“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!2 It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Running down on the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing—
Life forevermore.” (Psalm 133)
Nearly 35 years ago I was seeking God’s direction for the pastoral ministry He had called me to give my life to. Several churches had an interest in speaking with me and also have me preach in view of a call. One such church was in the San Jose, California area. While there for a weekend filled with interviewing, preaching and questioning from the congregation, the LORD made it pretty clear to me that He did not want me to serve Him there.
Frankly, I was relieved by this revelation as I felt the church was strongly divided between silver haired members and the very young adult business type members. It felt very much like two churches in one. Many of the younger were on the search committee and I had also asked some bold questions of them. When I asked of their faithful commitment to the church, the leader of the committee said in effect, if they did not find a pastor soon, they were leaving the church.
Yet another church which had a keen interest in entertaining my wife, Ruthi, and I for another weekend of prospective activities was in the Riverside County area of Southern California. We were staying in a deacon’s home. This man was legally blind, and my estimation was that he was a deacon’s deacon. He guided us on a tour all around the city where the church field was; I drove and he gave direction by sound and feel of the roads. I watched this blinded deacon minister in rest homes in the area. He talked, prayed and sang softly to the many patients we visited. In two days we grew to love this man and he in turn was growing fond of us.
On Sunday morning we attended Bible study with the church and later I preached for the congregation. The usual potluck followed the morning service, then immediately after there was a congregation meeting where they questioned me and I questioned them. Everything felt right about this church to me the whole weekend. On Sunday evening there was a special called meeting of the church to discuss and vote whether they felt God was calling me to their pleasant church.
During their meeting, Ruthi and I sat in the church’s pastor’s office waiting. Sitting there I had felt within myself that the vote would go my way and, as I said, I felt good about it. In fact, while I waited I was mentally rearranging the pastor’s office to my needs and desires. In other words, I was moving in!
Then this precious deacon came to where we were with the results of the vote in his hand. He revealed to me that in over one hundred attendees there was only one vote in the negative. That was as close to unanimous as one could get, and for a moment I was very pleased. Then he asked me what my response to the church would be? I silently asked the LORD what I should say, then I heard my own voice saying; “I’m sorry, but I cannot accept that vote.”
When I realized what I had said, my heart was broken. The deacon was shaken. When we went into the sanctuary to report to the congregation what God had led me to say, we all cried. I had made a connection with a few of the youth in that brief time together; they too wept. In spite of the results, many of us went out to dinner together after church. More tears followed, but we parted as friends as we honored God’s guidance. That was a very hard and disappointing weekend.
In early 1988, there was a sizable church in a city not far from Bakersfield where we were living while waiting for God’s direction, which had experienced a very painful split. The split was approximately right down the middle according to numbers, but the pain and discouragement caused the remaining church numbers to fall to about 45. Through ways known only to God, the church reached out to me to do some supply preaching on Sundays.
When I had heard talk of this split, I made it clear to the LORD that I was not interested in this particular church. However, the request to preach just on Sundays until they found a pastor was no threat to me, so I agreed. After I had met with the search committee about being their temporary preacher, I stood in the balcony of the sanctuary looking down on a beautiful room. While gazing around the room, the voice of God somehow spoke into my very soul. The voice said, “You will serve me here.” To which I slowly responded that I would serve there, but He would have to work out all the details, as I would tell no one of what I had heard.
As I was sitting in a small camper in Bakersfield preparing for my very first message to the church, I asked the LORD to give me a passage of Scripture that would give hope to the fragile people. He gave me Psalm 133. I had no memory of every reading that short passage before that day. He also gave me a message to share by the title: “What the World Needs now is Love, Sweet Love.”
That first Sunday morning there were the shaky faithful 45 members present. I opened the service by saying that I had a passage of Scripture that the LORD wanted them to hold dear into their hearts. I then read Psalm 133 to them. The result was cheering and clapping. It seemed that passage, and the message about Love, had given them hope and encouragement. On the following Sunday the attendance had risen to 86, and to my surprise, they had made a banner that stretched over the double doors going into the sanctuary. It was a quote of Psalm 133 and verse one: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”
That was the beginning of a nearly 12 year ministry in that wonderful church and city.
As we unfold the majesty of Psalm 133:1, I want to remind you that God Himself is the Author of these words. He holds the deeper understandings and intents. He begins by grabbing the reader or hearer’s attention with the exclamation, “Behold!” He may well have said, “Listen!”, or “Look!”
Then Almighty Creator God, of the whole universe says, “How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Beloved, you need to know that it is first “good” and “pleasant” to God! He is making a bold statement that He is the major recipient of these promised blessing! He takes great joy in our unity! He is not the author of confusion or fear, but the Author of love, peace, and joy! He is the God of peace and love, and it thrills Him eternally when His children are intentionally living together in the same.
Secondly, when brethren are living in this unity, it is “good” in the very nature or it. Love is a fruit of the Spirit, and so to dwell in “love” and “unity”
With one another has an effect on the Spiritual atmosphere . . . it may be felt as being surrounded by His glory!
Then, of course, this unity within the brethren is pleasing to the church . . . a great pleasure to experience unfettered love and unity! It is like fragrant ointment, early morning dew on the mountain . . . refreshing!
Finally, this unity of the brethren is pleasing to others, believers and most non-believers – spectators to the church . . . perhaps family and neighbors. As they “behold” the church in unity together, they exclaim; “How good and how pleasant it is . . .”
Father, may we, Your Church; Your people, truly dwell together in unity, so that You, we, and the world around us will see how good and pleasant and that we belong to You! Amen, Jesus!
Church, Pray On!
