Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

David at Hebron and told him, We are all members of your family. For a long time, even while Saul was our king, you were the one who really led Israel. And the Lord has told you, ‘You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be their leader.’ So there at Hebron, David made a covenant with the lead- ers of Israel before the Lord. And they anointed him king of Israel.” (2 Sam. 5:1-3) David’s brothers be- came officials in the newly formed Kingdom and there was peace and harmony among all the 12 united tribes of Israel as they came to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feasts of the Lord. David and his son Solomon were the only kings to reign over a fully united nation. God has used harmony among spiritual and natural brothers to benefit his Kingdom: the brothers of Joseph finally united around his leadership; Moses, Aaron and Miriam led Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness; Andrew and Peter and James and John were two sets of brothers among the apostles of the Lord. Even Jesus own natural brothers became leaders in the early church uniting around their older brother and Savior: “…his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas.” (Mt. 13:55) Paul de- scribes their work in his letter to the Corinthians: “Don’t we have the right to bring a Christian wife along with us as the other disciples and the Lord’s brothers and Peter do?” (1 Cor. 9:5) The most intense prayer of Jesus in the gospels reflects the theme of harmony found in this song: “My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father¬–that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me.” (Jn. 17:21) It is crit- ical that the world sees the ‘harmony’ of the followers of Jesus as it will lead them to know and believe the reality of Christ and his salvation. “I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are–I in them and you in me, all being perfected into one. Then the world will know that you sent me and will understand that you love them as much as you love me.” (Jn. 17:22, 23) The early church experienced the harmony and the promised blessing of this psalm: “And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity–all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:44-47) Christian unity around the 7 major pillars of faith is a great need of the church today: 1. We are One Church- “We are all one body,” Ecclesiology, the Doctrine of the Church. 2. We have One Holy Spirit- “we have the same Spirit,” Pneumatology, the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit. 3. We have One destiny- “and we have all been called to the same glorious future.” Eschaetology, the Doctrine of the End Times. 4. We have One Lord- “There is only one Lord,” Christology, the Doctrine of Christ. 5. We have One faith- “one faith.” Soteriology, the Doctrine of Salvation. 6. We have One baptism- “one baptism,” Soteriology, the Doctrine of Salvation. 7. We have One Father- “and there is only one God and Father, who is over us all and in us all and living through us all.” (Eph. 4:4-6) Theology, the Doctrine of God.

This incredible harmony can only be accomplished by God himself and two vital means of grace; the ‘oil’ of his Holy Spirit and the ‘dew’ of his Word saturating the entire living body of Christ.

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PRECIOUS HARMONY (2) Border of His Robe

“For harmony is as precious as the fragrant oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe.” (2)

The accomplishing of this harmony begins with the anointing of the Holy Spirit, represented by the oil flowing down upon Aaron, the High Priest of the Old Testament Covenant. This psalm is referring to the ceremony where he was anointed with the oil God had instructed Moses to make: “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Collect choice spices–12 ½ pounds of pure myrrh, 6 ¼ pounds each of cinnamon and sweet cane, 12 ½ pounds of cassia, and one gallon of olive oil. Blend these ingredients into a holy anointing oil …Use this oil to anoint Aaron and his sons, sanctifying them so they can minister before me as priests.” (Ex. 30:22-25, 30)

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