Is God’s blessing seen in financial affluence? In marriage? In having children? A good job? Think again.
This past year, one of the Scripture passages that God really opened up to me was Psalm 133. Read it here—it gives us insight into God’s view of blessing.
when God’s people live together in unity!
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
down on the collar of his robe.It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the Lord bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore. (NIV)
Just how good is it when God’s people experience unity in their relationships with one another?
For the people of Israel, those hearing this psalm, King David used two metaphors that were clear evidence of the blessing of God.
The first image was of the anointing of the High Priest of Israel. The oil pouring down the beard of Aaron and later high priests was evidence of God’s blessing on the people of Israel. The redemption of Israel was manifested through the sacrificial duties of the priest. Blessing!
The second image is of dew on Hermon. In that agrarian culture, everyone knew if there was dew on Hermon, it would soon be in the Jordan valley, ensuring another good crop. Blessing!
You see, God sees the unity of His people as clear evidence of His blessing. Where there’s discord, competition, and conflict between the community of God’s people, or in the Body of Christ, we end up (unwittingly) portraying to the world that God is not with us.
Let’s do our part to, as Paul says in Ephesians 4:2,3 (NIV): “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
And as we do, we’ll see God’s blessing through harmonious relationships . . . and so will a watching world.
How can you help facilitate harmony in your own Christian community? If God were to use a metaphor like the ones in Psalm 133 to reach our contemporary generation, what would it be?