Title: Holy and Heavenly Unity
Text: Psalm 133: 1-3
Date: February 4, 2010
Place: SGBC, Princeton, NJ
Unity amongst brethren is the effectual work and gift of God. Believers are exhorted to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph 4: 3). Our desire for unity as well as our continuation in it is to the praise of God our Savior.
Last week we watched as the Ephesian elders, rather than bicker and fuss, embraced Paul in unity as he departed though they would see his face no more. We watched as the brethren at Caesarea, rather than divide, bowed to the will of the Lord as Paul would not be turned from going up to Jerusalem. The same grace that created their tears of love for Paul and concern for his welfare is the same grace that made the brethren submit to the will of God.
The unity they had of God was to them, both HOLY AND HEAVENLY UNITY.
Our reference was Psalm 133. I would like to bring tonight’s message from that text (Psalm 133: 1-3.)
Psalm 133: 1: <<A Song of degrees of David.>> Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
GOOD AND PLEASANT
We are reminded right away that unity is a most precious gift of God, because there is nothing about us “good or pleasant” by nature. By nature, every man and woman is born into Adam’s household, brethren by natural generation. Yet, Adam’s house is a house divided against it’s self. A house divided against it’s self shall not stand.
1) Sin separates. It separated Adam from God and all his children in him.
2) Sin justifies self at the expense of every one around. It caused Adam to blame God and his wife, Eve.
3) Sin defiles the conscious so that by nature, men hate God and those whom God accepts in Christ the Lamb.
Cain and Abel were brothers according to the flesh.
Cain was the firstborn. He came to God expecting God to respect him because of it. Abel confessed his total worthlessness, trusting God to accept him in the blood of the Lamb. When God had respect to Able and not Cain, Cain’s countenance fell.
The LORD told Cain that his acceptance of Abel removed none of Cain’s civil privileges as the firstborn. Yet, in his heart, Cain hated God and he hated Abel because Abel had peace with God. For this reason, Cain killed his own brother. Every child of Adam is like Cain by nature.
Illustration: He’s a good boy. Maybe by mom and dad’s standards but not by God’s. Romans 3: 12: There is none that doeth good, no not one.
THOSE BORN OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD DWELL TOGETHER IN UNITY.
Ephesians 4: 4: There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5: One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6: One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Together we are one body—the body of Christ, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. Born of one Spirit—filled with the fruits of Christ according to the measure he gives to each one. We each have one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism. We have one God who is the Father of each of us. He is above us all, He carries us through all, He is in each brother and sister—we are of God’s household.
It is good and pleasant before our God to worship together of one mind. As we each sing, we are as one mouth, singing the praises of our God and our Redeemer. We daily serve each other in love, bearing one another’s burdens, forgiving each other our offences, praying with and for one another. We encourage one another with sweet reminders of our Father’s faithfulness toward each of the children of his house. THE PSLAMIST DOES NOT MERELY SAY IT IS GOOD AND PLEASANT—BUT EXCLAIMS
Psalm 133: 1: Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
I. THIS UNITY IS HOLY
Psalm 133: 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; (Turn with me to Exodus 30.)
The LORD commanded that the ointment be made of the most valuable spices and oil.
Exodus 30:23: Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels, 24: And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin: 25: And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil. (hold we will come back)
Illustration: Can you imagine how fragrant and pleasant that ointment was upon Aaron? Unity of brethren is like that.
But there is something that makes this unity more precious. This oil is a type of the Holy Spirit poured out upon Christ our High Priest.
Psalm 45: 6: Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. [Heb 1: 8: tells us, the Father said this to the Son] 7: Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. 8: All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.
Hebrews 7: 26: For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
All the garments of Christ Jesus smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palace above— holy nature—holy thoughts, words and deeds; harmless—harmless as a dove, the Holy Harmless Spirit of our Redeemer; undefiled—tempted in all points like as we yet without sin; separate from sinners—for their sakes I sanctify myself that they might be sanctified through the truth. This spotless Lamb of God was made sin for those given him of the Father, making each one the righteousness of God in him. His one offering has eternal efficacy because "through the eternal Spirit [he] offered himself without spot to God." And our Redeemer is made higher than the heavens:
Hebrews 10: 12:…this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13: From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14: For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
What does all this have to do with brethren dwelling together in unity? Look here in our text and get the picture:
Psalm 133: 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;
The oil that was poured upon Aaron the High Priest flowed down upon his ears, his eyes, his hands, his feet—upon all his members. Even so Christ our great High Priest pours out this oil upon the members of his body individually.
Isaiah 61:1: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2: To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3: To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
Our disease was from head to toe
Isaiah 1: 6: From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.
But it pleased the Father:
Colossians 1:19:…that in him should all fulness dwell;
John 1:16: And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Look at the type in the tabernacle.
Exodus 30: 30: And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office. 31: And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations. 32: Upon man’s flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you. 33: Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.
Unity is as precious as this anointing of the Holy Spirit. It is by this anointing that Christ our High Priest entered into the tabernacle not made with hands making eternal satisfaction--atonement--to God on behalf of all those he represented. And it by this same anointed of the Holy Spirit that brings each of his redeemed into unity with God in Christ and with each other. He makes us holy unto our God.
1 Corinthians 6:17: But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit….12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
Get this: UNITY IS CREATED OF GOD WHEN WE ARE MADE TO WORSHIP CHRIST IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH.
Were we yet in the flesh as Cain, we would discern only according to the flesh. There would be no unity, only murder, division, strife. But through the righteousness of Christ Jesus, through the holy anointing of the Spirit, we are not in the flesh but in the Spirit. Wherefore we know no man after the flesh, old things are passed away behold all things are become new. We no longer live unto ourselves but unto Christ Jesus.
This precious ointment makes each brother and sister to esteem the other better than ourselves. It creates submission for Christ’s glory over our own glory. It keeps us forgiving one another’s offenses, bearing one another’s burdens, dwelling, abiding, together in unity. This is the fragrance of delight before God our Father.
Psalm 133: 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;
II. THIS UNITY IS HEAVENLY
Psalm 133: 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.
We will be brief here. This unity is from above like the dew. We have just seen that this holy unction flows down from above, from God our Father and our resurrected Redeemer like the dew. But a few comments here that will bless your heart.
The dew that descended upon mount Hermon
· Came from God above.
· It saturated the mountain top.
· It brought forth much fruit.
· This moisture flowed down to the valleys
So it is with Mt. Zion, the church of the living God.
Hebrews 12: 22:…ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,…23: To the general assembly and church of the firstborn,
Those who reside in the mountains depend entirely upon the dew to descend from heaven above. So it is with us who dwell in mount Zion, the church of God.
Deuteronomy 11: 10 For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs: 11: But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven: 12: A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.
Get hold of this, brethren: The Lord has commanded the continual blessing of the Spirit to his saints in his holy mountain, even life for evermore. God is love. Christ is the Life. Where the Spirit of God abides, love abides, even life for evermore. Someone said: [The Father] is so pleased to see his dear children happy in one another that he fails not to make them happy in himself. As this dew of the Spirit flows down from our Father, through his Son to us, even as it flowed down from the mountains of Hermon into the valleys below, so it flows through us into our brethren as they travel the deep valleys of trial in this world.
Colossians 3:16: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 Corinthians 13:11: Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
For in his Mountain the Lord has commanded the blessing, even life for evermore!
AMEN!