Behold, how good and how pleasant
it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
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.
It is like the dew of Hermon,
descending upon the mountains of Zion;
for there the LORD commanded the blessing-- life forevermore.

Brothers Dwelling Together In Unity

How wonderful and how sweet it is, when brothers live together in harmony! Who are these brothers? I believe it is the Jews and the Gentiles. In Romans 11:15-26, Paul exclaimed how wonderful it is when the Jews accept Christ as their Messiah! When the Jews rejected Christ, God turned His face away from them for a time and a season. He turned to the Gentiles to offer His salvation. But now the gospel is coming again to the Jews. Now it is even more wonderful when the Jews come to Christ. It will be like dead people coming back to life. It is like the resurrection of the dead. This is true revival! Dead bones coming to life! It will be the restoration and the reconciliation of the Jews and their Brother, Jesus!

It is all about the Abrahamic Covenant. Our God is a faithful covenant keeper. Even while we are faithless, He remains faithful. Because Abraham and the holy prophets are God's people, their children will be too. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be too. But some of these branches from Abraham's tree have been broken off. Some of the Jews broke off from the faith of their forefathers.

Because of their breaking away, we, Gentiles, were grafted in. We were like branches from a wild olive tree grafted into the true olive tree. Because of this grafting in, we were able to receive the same blessings that God had promised Abraham and his children. We were able to partake in God's rich nourishment and blessings that flowed from His beloved olive tree. But we must be careful not to brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. We must always remember that we are just a branch, and not a root. The roots of our faith are still the Jews. Without our Hebraic roots, we, the branches, will wither away! Both the Jews and Gentiles are parts of God’s olive tree.

We should not be proud and arrogant to presume that God had completely rejected the Jews, and totally replaced them with the Gentiles. We were wild, unwholesome and sinful. In fact, most of us did not keep God’s laws in our hearts. Many of us were as disobedient as the Jews. It was only by the grace and mercy of God that we became His people. We need to be watchful. We need to always remember that those branches, the Jews, were broken off because they didn't believe God, and we were grafted in only because we did. We must be humble and grateful. We must also be careful. For if God did not spare the true branches He put there in the first place, He won't spare us, the wild branches, either. Behold our God is both loving and just. He is very hard on those who disobey, but very soft to those who obey Him. But if we don't obey Him, we too will be cut off.

If the Jews repent, leaving their unbelief behind and coming back to God, God will graft them back into the true olive tree again. He has the power to do it. God is not willing that any should perish. If God was willing to do a very unusual thing in taking us, who were part of a wild olive tree and were so far away from Him and grafted us into His true olive tree, He is far more ready and willing to put the true branches, the Jews, back again to His tree, They were there in the first place!

Because of this truth, we, the Gentiles, must not be proud and start bragging. Yes, it is true that some of the Jews have set themselves against the Gospel until now, but this will last only until the full number of the Gentiles has come in to receive Christ. And then all Israel will be saved. The prophet had already foretold this: "A Deliverer shall come out of Zion, and He shall turn the Jews from ungodliness."

I believe that the Jews will come to recognize their Brother, Jesus. I also believe the Jews and Gentiles will come together and become the One New Man in Christ. I also believe in the reconciliation of the ancient brothers of Isaac and Ishmael (Isaiah 19:23-25), and of Israel and Esau (Genesis 33:1-20). Behold how wonderful and sweet it is when these brothers dwell together in unity!

Unity is love. Unity is strength. Unity is reconciliation. Unity is restoration. Broken relationships, covenants, promises, hopes and dreams are resurrected, fully restored!

Anointing Oil Pouring Out

Unity is as precious as the fragrant anointing oil that was poured over Aaron's head and ran down onto his beard and onto the border of his robe. What is this anointing oil? In the Old Testament, only priests, kings and prophets were anointed. This anointing is to authorize and set apart the people for a particular work or service (Isaiah 61:1). These anointed people belong to God. They are God's very own, set apart and commissioned for His service (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).

Oil was poured on the head of the person being anointed. Kings and prophets were set apart through the anointing service, which was performed by a prophet who acted in God's power and authority (1 Samuel 15:1, 1 Kings 19:16). Aaron was appointed as the first high priest of Israel (Exodus 28 - 29; Leviticus 8 - 9). Who was the one who anointed this first high priest and consecrated him for service? It was God Who instructed Moses to pour the fragrant anointing oil down Aaron's head (Exodus 29:7). It was the commissioning of the LORD!

In the New Testament, we have the anointing of the Holy Spirit (1 John 2:20). We are called to be His royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). He has made us kings and priests in His kingdom (Revelation 1:6). This anointing is for everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our High Priest, Jesus Christ, comes and anoints us with His Holy Spirit. By doing so, He consecrates us and sets us apart for His holy service. Because of this Anointing Oil of the Holy Spirit, our burdens will be taken away from our shoulders, and our yokes from our necks, and our yokes will be destroyed (Isaiah 10:27).

Dew Of Hermon Descending

Unity is as refreshing as the dew on Mount Hermon. What is this dew on Mount Hermon?

Mount Hermon has three peaks. Two of which are over 2,750 metres (9,000 feet) above sea level. Most of the year, snow covers the mountain. In some shaded ravines, patches of snow endure even through the hot summers. These beautiful snow peaks can be seen from the region of the Dead Sea, over 196 kilometres (120 miles) away. The glaciers of Mount Hermon are the major sources of the Jordan River. Water from Mount Hermon ultimately flows into the Dead Sea.

The snow will melt during the summer. Some of the waters will evaporate into the air. In the cold morning hours, these water vapors will cool down. Upon condensation, enormous dews descend upon the mountain. These dews make Mount Hermon refreshing and green, while its surrounding areas are dry and parched.

When the hearts of the brothers are heated by the love of God, our coldness and indifference towards each other will be melted. Forgiveness and mercy will flow like a river wide. And God will pronounce this blessing to us, even life forevermore. When we receive this blessing of life, we will flow out into the River Jordan and into the Dead Sea! We can bring life to the lost, and we can even resurrect the Dead Sea.

This river of life will flow east through the desert and the Jordan Valley to the Dead Sea, where it will heal the salty waters and make them fresh and pure. Everything touching the water of this river shall live. Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for its waters will be healed. Wherever this water flows, everything will live. Fishermen will stand along the shores of the Dead Sea, fishing all the way from Engedi to Eneglaim. The shores will be filled with nets drying in the sun. Fish of every kind will fill the Dead Sea just as they do the Mediterranean! (Ezekiel 47:8-10)

United we stand, divided we fall. United in God, He will resurrect the valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37) and the Dead Sea (Ezekiel 47)!

Source:
Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Written on:
28 April 2004