Unity Readings

Psalm

Psalm 133

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing: Life forevermore.

Discussion Questions

  1. The psalmist refers to unity as something that is particularly ‘good’ and ‘pleasant’ – what are some of the ways that unity achieves this?
  2. What is this oil that is referred to in the psalm, and why is it mentioned in the context of unity?
  3. What are some of the ways that we can practice living in unity, in our homes and in our service?

Old Testament Passage

2 Samuel 11: 6-11

Then David sent to Joab, saying, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David. 7 When Uriah had come to him, David asked how Joab was doing, and how the people were doing, and how the war prospered. 8 And David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah departed from the king’s house, and a gift of food from the king followed him. 9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. 10 So when they told David, saying, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Did you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?”

11 And Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open fields. Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.”

Discussion Questions

  1. In this passage, we see how great Uriah’s unity was with his fellow soldiers. He was very conscious of the danger and discomfort that they were in, to the point that he refused to accept his own comfort and pleasures whilst they were in distress. How can we grow this same spirit of unity within us?
  2. Shortly after this encounter, Uriah is killed in battle under the orders of King David. We had previously read in Psalm 133 that unity brings from blessing. How can we then reconcile this with the way that Uriah’s life ended?