Meditation 262
Psalm 133
Psalm 133 is one of the psalms of ascents that would be sung as the people of God made their way to the temple. It is believed that these songs were sung as the faithful made their way to Jerusalem to celebrate a number of annual religious festivals including including Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles.
As the people processed to the temple they sang of the goodness of God, which had been known to the earth since the time of creation. The people singing Psalm 133 say that it is good and pleasant when kindred live in unity. This word “good” (tob) is the same word that God used in the process of creation when God saw that the things of creation were good. Harmony between people is as good as God’s work of creation. God was pleased with creation, but one thing was not right. God saw that it was not good (lo’ tob) for the human to be alone. God determined to make for the man a helper as his partner. It was part of God’s plan that people live in community and harmony.
There are two metaphors that are used in Psalm 133 to describe how pleasant and how good harmony between people is. The first is the oil that is used in anointing. Olive oil was an important commodity in the ancient near east. The olive oil was mixed with spices and used for skin care and hair care. It was poured on the head and flowed down abundantly. The use of oil was part of the act of hospitality when greeting guests, their feet were washed with water and on their heads was poured oil to refresh. Oil was also used as a sing of consecration in holy ceremonies. The psalm specifically mentions the anointing of Aaron, Moses’ brother. Aaron was chosen by God to be High Priest and Moses anointed him in the presence of the people as a sign of God’s choosing. The oil was used extravagantly and poured down Aaron’s head running into his beard. When God gives good things, they are given in abundance.
Another symbol of refreshing life was water. In Palestine there was little rainfall between April and October, so the dew that fell each night was treasured. I can remember the dew on the grass in the mornings when I would go outside in the early miring when I was a child. It was often heavy enough to get my sneakers wet. I didn’t think of dew as essential; it was just a part of the way things were. Had I lived in a place where deep wells were not easily found, I would have been taught how to collect that dew, to give abundance to living. The psalmist knew that dew was a treasured gift from God, a blessing that was lived out when people dwell in unity.
Today is the first day after Easter. We have just celebrated the resurrection of Christ and his triumph over sin and death. We are Easter people, and as such we are invited to live lives of hope and joy in the strength of Christ who invites us to live in unity. Christ invites us to live in a way that is seen as good in God’s eyes. How can you live in harmony today? In what ways can you share the abundance from God that can be understood as oil pouring down unto Aaron’s beard, or as the refreshing dew in the Near East?