Psalms 133

Psalm 132 is about the anointed King. Psalm 133 is about the anointed High Priest and about the united cohabitation of a people now still scattered over the earth. The psalm is therefore a prophetic vision. At the same time, it contains important lessons for us who live in a time of great division and confusion.

Christ is now King over His people. However, there is still a problem among the people, namely the original enmity between the two tribes realm and the ten tribes realm. To bring that enmity to a final end, the people are given a new heart, through which the law is written in their hearts. As a result, they have come to love the LORD and to love their neighbor. This is also what the prophets have spoken about (Isa 11:13b; Hos 1:11; Eze 37:15-28). These prophecies have never been fulfilled, but now they will be now that Christ is King over His people.

It will happen when the Spirit of God will come upon them like anointing oil (verse 2; Eze 36:27), just as the blessing of the LORD comes upon Zion like the dew of the Hermon (verse 3; Eze 36:28-38).

The structure of the psalm is a pyramid chiasm or cross, emphasizing the high priesthood (C):
A Blessing (verse 1)
---B Comparison (with oil) (verse 2a)
------C High priesthood (verse 2b-c)
---B Comparison (with dew) (verse 3a)
A Blessing (verse 3b)

Of this “Song of Ascents”, the fourteenth, the poet is again mentioned: it is “David” (verse 1a). In the previous psalm, the ark, the centerpiece of service to God, was brought to God’s dwelling place in Jerusalem. Now David prophetically sees all twelve tribes living together in connection with that place throughout the land. He points to it with a “behold” and exclaims with delight: “How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity” (verse 1b). The fulfillment of this is described by Ezekiel when the LORD will make a covenant of peace with all the people, all twelve tribes (Eze 37:22,26).

Here we can think of the living together of all the Israelites in booths during the Feast of Booths. It is “good” to dwell together in unity, it is a good thing and also appropriate to be together. It is also good in the sight of God.

It is also “pleasant”, benevolently attractive, giving joy to dwell in unity with those who take joy in being in the presence of God. It is the description of a feeling we get when we see or hear something beautiful.

The word ‘how’ that precedes it indicates that it is particularly good and pleasant. Brothers belong together, they form a family together. They must express this by coming together, and also by dwelling together.

“In unity” is literally “as united”, “as one”. This is only possible if there is a center of their dwelling together. Thus the Lord Jesus came to be the center of Israel, but they refused to be gathered together by Him (Mt 23:37). Now that they have been born again, given a new heart (Jer 31:33), now they all go to the LORD as gathered together. We see a type of this when Hezekiah invites all Israel, all twelve tribes, to celebrate the Passover together (2Chr 30:5).

The same is true for the believers of the New Testament church. Before, as sinners, they each went their own way (Isa 53:6). They were hateful and hated one another (Tit 3:3). This has been changed by repentance and conversion. They are now brothers. In the beginning of the church they also dwelled together. There was a close fellowship among them (Acts 2:44,46).

This dwelling together David compares to oil in verse 2 and to dew in verse 3. Both verses begin with a comparison, “it is like”, and continue with “coming down”.

Of the oil he says “it is like the precious oil upon the head, coming down on the beard, [even] Aaron’s beard, coming down upon the edge of his robes” (verse 2; Exo 29:7; 30:22-30; Lev 8:12; 21:10). “The precious oil” is a special mixture of holy anointing oil. This composition is to be used only for priestly service (Exo 30:30-33). Kings are also anointed, but not with this special mixture. “The edge” is the collar of the garment.

This refers to the anointing of the high priest. The anointing of the priest is done by sprinkling (blood and) anointing oil on their clothing (Exo 29:21). The anointing of the high priest is done by pouring anointing oil over his head (Exo 29:7), that is, pouring oil abundantly (cf. Jn 3:34). In addition, we have anointing in connection with the king’s wedding (Psa 45:7).

With oil in the Old Testament, priests and kings are anointed and in one case, a prophet. Anointing oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit (1Jn 2:20,27). This makes it clear that the unity of the people, the dwelling together of brothers from the two tribes realm and those from the ten tribes realm, is the result of the abundant working of the Holy Spirit.

The same is true spiritually for us New Testament believers. We are kings and priests and are anointed with the Holy Spirit (1Jn 2:20,27). Living and gathering together in unity as a church is only possible when the members are led by the Holy Spirit.

The blessing comes from above, from the Head of the body, Christ in heaven (Eph 1:22). He sent the Holy Spirit from heaven to earth (Jn 16:7) to baptize the church into one body (1Cor 12:13) and to dwell in individual believers (1Cor 6:19). The Holy Spirit has worked unity. It is up to us to keep that unity, the unity “of the Spirit”, in the bond of peace (Eph 4:3). That unity is experienced and manifested when there is brotherly love (Jn 17:21).

After the anointing oil, David uses another picture, that of “the dew of Hermon” (verse 3). Both the oil and the dew descend from above to below. So it is with the Spirit and love: they come from God. The result is good and pleasant; there is life and refreshment and that forever.

Dew noiselessly descends on the earth at night as a refresher and moistens it, making the earth soft and fertile. The dew is compared here to brotherly love, which has the same refreshing effect. That love will be refreshing as the Holy Spirit makes hearts receptive to the Word of God calling them to love one another fervently (1Pet 1:22-23).

In the summer months, when there is no rain in Israel, the dew makes the difference between the crop staying alive and withering. The dew, then, as mentioned, speaks of life and refreshment that descends as a blessing from above. In the spiritual sense, it is about the love that comes from God and about the brotherly love that is necessary for the unity of the people.

The blessing that the LORD commands there, that is on Zion, is “life forever”, that is life in the realm of peace (cf. Dan 12:2). Life in the realm of peace is one great blessing. All the promised blessings are enjoyed there in full measure and continuously. Here we can think of a happy family life, the entire yield of the land and rich soil resources, and good mutual relationships with one’s neighbor.

In summary, Psalm 133 is about the unity of the people, of the two brother tribes Ephraim and Judah, who together represent all twelve tribes. This is depicted in the Feast of Booths.