By: Obed Pineda
The inspired David wrote, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity” (Psalm 133:1)! There are two possibilities that are suggested by several Biblical scholars as to the scene beheld by David’s eyes that brought forth such an incredible expression of joy from his inspired lips. The first option proposed as the event described by the Psalm is the day that “all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD. And they anointed David king over Israel” (2nd Samuel 5:3). Remember that prior to this day, David ruled solely over the house of Judah because Ishbosheth (Saul’s son) was placed on Israel’s throne by Abner, the commander of Saul’s army (cf. 2nd Samuel 2:4-11). Holy Writ declares that “there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David” which caused a lamentable schism between the twelve tribes of Israel (2nd Samuel 3:1). Although Ishbosheth ruled over Israel for only two years (cf. 2nd Samuel 2:10), David was not anointed king over all of Israel until seven and a half years after he began his reign from Hebron (cf. 2nd Samuel 2:11, 5:5). Thus, it makes logical sense that David would describe the unity that had finally been achieved between the twelve tribes of Israel as both, good and pleasant, since it had eluded them for so long. After having witnessed a bitter strife where kinsmen were spilling each other’s blood, it is undeniable that watching them put their enmity to rest and agree to submit to God’s will of making David king over Israel would be a rousing occurrence that could give birth to this extraordinary Psalm. Yet, there is a second theory that could very well be the source of David’s psalm. Under the Mosaic Law, all Israelite males were commanded to attend the house of Jehovah God to celebrate three commemorative feasts, thrice in a year (cf. Exodus 23:14-19, 34:18-26, Deuteronomy 16:1-17). Jehovah God instructed the people of Israel, “three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you” (Deuteronomy 16:16-17). In the days of David, the temple had not yet been built because it was his son, Solomon, who built it (cf. 1st Kings 6:1-8:66). Ergo, David would have made the journey to the place where God had commanded His tabernacle to be erected, prior to Jerusalem, to celebrate all three of these mandated feasts. It is no secret to the devoted student of the Bible that David loved going to the house of God for verily he wrote, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the LORD.’ Our feet have been standing withing your gates, O Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:1, cf. Psalm 27:4)! Thus, it has been suggested that this magnificent proclamation of joy was perhaps a product of the assembling of a vast multitude of Israelites at Zion who came together to celebrate each one of these three religious festivals on the dates that they were designated to do so. Because they would travel from all over the kingdom of Israel, it would not be uncommon for them to travel in large groups together or even run into one another on their journey to the house of the LORD (cf. Luke 2:41-44). Observing the gathering of Israelites from all over the kingdom, for the sole purpose of worshiping God would indeed be an event that would move David to profess his love for the obedience of God’s people to His commandments. Remember that David, too, exclaimed “Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97). David would have undeniably enjoyed the sweet, sweet fellowship between like-minded Israelites, bonding with one another through their joy of honoring God by keeping His law. Certainly, one can see how being amongst those of the same spirit toward God could bring forth such pleasure to David as denoted by Psalm 133. Regardless of which option may be accurate, both share one valuable lesson; obedience to God’s Word is what David declares in the inspired psalm is good and pleasant. Furthermore, it is also what brings the “the brethren to dwell together in unity” (Psalm 133:1b)! The apostle Peter concurs with David as he exhorts the Church “finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing” (1st Peter 3:8-9, cf. 1st Corinthians 1:10). The Holy Spirit’s inspiration reveals to us that perfect unity is achieved when the Word of God bonds the members of the Church with one another (cf. Ephesians 4:1-16). He unveils that when the saints of God are assembled together by obeying His Word, this will be both good and pleasant. This also makes manifest that there is a type of assembly that is neither good nor pleasant that must be avoided. The Spirit moved Paul to scribe, “Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it” (1st Corinthians 11:17-18). Let us recall that David reveals that what brought the people of Israel together was good and pleasant because it produced unity; not division. Paul reveals that the Corinthians assembly was wrong and unpleasant because it produced divisions and contention among brethren. It is also worth noting that Paul spoke this concerning their manner of partaking of the Lord’s Supper (cf. 1st Corinthians 11:20). Observe that even though they were all gathered together with the purpose of obeying Jesus’ commandment of remembering Him through the emblems of the unleavened bread and fruit of the vine (cf. Luke 22:14-20), their incorrect understanding of what they were participating in was displayed by their selfish actions with the Lord’s Supper (cf. 1st Corinthians 11:21-22). It was their lack of properly discerning the significance of this commandment what brought forth contention and dissension between them, when it should have perfectly united them had they all remembered the Lord simultaneously during this act of worship (cf. 1st Corinthians 11:23-34). Thus, this establishes that an assembly where the minds of those gathered is not bonded by the correct application of the Word of God is one that will breed contention and create a schism between spiritual kinsmen (cf. 1st Corinthians 3:1-7). An assembly of the carnally minded will not bring forth edification, but instead destruction (cf. Galatians 5:15-17). The Hebrew amanuensis confirms that when the spiritual congregate, they will “consider one another in order to stir up love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24). Inspired by the same Spirit, David states, “For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, ‘Peace be within you.’ Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek your good” (Psalm 122:8-9, cf. Philippians 2:3-4). May this same spirit be in us all beloved.