¹Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! ²It 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. ³It is like the dew of Hermon coming down upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing—life forever.

When Christians develop authentic connections with mutual trust and vulnerability, we enter into a depth of genuine fellowship that strengthens us emotionally and spiritually. We yearn to have those in our lives whom we trust to “have our back,” or in military terms, “our six.” We long for those who have our best in mind when they go to God on our behalf.

Psalm 133 depicts this kind of fellowship with a fascinating metaphor of oil dripping down a person’s head. The image seems odd—until we understand it in the context of the religious culture of ancient Israel. The Jewish high priest Aaron would have fragrant oil poured on his head (a process called anointing) when he entered the Tabernacle, which symbolized God’s presence. He represented the people to God and, in a profound way, connected with the Lord—one could say he engaged in fellowship with God. This entry into the Lord’s presence was made possible by the sacrifices God required and found acceptable.

The scent of the oil permeated the Tabernacle as it flowed down from the priest’s head and saturated his ceremonial robes to the very hem. This image is of sweet communion, predicated on the priest’s acknowledgment of sin and the need for a remedy, a sacrifice, and God’s acceptance of the sacrifice. In the Lord’s presence, there was reconciliation and spiritual rest from guilt—it was the truest fellowship between humans (sinful though we are) and a holy God. Therein was hope, that despite all that was going on in life, God was always leaning in toward His people, ready for them to come and enter His presence.

Similarly, today, we are believer-priests (1 Peter 2:5-9). God desires our presence before Him and wants to fellowship with us. Psalm 133 connects this picture on many levels with fellowship, not the least of which are the following:

1) Fellowship with each other is like a priest fellowshipping with God—our connection moves to a higher plane than just having fun together with fellow believers or even having common theological beliefs.

2) Fellowship with each other involves representing one another to God. We earnestly pray on behalf of our brothers or sisters. We have each other’s “back” as we plead for help, grace, and mercy.

3) Fellowship means we go to God for our brothers, not against our brothers. We ask, on their behalf, for God’s reconciliation and forgiveness.

4) Fellowship means we don’t judge one another with condemnation in mind but spiritually encourage one another through our prayers and intercession.

The psalm describes fellowship as the dew that moistens the ground on a new day. The cloud cover on Mt. Hermon, Israel’s highest peak, ensured that the headwaters of the Jordan River flowed consistently and well. In an agrarian society like Israel’s, water is everything, and the abundant moisture is, as the psalm says, “life forever.” In the same way, our fellowship with God and with others is life-giving. When we do it well, we enrich our spiritual lives.

Lord, I want to increasingly experience the oil of good fellowship and drink its blessings. Thank You for blessing me and my fellow believers in this way.