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People unite under all kinds of things. Some unite under human leaders. Others unite under a
cause. The common theme in any form of unity is that there must be a centre or focal point for
people to unite under.
It seems that in the Bible, there are two forms of unity portrayed.
The first is an ungodly one, and is depicted by the unity that arose under Nimrod’s leadership,
and which eventually brought harm to everyone involved:1
Genesis 11:1‐9 (NLT): At one time all the people of the world spoke the same language
and used the same words. 2As the people migrated to the east, they found a plain in the
land of Babylonia and settled there. 3They began saying to each other, “Let’s make
bricks and harden them with fire.” (In this region bricks were used instead of stone, and
tar was used for mortar.) 4Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves
with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being
scattered all over the world.” 5But the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower
the people were building. 6“Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak
the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them!
7
Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t
be able to understand each other.” 8In that way, the Lord scattered them all over the
world, and they stopped building the city. 9That is why the city was called Babel,
because that is where the Lord confused the people with different languages. In this
way he scattered them all over the world.
In contrast, Psalm 133 depicts the second form of unity – a godly kind – and one that is “good”
and “pleasant” (Psalm 133:1):
1 How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!
2 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.
3 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 contains two illustrations and they both point to the two components that are
essential for godly unity.
The first component is the Holy Spirit.
1
Genesis 11:8 [NLT] says that ‘the LORD scattered them all over the world’, and this dispersion can be interpreted
as punishment, as Psalm 92:9 says ‘For surely your enemies, LORD, surely your enemies will perish; all evildoers will
be scattered.’ [emphasis mine]
In Psalm 133, the Holy Spirit is compared to as “precious anointing oil”:
It is like the precious anointing oil running down from Aaron's head and beard, down to
the collar of his robes. (Psalm 133:2: GNT)
Oil is a widely understood emblem of the Holy Spirit:
Luke 4:18a (NIV): The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to
proclaim good news to the poor.
Acts 10:38 (NIV): How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power,
and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the
devil, because God was with him.
In Matthew 25 (Parable of the 10 virgins), the oil (that the foolish virgins lacked at the
time of the Bridegroom’s coming) is likely to represent the indwelling presence of the
Holy Spirit.
In Psalm 133, the Holy Spirit is also compared to as “the dew of Hermon”:
Psalm 133:3 (NIV): It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there
the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.
Dew is another emblem of the Holy Spirit:
Isaiah 18:4 (NIV): This is what the Lord says to me: “I will remain quiet and will look on
from my dwelling place, like shimmering heat in the sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the
heat of harvest.”
Hosea 14:5 (NIV): I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar
of Lebanon he will send down his roots.
According to a biblical commentary written by Canon Morse:
The Holy Ghost came down on the day of Pentecost. He comes down now also, though
not in any extraordinary manner, or with any remarkable manifestation. Quietly, calmly,
but mightily, now as then He comes, the Lord, the Giver of Life, to quicken the dead soul
and to revive the drooping. The manner of His ordinary coming is likened to the falling
of the dew, and the various effects of His coming are likened to the luxuriance of the
most beautiful plants of an Eastern climate.
In our next lesson, we shall learn about the second component that is essential for godly unity.
Written by: Roy Chan
Version dated: 5 November 2018
FREE for circulation and distribution; this essay was written as a public service.