As I was seeking the LORD during a prayer time with our daughter Stephanie’s house church, I heard Holy Spirit say,” The strength of your church is the unity amongst those who attend. There is community and a sense of family. This is pleasing to me. My blessing is on your fellowship.”
Psalm 133:1-3
How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like the precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard down the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mt. Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing even life forevermore.
God is saying very clearly here, He blesses his children when they walk in unity with one another. He is not speaking here of the world, he is addressing “brothers” or the church. We are instructed to live at peace with one another, to live in community with each other. If you are part of the body of Christ then you should be actively in fellowship with one another; this involves sharing meals, caring for one another, worshipping together, helping each other as help is needed, bearing one another’s burdens as we are all part of the same body.
Psalm 68:5-6A
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families
God is relational. He enjoys having fellowship with his children. He loves community and all which that includes. The beautiful thing about the Kingdom of God is there is an open invitation for “all” to come in. No one needs to be excluded from the family of God. He sets the lonely in families; that is having a sense of belonging. It means people take notice of you. They care. I am not speaking of control or what we referred to as “shepherding” years ago. The community of the church body should not be meddlesome or dictating. It is a genuine love and concern for each other.
Exodus 1:21
Because the midwives feared God, He established households for them.
This is in response to the Egyptian King giving a mandate to the midwives helping the Hebrew women to give birth. He told them if it is a boy child to put him to death. The midwives feared God and did not do as the King of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live. So, God was good to the midwives and multiplied the people and they became mighty. He also established households for the midwives for they walked in the fear of the LORD. One of the Hebrew meanings of this word household is family.
God loves and takes great delight in family. Our biological and adopted families are important to Him. It was his purpose from the beginning of time to “Go forth and multiply!” He loves having children.
I was thinking about the many homeless in our city recently. They are out on the streets without shelter, without a community who really cares for them. I began thinking of the scripture in Psalm 37:25 which says, I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread.
There is so much truth in this scripture. When you become born into the family of God through believing in Jesus Christ, you are in a family. There are countless churches to become connected with. I am not ignorant of the plight of the homeless. I realize many are suffering from mental illness, drug and alcohol addictions. Yet, it is God’s will and His good pleasure to see his children in relationships within the Body of Christ; to see them prospering in community and in a family.
Going back to the original scripture in Psalm 133
There is blessing from the LORD when his children live in unity and harmony with each other. The oil was used to anoint the priests for service; to consecrate them and make them holy. God is saying that when we live in harmony with one another it also makes us holy, set apart.
The dew of Hermon speaks of watering the land. In a well watered area it produces fruit. Likewise in a community of believers living in unity there is much fruit. God commands his blessing! Life forevermore!
2 Chronicles 30:1-2, 12
Now Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover to the LORD God of Israel. For the King and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month. The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and princes commanded by the word of the LORD.
Hezekiah was a righteous king who took the reign after a very unrighteous king. This King Ahaz promoted idol worship in Jerusalem. So, when Hezekiah took the reign he reinstated temple worship and the Passover feast. Hezekiah sent out letters to invite all to the Passover feast. Many mocked and scorned the couriers. Nevertheless, some men came to Jerusalem for the feast. It says the hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and princes commanded by the word of the LORD.
God gave them unity of heart and mind. It is possible to live in peace and like-mindedness with our brother and sisters in the LORD. Prayer, humility, and walking in the fear of the LORD bring unity to the Body of Christ. We can accomplish a great deal and bear much fruit as we walk in unity. God will command his blessing and life forevermore!
To walk in the fear of the LORD is to hate what is evil. Stirring up discord and disunity among the brethren is evil; it is sin! God hates it, and it grieves his heart!
