When it melts, the snowcapped peak of Mount Hermon feeds the headwaters of the Jordan River.

MOUNT HERMON A Reminder of the Blessing of Unity

PSALM 133

 RESTING IN THE SHADOW of Mount Hermon today, Israel's Hurshat Tal National Park offers beautiful lawns, rolling streams, and groves of centuries-old Tabor oak trees a beautiful setting for families and friends to relax. Hurshat Tal means "The Dew Grove", a name derived from Psalm 133:3:

Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion. And there the LORD has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting.

King David's words in Psalm 133 contrast with the rebellions, murderous power grabs, and heart-wrenching family fights he experienced during his reign (2 Sam. 11-18). These scenes served as a dark backdrop to David's words in Psalm 133:1: "How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony"!

David compared the blessing of unity to the "dew from Mount Hermon", which refers to the mountain range's abundant rainfall averaging sixty inches annually. As Israel's highest peak, Mount Hermon has snowcapped hills year-round, and its snowmelt feeds the headwaters of the Jordan River. The dew of Hermon never falls on Jerusalem, but David's words would have caused his readers to imagine the blessing of all that water on the Holy City, which had a modest water supply.

David compares the blessing of people dwelling together in unity to a multitude of cool, refreshing streams that flow in dry places. David knew first hand the difference between simply dwelling together and living "together in harmony" (Ps. 133:1). David's words come out of painful experiences and offer us timeless wisdom. Unity comes at a cost like expensive oil to anoint a priest or the miracle of water transported from Mount Hermon to Jerusalem. But the cost of unity is a lot cheaper than the painful fallout from prideful hearts.

Many homes have families that don't get along. In the same way, churches have believers who worship under the same roof but remain anonymous, or worse, divisive. Failing to work together for harmony is like depriving dry land of water during a long drought. The path to unity begins with personal humility and forgiveness. When this occurs, the results come directly from God: overflowing blessing and life everlasting.