THE BLESSING

By Kyle Bowden

Psalm 133:3 — “As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.”

During the conquest under Joshua, the southern part of Jerusalem was allotted to the tribe of Judah, and the northern part to the tribe of Benjamin. In the first chapter of Judges, Judah took the city from the south, but Benjamin was unable to drive out the Jebusites from the north.

About four hundred years later, Israel anointed David king. Scripture tells us that he and his men went and took the Jebusite stronghold, Mount Zion. The mount became the place where David resided, and there he built the City of David. Jerusalem became the capital of Israel and the place where David brought the Ark of the Covenant from the house of Obededom.

It was here that David desired to build a house for the Ark of God. But the Lord told David, through the prophet Nathan, that instead He would make David a house establishing his seed after him and setting up his kingdom forever. In 2 Samuel 7:29 David said, “For thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed forever.”

Although Psalm 133 primarily focuses on unity, King David also allows us to glimpse another theme: the Lord’s blessing. The value of a blessing comes from the one who bestows it, making God’s blessing incomparable. It cannot be equated with anything else. You won’t find it on a market shelf or in a hotel brochure rack for people to grab at their leisure.

Scripture says that those who repent, are baptized in Jesus’ name, and filled with the Holy Ghost have come to a heavenly Mount Zion:

“But ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels.” — Hebrews 12:22

The mount David conquered became the symbolic mountain of the church.

Many desire the blessing of God. Some seek it but cannot obtain it; others are misled, thinking they have it when they do not.

People often point to natural things; a spouse, children, a house, a vehicle, food, clothing, and call them blessings. While these are indeed blessings from God, they stem from the natural blessing given to Adam and Eve. That blessing had a lifespan, coming to an abrupt end when mankind fell into the clutches of death’s domain.

David’s blessing, however, is a resolution to that ancient pronouncement. He said of his holy seed, “That he should still live forever, and not see corruption.” (Psalm 49:9)

David was denied the privilege of building the house of God because he had shed much blood. Yet he saw the Lord’s Day when the prophet declared of his seed, “He shall build me a house for my name.” Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of that promise.

Before His ascension, Jesus instructed His disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high, and that the message of His Name should begin in Jerusalem. He positioned them exactly where David had stood—on the mountains of Zion. The disciples returned to Jerusalem with great joy, continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.

On the Day of Pentecost, the power of God fell. Jerusalem became the birthplace of the church and the first place where the Jesus Name message was preached. Christ had begun building the house.

Many today bypass the account in Jerusalem, jumping straight to the epistles and isolating scripture to fit their traditions. But making the trek to Jerusalem requires unloading baggage, something many refuse to do. They cling to fleeting possessions and choose the populous path of ease rather than peer into the heights of Zion.

Decades of false doctrine have lulled minds to sleep while the inner soul still longs for spiritual substance. The Father’s blessing awaits those who, like the prodigal son, “come to themselves” and realize that servanthood is better than feeding among the swine.

The gospel seeks those who will listen and walk upward to the blessed mount, for they come to Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem. As Moses called the seventy elders up Mount Sinai, our Lord speaks from heaven, calling those willing to make the upward journey. What is veiled in the lower regions cannot be seen until one travels to higher ground. As Abraham ascended the mount, he received revelation and spiritual illumination, saying, “In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.”

When David prepared to take Mount Zion, the Jebusites boasted proudly, “Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither.” Here Benjamin becomes our teacher. After years of Jebusite presence in Jerusalem, Benjamin grew complacent, disobeying God’s command to drive out the inhabitants. Coerced by the Jebusites’ benign threat, they presumed God’s commandment was the “former standard,” no longer relevant for their “new day.”

Like the twelve spies who brought an evil report, Benjamin conceded their rightful territory and blessing. They failed to see the mount as a blessing because of its fortified walls and rough terrain. They embraced traditions of men, choosing well‑traveled routes that bypassed Jerusalem altogether. False notions and complacency strapped them into the proverbial death chair, and the tribe nearly perished by the end of Judges.

The fight was too great; the fear of casualties paralyzed them from obtaining the blessing. But what Benjamin failed to conquer, David (a man after God’s own heart) took in triumph, bringing his whole house to Mount Zion.

Those eager to make the trek upward to Mount Zion have been given guidance through the Bible. It is a large book, so here are a few fundamentals to help begin the journey:

• What is possessed outside the mountain’s borders must be dispossessed.

• A woman ought not wear makeup or jewelry on this ascent—the heat and sweat will dissolve fleeting charms.

• Organized recreational sports must be put aside; they exhaust the traveler and leave him disoriented.

• Hollywood’s influence will taunt the soul, leaving the vulnerable fainthearted.

• Pride and arrogance will end the upward mission quickly.

• The rugged terrain will not allow a heavy television to be hauled up the mount, for the prophet said, “Woe unto them who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope.”

• Social media and big tech carry a poisonous bite, leading the soul down the trail of vanity.

• Envy and strife will halt the journey, wasting precious time as the soul seethes toward bitterness.

• Cumbering sins should be brought to Mount Calvary and laid at the foot of the cross before the journey begins.

• Carry a copy of the Beatitudes for guidance.

• Follow your navigator (your pastor) to ensure you’re traveling in the right direction.

When the top of Mount Zion is reached (that is, heaven itself) the Psalm of David may be read of us:

“For thou hast made him most blessed forever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.” — Psalm 21:6