Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Coming down upon the beard, Even Aaron’s beard, Coming down upon the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the Lord commanded the blessing—life forever. (Psalm 133, NASB)
Psalm 133 is attributed to King David. The title is “The Excellency of Brotherly Unity.” It’s a Song of Ascents, which means it’s a song pilgrims would sing as they went up to the Temple Mount to worship. The theme of this psalm is unity among the faithful, and has implications for Jesus’ Church today.
King David says that it’s good and pleasant “for brothers to dwell together in unity!” How good is it? He compares it to the feeling of anointing oil being poured over one’s head; and to the dew on Mt. Hermon rolling down on the other mountains of Israel.
Oil was used to anoint people and things, to consecrate, or set them apart for service to the LORD. The oil was composed of a specific recipe that God gave Moses as part of His detailed instructions for building the Tabernacle. Moses poured the oil over his brother Aaron’s head to consecrate him for service as the first High Priest. According to Free Messianic Bible, “Anointing oil represents the Ruach of God, His Spirit, which was poured over Aaron the High Priest (Kohen Gadol) and other priests to set them apart as holy and fit for His Temple service.
“When we worship the Lord together in action by loving each other, we are clothed with His Ruach (Spirit) in unity.”
Moses anoints Aaron as High Priest by pouring specially prepared oil over his head. Found at Free Messianic Bible, https://free.messianicbible.com/feature/hinei-mah-tov-behold-how-good-and-pleasant-it-is-for-brethren-to-dwell-together-in-unity/
Free Messianic Bible also explains “the dew of Hermon”: “Most of Israel receives virtually no rain from May through September, yet during these months the coastal lands are blessed with life-giving moisture as the night breezes carry mist from the Mediterranean Sea, spreading it over the parched ground, nourishing and reviving plants and foliage.
“The mountains of the snow-covered Mount Hermon at the most northern point of Israel are also known for spreading abundant mist throughout the night to the hills below and the land beyond.”
According to King David, it was in Zion that “the LORD commanded the blessing–live forever.” God provided Messiah, Jesus Christ His Son, King David’s descendant, so that if we believe in Him, we will “live forever.” As for brothers dwelling “together in unity,” we’re commanded to love one another. Paul wrote that this is one way for people to know we belong to Jesus, that brothers and sisters in Christ love one another.
Speaking of brothers, I’d like to pay tribute to my brothers from the Air Force Academy. Specifically, Cadet Squadron 31, the Grim Reapers, Class of 1976. God put us all together in the fall of 1973. Twenty two of us started our sophomore year together, and we all graduated on 2 June 1976. While we didn’t always “dwell together in unity,” for the most part we got along pretty well. I think when we graduated, we parted as friends. Most of us keep in touch to this day. These guys had a profound impact on my life. I can’t begin to say how much I learned from them. Of all the fighter squadrons and organizations of which I’ve been a part, I’m most proud to be a ’76 Grim Reaper! I love them all.
Source: “Hinei Mah Tov – Behold! How Good and Pleasant It Is for Brethren to Dwell Together in Unity.” Free Messianic Bible, https://free.messianicbible.com/feature/hinei-mah-tov-behold-how-good-and-pleasant-it-is-for-brethren-to-dwell-together-in-unity/