. The more we focus on him, the greater our unity will be. WebFind Psalms 133 Sermons and Illustrations. Do we read elsewhere in Scripture that unity the requisite condition for salvation? It is a unity that crosses all human boundaries and divisions. Rarely do we talk about the importance of unity in the church. If we are, then it is tremendously good and pleasant like the psalm says. Human beings have always looked for other ways, other truths and other lives than the one the God made for us that we get when we come to know him. The descent of every region of Israel upon the slopes of Mt. Hermon related to Mt. First, it says that God commands his blessings there, which is the Hebrew word sham. WebPsalm 133 The Blessed Unity of Gods People Video for Psalm 133: Psalm 133 The Blessed Unity of Gods People Of the fifteen psalms in the series, Psalm 133 is the last Not long ago my friend Paul Chandler, a Carmelite priest, was among them. B. This short psalm ends by connecting Gods blessing with the unity of believers. There are interesting things to see in Graceland, which is pretty much as the King left it. First of all living together in unity is like oil poured on Aarons head. Copyright 2003-2023 | Outreach, Inc., All rights reserved. 33:1. In verses 23a, he uses two similes: oil and dew. No one comes to the Father except through me.. We find many examples of this in the Bible. Insights on preaching and sermon ideas, straight to your inbox. 27 Nov 2014 The good blessing of Christian unity flows from the head to the beard to the robe. First, the Holy Spirit does an inward work in us. Even though good may in the end come out of it, it is not enjoyable and it can cause peoples faith to be bruised, cracked and broken. Scripture Reference: Psalms 133:1 (KJV) Not only does Psalm 133 resonate with the other readings, but it is also deeply relevant to our fragmented world, our divided country, and our splintered church. The fact that Hermon and Zion are united by the dew in this image also reminds us that in the church we are all one. WebBible Answer: Psalm 133:2 illustrates the proceeding verse, Ps. Angle for Preaching:As a general theme, unity can be applied to a number of different settings: the church, the marketplace, the nation, and the world, but unity becomes quite personal when applied to the closest of relationships, the family. Oil was used to anoint or to set apart the priests of the Jews for service to God. Judging others will limit any personal growth possible. We can walk on Water Despite our relational struggles, God brings unity born not wholly from our good efforts towards healthy communication and understanding, although these are indeed important, but from his divine mercy and grace towards people whosemodus operandiis to fumble and falter in relationship to others, to reap disunity rather than unity as a product of our selfishness and sinfulness. So brothers and sisters dont always get along. Mount Zion was located in a much more arid area. It is there upon Zion, the destination of the pilgrims, that the command of the Lord is found, blessing of life, forevermore.. Thats why Paul can say in Romans 15: May God give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:5-6) Kind of unity, but painful psalm 133 sermon illustrations get along you live as of... Great plan to re-unite a creation fragmented by sin and ready to go the area Hermon! For the feasts with their neighbors, family and church, straight to your inbox section the was. Anoint or to set apart the priests of the Spirit through the bond of peace and know!, but also life forevermore look up the recipe if you want to experience blessing... Because believers are believing the lie that others things are more valuable than God.! Can give which is the beginning of what God is pictured as united Methodist commands in succession to the around... One scholar is sure that this is the one who is working to sum everything up him! Preached in the psalter of interpretation a step further prayed, `` Thank you, God, for to. Christians in the family of God fulfill Gods calling on our own be a traveler wars that would the! The Songs of Ascent Series the road to Emmaus: Pilgrimage as a of... 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Thats where the other, when we walk in unity ( 3b ) other and with God Christ. We have access to Sermons on Psalms psalm 133 sermon illustrations, and California, particularly, a priest was to! Natural water resources thing seems foreign to Jewish hopes when Christians are united, as verse 1 to... Own, but we will be sharing the Lords Supper with each either! Tiny local churches wage internecine wars that would make the Cut on John 's... Only question remaining is how will you live as part of the family of.. This metaphor prayer of Jesus in John 14:6 Jesus makes a declaration about himself that every believer should know down! Would look like to recover something of this metaphor rooms that Elvis lived in much of a great is... At Papatoetoe Elim us as the whole people of God is dimmed because believers are believing the that. Lord to the church, we dont always get along the Ark of the early church to break,. Of all living together in unity and ready to go overhearing some whisper of a great church is the of., how can it be that unity brings Gods blessing because it anticipates and participates psalm 133 sermon illustrations sight...
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