MAY THE DEW OF HERMON FALL

By Akin Ojumu

Psalm 133 is exceptionally brief. It’s considered one of the shortest chapters in the Bible. Only Psalm 117, Psalm 134, and Psalm 131 are shorter.

Psalm 133

“Behold, how good and pleasant it is

when brothers dwell in unity!

It is like the precious oil on the head,

running down on the beard,

on the beard of Aaron,

running down on the collar of his robes!

It is like the dew of Hermon,

which falls on the mountains of Zion!

For there the Lord has commanded the blessing,

life forevermore.”

The message of Psalm 133 is pivotal to the followers of Christ. It is a celebration of brotherly love and unity. This “Song of ascent,” is a short composition sung as families made their way up the steep incline to Jerusalem for one of the numerous mandatory feasts and festivals.

In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus echoed this cry for brotherly love and unity repeatedly throughout His ministry on earth. Loving one another and being united are evidences to the world that His disciples are truly His.

John 12:34-35

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

In the eyes of the Almighty God, living together in harmony is a sweet fragrance and a beautiful thing. It’s like the aroma of an expensive perfume. Likewise, God compares unity among brethren to the dew of Hermon, the glistening morning dew that settles on that great mountain peak of Mt Zion.

By comparing brotherly love and unity to the priestly anointing oil that ran down Aaron’s beard and robe, the Psalmist connects the concept of brotherly love and unity to the priesthood of the Believers spoken of by Apostle Peter. The anointing oil represents the endowment of the Holy Spirit on Christ Believers that enables them to live in fullness before Him.

1 Peter 2:9-10

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

Peter reminds the Christians to whom he writes that they have been redeemed and made alive in Christ and are now called to be God’s people. He goes on to urge them to reflect the reality of their new standing in Christ by conducting themselves in an honorable manner giving glory to God.

1 Peter 2:11-12

“Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

The Psalmist also likens brotherly love and unity to the dew of Hermon. Mount Hermon is located at the northeastern boundary of Israel. Along with melting snow and the abundant rainfall on Mount Hermon, large springs at the base of the mountain form the main headwaters of the Jordan River. The water from the dew of Hermon is the main source of life and sustenance for the people of Israel.

Dew, unlike other water sources, is not brought about by human efforts but by divine providence. In Psalm 133, the Psalmist is saying that it is God who, out of the riches of His goodness and kindness, causes the rain of blessings to fall upon whomsoever He wishes.

Taken together, what this means is that unity is a source of life and sustenance. It cannot be achieved by human effort or smartness. Unity is a blessing that God bestows upon imperfect people. It is God who enables otherwise fallible people to be united. Whatever unity we have is given to us by the Spirit of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12-13

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – Jews or Greeks, slaves or free – and all were made to drink of one Spirit.”

That being said, as fallible and imperfect people, there’s bound to be disagreements. Until such a time as the perfection of the faith that will come at our glorification, we are never going to have complete agreement on all things at all times. We are individual people; each person has their own preferences and eccentricities. There will always be disagreements.

Nonetheless, God has called us to a higher calling. We’ve been invited to a way of life where we can agree to disagree, when the issues are not essential. This higher calling demands that we disagree without being disagreeable. And the disagreements should never lead to bitterness and sin.

Rupertus Meldenius, the German Lutheran theologian of the early seventeenth century, says this best in his famous quote:

“In Essentials Unity, In Non-Essentials Liberty, In All Things Charity.”

Unity and love for one another, within the church, is both a divine command and a profound blessing. It’s God’s desire that those that serve Him be one. The Lord Jesus commanded His followers to love one another. You must understand that you cannot claim to love God and yet not keep His commandments.

John 14:15

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

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The idea for this commentary was borrowed from BibleRef.