WeldedSample

An old saying goes like this: “To live with saints we love, oh, that will be such glory. To live below with saints we know, well that’s a different story!” Siblings do not always get along, but in these three verses David talks about the great benefits of unity. He begins by saying it is “wonderful and pleasant”. Some things are wonderful but not pleasant, like discipline according to Hebrews 12:11. Other things are pleasant but maybe not wonderful, like too much sugar. Unity is both. 

David introduces us to the source of unity with a picture of a special oil that was used for only two purposes, which were to anoint the sacred objects of the temple, or to anoint the head of the high priest. According to Exodus 30, this oil was a special mix of olive oil, myrrh, cinnamon, cassia, and cane. The oil was rare, unique, and not common, just as in the same way unity, true unity, is rare and unique.  

The oil flows down from the crown of his head, over his beard, across his collar, and eventually to the border of his robe. The robe is significant because the robe of the High Priest contained the names of all twelve tribes of Israel. Oil is representative of the Holy Spirit. The beauty is that through the person of the Holy Spirit, regardless of what tribe we are from, what ethnicity, what age, what gender, or what denomination, we can be unified!

When we allow the oil of the Holy Spirit to flow unrestricted in our lives, David says it is like the dew of Mt. Hermon flowing to Mt. Zion. Mt. Hermon is in northern Israel and is Israel’s highest mountain at over 9000 feet. It receives sixty-three inches of rain and snow annually. Contrast that with Mt. Zion, elevation 2400 feet, located in southern Israel. This region is very arid and dry and receives only 21 inches of rain per year. Yet because of the flow of water from Mt. Hermon into southern Israel, this arid and dry region is full of fruit orchards and flower plantations as far as the eye can see. When we allow unity to flow through us to others, it produces life and attracts the blessing of God.