Psalm 133:1

Psalm 133:1

The plea for unity

This Psalm is attributed to King David who was obviously overwhelmed by the coming together of his people and the harmony and concord that had taken over the kingdom. There are numerous events that may have inspired this outburst, perhaps it was the moment when he was enthroned as King or after some political crisis when all the elders and leaders reached an agreement to serve God together. There are just 3 verses, but they are powerful and poignant and often repeated in churches even if the meaning is not quite understood!

 

V1        The interesting thing about this verse is the choice of words! “Pleasant” means exactly what is says, it’s a nice thing when there is unity amongst God’s people for harmony is the road to blessing and fulfilment, it is both sweet and rewarding and should never be underestimated. Before David assumed the throne of Israel many of the tribes pursued their own interests and some really didn’t get on. King Saul, David’s predecessor, had been popular enough but he had never managed to bring all the people together, divisions and conflicts remained. It seems that the kingdom had now united and there was peace and harmony across the land.

The primary prayer of Jesus Christ for His church was that we should be one and that we should love one another. (See John 17:21.) In fact, He told the disciples to love one another as He had loved them, that their love for one another would be the single defining reason why people would know that they were His followers. (John 13:34-35). Loving one another is not an optional extra for believers, we are commanded to enjoy a common bond and to share a common goal to proclaim our faith to the world. The truth is, despite what some may say or think, we are already ONE in Christ, we belong to Him, our allegiances are not to men or women who rule over us, but to the Lord. It is not wrong for us to disagree over nonbiblical matters, but we should be able to do so without threatening the body of the church and causing dissensions and rifts. If you are in conflict with a brother or sister in the body, get it sorted!

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