1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
Unity in the body of the church is a tremendous duty and blessing, because our God insists upon it.
There is something both delightful and refreshing about unity among brothers. When senseless divisions are removed and long-standing conflicts are resolved, unity breaks through and love wins. For example, most people delight in beautiful ambiance, romantic music, fine wine, and a sumptuous meal. These are considered the finer things of life. But God defines the finest of all delights—the unity of the church.
Verse 1
What are the best delights for God and man? What are the highest achievements a human can have on this earth? Only the right values can tell us the right answers to these questions, and only God Himself can establish these values. Man impresses himself with his towers, his military might, his wars won, and his technological developments. Henry Ford and Albert Einstein are heroes to many because they developed technology and military weaponry.
But what does God’s Word define as the highest values of all? What is Jesus Christ’s perspective on this? What was His primary prayer petition while He was here on earth? “I in them, and Thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one” (John 17:23). He repeats this petition three times in His wonderful prayer spoken at the end of His earthly ministry. Jesus loves oneness in His body. He desires it. He preaches it, prays for it, and nurtures it.
In a world where the Arabs and Jews have been arch-enemies for 4,000 years, and wars continue without respite everywhere, we all understand the magnitude of the challenges. Wars, disunity, and fracturing characterize this world. But it must not be so with Christ and His church. Within the organized church, disunity does appear from time to time, but there is a purpose for it. “There must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized” (1 Cor. 11:19). Where there are schisms, it is to prove that which is authentic. That which remains orthodox and faith-filled through the storms of apostasy proves itself tried and true. Major denominations break from the historical and biblical church perspective on the Trinity, or on homosexuality, and they prove themselves to be schismatic. Sometimes orthodox, biblical churches find schisms within their ranks because of pride and undue focus on questionable doctrines and “strifes of words” (1 Tim. 1:4, 6:4).
Truly, sustained unity among men is a supernatural thing. It is a refreshing, beautiful reality in the Church of Jesus Christ. If there is restored relationship and peace between a holy God and the believer, there had better be some reflection of that between believers. If church-going professing Christians have lost the unity between themselves entirely and all is unreconciled, then they must still need to be reconciled with God. If they have no love of the brethren, the love of God must not reside in them (1 John 4:20). Thus, the miracle of Christ’s reconciling work must be witnessed first and foremost within the body of the church. Nothing on earth is of higher value than the love between brethren. David and Jonathan seem to have experienced it a bit (1 Sam. 18). Within the Church established by Jesus Christ, friendship and unity should be normative, a tremendous testimony to the world around us.
Verses 2-3
Two analogies are used in these verses to help us understand the beauty of true biblical unity. It is like precious ointment poured on Aaron’s head at his installation as High Priest in Israel (Exod. 29:7, 30:23, Lev. 18:12). Like fragrant oil that creates an extremely pleasant and peaceful atmosphere, unity between brothers and sisters in the church makes the church a comfortable and attractive place to be. Disunity in the church, especially among the leadership, results in extreme discomfort, loss, pain, spiritual decay, and sometimes the collapse of entire churches.
The second analogy describes unity between brothers as something like the spring of life. Without the dew from the heavens watering the earth, no vegetation will ever grow (Deut. 33:28). That’s what distinguishes the green covered hills of Zion from the desert. Typically, water runoff from the highest mountains (such as Mount Hermon at 9,230 ft.), served as a major source of irrigation for the fields and hills below. Without unity in the body, we will have dried up fields, withered fruit, and a languishing kingdom work. May God give us this blessing of unity in rich abundance, here and now! When the early church gathered with one accord, with a unified faith in the risen Christ, the Spirit of God came upon them and filled the place with His power (Acts 2:1ff). Unity is the precursor to powerful work in the church of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Not only does our Lord Jesus Christ desire the blessing of unity, He commands it. It is more than a directive. It is a certain reality, because He will ordain that unity. One way or another, He will bring it to pass in Zion. You can count on it. Of course, He may bring it about through persecution, trials, and by pruning the vine. Our local churches may face obstacles along the way, such as false brothers, divisive factions, and heretical schisms. But, mark these words well. Our Lord commands the blessing and He will have it.
Let us appreciate unity and seek unity in the church body. We ought to strive to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3). This may come about by humbling ourselves, confessing our sins, and sacrificing our own pride and comforts in the process. We may need to go the extra mile to open up communication channels and resolve conflicts with our brothers and sisters. Unity 101 happens within the Christian family. Whenever there are offenses, we should be quick to confess our own sins, and even quicker to forgive one another.
Corporate worship is based upon love for one another, and a unified confession. We have the greatest basis for unity on earth, because we know that we are undeserving, wretched sinners who have all been wonderfully saved by the same Savior.
We ought to have a special appreciation for the gifts that the Spirit of God pours out upon Aaron, and any other person who ministers in the church. To despise prophesying or any other gift in the church is to despise the Spirit who is the Giver of these gifts (1 Thess. 5:20). When we are despising the preaching, the prayers, or any other contribution to the church, we quench the Spirit of God. Why should He pour out any more gifts upon a congregation that despises the gifts He has already given? The oil pouring off of Aaron’s head represents the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:1-3). This unity is complemented by a multiplicity of gifts that comes from the outpouring of the Spirit of God upon the church.
1. What does Jesus pray for in His pastoral prayer in John 17?
2. What does the picture of oil running down Aaron’s beard signify?
3. Where in the Old Testament do we find brothers in unity with one another? Provide at least one example.
4. What does the picture of the dew from Hermon signify?
5. How does Christ bring about unity in His churches?
1. What are the things that create disunity in the church? Have we witnessed any of these things?
2. Do we appreciate the gifts that God has given our church? Who has been sharing gifts lately in our church, and how can we appreciate them?