Psalm 133

I have heard the first verse of this psalm many times in my life as a Christian: “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” As far as I can recollect, I have never actually heard the remainder of the psalm. How do I know that? Because I was somewhat taken aback by similes used to describe this unity—especially the first one. Unity is like precious oil running down an old man’s beard? Huh?

I must admit, I’m still having a hard time getting my head around that image. But after some reflection on the anointing of the High Priest, I think I can understand what the psalmist was trying to say.

All the priests of Israel were anointed, but only the High Priest was anointed on the head. And that anointing didn’t consist of a sprinkle or two of oil; rather, a whole vessel was emptied on his head so the oil would run down onto his garments, covering the breastplate (which held the twelve precious stones that symbolized the twelve tribes of Israel). The High Priest was anointed to minister to the twelve tribes, and one might say they were all symbolically bound together by this oil.

Unity begins in the Trinity. God exists in a community of three Beings who are one in love, character, and purpose. And when we are drawn into that same love through Jesus, God begins to recreate that unity in us. Just as Christ—the head of the Church—was anointed with the oil of joy, so we may also share in that love and community as we allow God to regenerate our hearts.

I think it’s important to note that this unity is not something we engineer. It’s not something we can create. It’s not something we can build. It’s only something we can choose as individuals to participate in. It is a gift from God, and the closer we are to Him, the more He can enable us to love and be unified with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

It’s also important to note that unity is not uniformity. None of the stones on Aaron’s breastplate (symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel) was the same. They were all different stones. Yet all of them got bathed in the oil of anointing that flowed down from Aaron’s head. I think our human tendency is to strive for uniformity, but God made each of us as special and unique individuals. There is no need for us to all be the same, and God doesn’t want that anyway. He loves outrageous variety, but He holds the key to that variety operating in harmony.

Unity is the economy of heaven, and it’s the trickle-down kind! God perfectly embodies unity is His nature, and as He recreates us in His image, His unity will permeate our hearts and lives, spilling over like oil to those around us.