Cancer Blog #53
By Brian Zimmerman
Begun on July 31, 2021
Email: dyingman1@yahoo.com
My Dying Words
Entry #53 – The Blessing of Life Forever
September 8, 2022
[Psalm 133:1-3 NASB95] 1 A Song of Ascents, of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil upon the head, Coming down upon the beard, [Even] Aaron’s beard, Coming down upon the edge of his robes. 3 It is like the dew of Hermon Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing life forever.
Once again we see that there are clear statements in the OT that show that there was understanding that life does not end with death. Each of these allusions to eternal life have a facet that gives us another perspective on eternal life’s meaning and character.
This is a very short psalm whose verses are clearly interconnected so I’ll make a few remarks on the relations in it as it reaches its denouement. The psalmist begins the psalm with what he sees is a huge blessing – the love of God’s people for one another. That unity he says is both good and pleasant, a joy and a comfort. Whether in the OT community or in the NT community, the love of God’s people for one another is wonderful. It is something that Jesus prays for specifically in John 17:21: “…that they may all be one.” Vs 22: “…that they may be one even as we are one.” (What an audacious, impossible request!) vs 23: “…I in them and You in me, that they may become one, so that the world may know that You sent me and loved them even as You loved me.” The psalmist shows a glimpse of this source of our unity, our love for one another in a comparison: the oil poured on Aaron in anointing him a high priest. As the term Christ means anointed one, we know this anointing can be referring likely to the pouring of the Holy Spirit on us. How else than being indwelt by God is there any hope of achieving the unity the psalmist commends or the unity of our Savior’s request? Only by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, finding its ultimate fulfillment in the age to come when there will be no divisions or strife, no factions or separations, but only one whole and harmonious people.
He then moves to the dew of Hermon falling on the mountains of Zion. I’m afraid I don’t understand the geography of this comparison but I can get the sense: a great refreshment on the land that was given by God to His people. Another sense of joy and gladness as we see God care for and bless the inheritance of His people. Surely we can expect an even greater blessing on the whole earth as we look forward to the expansion of the inheritance of God’s people as it comes to encompass the entire planet! (Matthew 5:5: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”)
Finally, the psalmist tells us why this dew is so wonderful for our inheritance. For it was on the mountains of Zion, I think particularly in the temple located there, that we see the fulfillment of our ultimate desire, indeed what is also our ultimate need. A banishment of death, and a promise of eternal life. Though we cannot be sure what the psalmist refers to, possibly he has in mind the courts of God in the temple. Life eternal is found there as we see the holy presence of the life and light of God displayed there: the bread, which is food shared with God, the light dispelling darkness and evil and giving us wisdom and understanding, the oil of His Spirit, the sacrifices relieving our guilt and judgment. Our life everlasting then is the culmination of our hope, not just for us as individuals, our solitary existence, but a life lived with a world full of those who love our Lord and who will love us. It is to be a place of contentment, of satisfaction, of peace, with so many saints to share meals with, to learn from, to laugh with, to rejoice and sing with, to work with, to help one another to build a world of beauty and wonder, but one without strife, without tension without any animosity or anger, much less bitterness or resentment, fear or distrust, hatred or worry. A world full of the unity of us all as believers, for these people will all be our brethren forever.
Next: The Fragility of Our Lives