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Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!

So I must apologise firstly, I've completely forgotten about this blog, hence haven't posted at all apart from the introduction yet. But this weekend I had some great times and it has lead to some thoughts developing around the whole area of unity/body of Christ.

Psalm 133 says (only 3 verses long):

"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."

How amazing is this Psalm! The reality of it is also incredible, but we'll get to that soon. I want to expand a bit on this Psalm first.

There are three verses, but two distinct sections as I see it. The first section is the first verse, and the second section is the second and third verses. In verse one, we see the Psalmist remarking how pleasant and joyful it is when we all live together in unity as the body of Christ, as His redeemed children living out His ways on earth.

Then in the second section we see two/three comparisons, but the last line is what strikes me. The way LORD is all capitals (as opposed to just a capital L - Lord), is a replacement word for YHWH (God's Hebrew name), which I am told refers to the almighty, majestic, set apart nature of our God. In this context, this makes perfect sense, as we read "the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore," He hasn't just said His people will have life forevermore, He has commanded it. This Psalm has so much more to it than I have time to look into and research right now, but the overall theme, and the heading in ESV is "When Brothers Dwell in Unity".

Many times have I experienced this unity among my brothers and sisters in Christ, from my own Church congregation back up in Northern Ireland, to my old halls (Derryvolgie), right through to things like prayer times at CU up in Belfast. But when it is fresher in your mind, it is even sweeter than looking back on it previously I think.

When I came to Dublin, I knew I'd be going to Adelaide Road Presbyterian (Adelaide Road Presbyterian Church) because when we were down looking at houses, we had been to a few different Churches and it was the most suitable. This was mainly because we were made so welcome, but also because there are quite a few young adults around my age in the Church. I soon got involved and have become good friends with them all. Every week after Church we go out for lunch and hang out all day, often going to Grosvenor Road Baptist Church in the evening and enjoying worship and fellowship there with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We do lots of things throughout the week as well and I love it. As a Church, we in Adelaide Road are all united in Christ, when we visit Grosvenor Baptist we're all united in Christ and when we hang out as a group of Christian young adults, we're all one, united in Christ. Every time I come away from time with Church friends, I want to go straight back, I feel so blessed to have God place me here in this amazing group of friends! I wasn't sure what it'd be like being here in Dublin and working, but thanks to all my Church friends it has been very very good so far! Everyone has made me fell so welcome, and I now really am a part of Adelaide Road Presbyterian Church as well as this wonderful group of friends.

Verse one of Psalm 133 says, "Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!" Remember this, I've been blessed here so far in Dublin with how God has brought all these fantastic people into my life as friends and it always amazes me and quickens my heart to praise Him when I spend time with my friends here!

So, in closing, let's remember to be united in Christ, let's try to be united across denominations as far as we possibly can, and let's seek to rejoice in the unity we have in Christ, looking forward to that day when Jesus will come again in glory!

"I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me." John 17:23

"Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!" Psalm 133:1


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