The Week in Review

Psalm 133 - a Psalm of Harmony

Notes from the Show Yourself Friendly Retreat - February 21, 2009

Psalm 133 (New living translation)

(1) How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! (2) For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe. (3) Harmony is as refreshing as the dew (4) from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion. (5) And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting.

To live in harmony means we are one in purpose, feeling and action. We have chosen to love in spite of what the situations, circumstances or surroundings look like. We have decided to follow the example of the triune God on what it looks like to be in harmony.

The Triune God shows us that we must be:
One in purpose
Uniquely different, but uniquely blended
One is not greater than the other
They all work for the fulfillment of the other



Jesus said when you see me, you have seen my Father. So when you see me, you should also see the Father in me. I cannot be in harmony with you, without first being in harmony with God. This scripture says it is wonderful and pleasant to live together in harmony this is so because this is what pleases God. He mandates it so we have to learn to live it.


Scripture tells us harmony is like precious oil. The precious oil...

· Is Fragrant – you can smell the fragrance and it is pleasant. We should be a sweet smell first in the nostril of God but then our love for one another should be a sweet smell to others.

· Is Plentiful –it was so much oil it ran down Aaron’s head. Our love should be like pouring sweet oil over someone so they are completely covered in our love not our bitterness and backbiting.


· Is Consecrated / Holy - The priest had to be set aside first with the anointing of oil. We cannot be set aside until God’s anointing is upon us and then we can go forth and live in harmony, which is to show forth the love of God to others.

· Is Costly – It was a great price to prepare the oil. Yet this was God’s requirement. It had to be done his way. It cost Christ a great price to present us with the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Yet it is God’s requirement so we can be his vessels of honor to show his love to each other.

· Is Empowering - Aaron did not have the ability to stand before God before he was anointed with the oil and had followed God’s procedures. When we follow God’s way and allow his love to dwell within our hearts we are empowered to love, to forgive, to seek the best in others and live in harmony with one another. If we are not empower and cannot live with each other, do we need to check ourselves and see just where we stand before God.


Scripture tells us that living in harmony is like dew
…Harmony is as refreshing as the dew…

· Is Abundant – the dew falls in multiple droplets, so many we cannot count them. Therefore we are to seek to live with one another without number. We should not keep account of how often we have to forgive a brother or sister. We do it from the abundance of love within our heart.

· Is Refreshing – Like a cool mist that cools you on a summer day, we should be that refreshing element to those situations that would cause others to be “heated”. We don’t go into situations causing havoc instead we come in and bring the cooling effect so that we can live in harmony in the situations.

· Is Fruitful – The dew causes that which it falls on to grow. Our love should be that which allows others to grow. We become the water to the seeds in each other’s lives. Our gifts are not for ourselves but to help equip others for the work God has for them.


…as the dew from the Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion…

Dew of Hermon - a common hill – This is brotherly love in our civil, everyday lives. This is our relationship with friends, the gossiping co-workers, how we treat people we meet, and the nasty neighbors. If we are willing to show ourselves friendly in our common areas we become like dew that pours off the Mount Hermon (our common places) and it falls on the mountains of Zion. What does that mean?


Mountains of Zion represent A holy hill – In scripture we see often how the writers say this is the place where God dwells. So this means when we show ourselves friendly first in our common areas that dew that was poured out there can contribute greatly to the fruitfulness of sacred relationships. We are called to show ourselves friendly so that we can be like dew upon the unsaved, that they may shift to being our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are called to love both those in our churches but also those that are not part of the family. God requires this because then we become what he wants us to be, reconciling others to him. It is important to understand that both Hermon and Zion will wither without dew. If we do not live in harmony both the relationship in our common places and our sacred places will die, they need watering.


Finally, Living in harmony brings blessings.

…And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting…

If we want to receive blessings from God we have to be willing to do things his way. His mandate is for you and I to live in harmony. First with him and then with each other. Let us say together, How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!