Behold, how good and how pleasant it is

For brothers to dwell together in unity!

It is like the good oil upon the head,

Coming down upon the beard, Aaron’s beard,

Coming down upon the edge of his robes.

It is like the dew of Hermon

Coming down upon the mountains of Zion;

For there, Yahweh commanded the blessing—life forever.

~ Psalm 133

So what is Psalm 133 telling us? In short, it equates unity to two things: oil and dew – and where they come down, blessings result. Let’s look at dew by first asking: what is the difference between dew and rain?

Rain is often viewed as a definite blessing – certainly to a farmer it is. To a farmer, it is the very gift of the Heavens. Without rain, drought results, crops wither, and life halts. Indeed, rain gives life to the earth. But what of the humble dew drop?

No one ever thinks of the humble dew drop as a source of blessing. No one even notices that it appears or even knows when it’s gone. Here in B’More, it is basically a non-happening, even though it happens. 

But, in the Middle East, especially in the mountains, dew matters more. Much more. Dew out there is important because it helped bridge the gap from one dry spell to another. Until the rains arrive, the dew drop sustains. Dew quietly blesses and fills the in-between moments of a plant’s life.

“My head is drenched with dew, my locks with the dew drops of the night.” ~ SoS 5:2

(It is also interesting to note how dew figures prominently in the story of Gideon in Judges 6. God used dew to confirm His will and indicate His presence. Aside: Back then, they actually used to collect dew for irrigation purposes.)

Application: Give thanks. Life is full of blessings, both big and small. It’s easy to thank God for the rains, especially after a dry spell. But the everyday, little blessings are often overlooked, let alone given thanks for. Let us give God thanks for the small things in our life as well. While rain gives life, dew quietly holds it together.

Collecting Dew: Count your many blessings and thank God and others for them. Gratitude expressed, horizontally and vertically, will lead to a slow burn joy – a joy that slowly surges over time. The God of the sparrows is the God of the dew drop (Matt. 10:29).