TABERNACLECARDIFF - Heath Citizens Hall, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4EP

  Article by Dewi Higham

The choice of phrase in the Scriptures, when describing the presence of God, provides us with something of an insight into the nature of God. Fire conveys something of the overwhelming power of God, whilst the Dew and the Dove convey His wonderful gentleness. There are also a number of  other pictures, which we could have noted, such as the Wind and the Anointing. The three selected pictures of Fire, Dove and Dew, will provide us with a view of God which is full of awe and grace. Such is the nature of God’s presence, that both awe and grace can be experienced in the same moment.

Dove and Dew Contrasted.

The dew and the dove provide a similar picture of the presence of God.  The gentleness found in the dove, is somewhat reflected in the quietness of the dew. The dew comes unannounced, and silently appears on the ground and the surfaces of the vegetation, as the water vapour in the atmosphere condenses on cool surfaces.

The Dew of Hermon

The dew of Hermon mentioned in Psalm 133 is a most charming picture of blessing, where we read, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; 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.” (Psalm 133:1-3)

To introduce the dew of Hermon, it is worth mentioning the parallel picture of the precious ointment. This precious ointment, and its clear connection with the presence of God, adds some authenticity to our connecting the dew with the presence. The precious ointment was poured on the head of Aaron, and ran down his beard, even to the edges of his garment. The fragrance represents the delightfulness of God. The holy context of the ordination of a high priest adds holy reverence to the picture. The fact that it is poured from above is also indicative of God coming down upon a man, to bless his soul.

Furthermore, this language of anointing is used throughout Scripture, and is associated with the blessing of God upon a man’s ministry. We often speak of a man being anointed, which carries the idea of an effusion of God, and outpouring of the Spirit.

It is, therefore, with expectation that we turn to the dew of Hermon, and the dew that descended on the mountains of Zion. If the ointment is so clearly a picture of God’s presence and blessing, then the dew will surely carry some other aspect of God’s presence. Even the very mention of the dew descending, brings us again to the thought of God coming down. It is, in particular, the ability of dew to refresh the ground and bring with it fruitfulness, that is most relevant to the presence of God.

As we consider Hermon and the surrounding area, we should note that these arid areas depended much on the heavy dew, that was so typical of those parts. The dew of Hermon, it seems, was particularly heavy. This heavy dew would bring much needed moisture to the parched ground. The shepherds, also, would depend on this dew to refresh their sheep, as they travelled from fold to fold.

The Dew that Refreshes the Ground

With regard to the refreshing of the ground, we might first think of the parched ground as a picture of our poor hearts. The hard ground, interspersed with cracks, could represent the world, and, even to some extent, the church in our day. Yet in the church, there is a thirst for God. This godly thirst could be pictured as the readiness of the parched ground to draw in the moisture as it descends.

We gain much hope from this picture, for nature is quickly revived after a heavy shower, or in this case, after the descent of a heavy dew. We will find that the presence of God is an animating presence. It is a feature of our services, where men often arrive weary, but leave full of physical and spiritual energy. This is, of course, more than the body recovering from tiredness, for there is something powerful in the energising of the soul, that affects the whole constitution of man. Not surprisingly, we find this animating power in revival accounts, where men abounded with strength in worship and service.

Forgive me for bringing in a personal example with regard to my father, who was also my pastor for many years. I can testify, as many others also can, to the blessing of God upon his ministry. One of the most remarkable features of this ministry, especially as his physical strength wanes, is his appearance in the pulpit. Outside of the pulpit, he shows his age, and perhaps even more than his age, since the wear and tear of a faithful ministry has left its mark. However, a pastor and friend recently remarked  that my father sheds twenty years when he enters the pulpit and begins to preach the Word.

This dew can also be widespread, where the lethargic church, full of drooping hearts, suddenly becomes a different place altogether. The people are full of godly interest, the prayer meeting swells in attendance and life abounds.

The Dew that Leads to Fruitfulness

This dew brings fruitfulness. If you see ground saturated with moisture, you just know that there will be fruit. Likewise, when God is present, we have good reason to expect fruit. I recently attended a conference, where the Lord was near. I thought to myself, I am sure there will be fruit from this conference. It seems that this has been the case.

We could add the thought, that these conditions of heavy dew on the slopes of Hermon, would produce certain plants and flowers, not found elsewhere. Likewise, you see graces in the house of God, that you do not find in the world. Connected with this thought, is the fact that some of the Lord’s people seem to capture more of God and display more of Christ than others. I was told by a gentleman, who has some knowledge of those parts, that a certain type of flower is found on Hermon, where the petals form a cup-like shape. The flower is then able to capture and retain more of the moisture. Such are the hearts of some people, where their hearts become receptacles of the blessing of God.

There are times when the dew is exceptionally heavy: We can think of periods in the history of the church, when the fruit and the flower were exceptional. Some evidence of this beauty is captured in the writings of those times.

All this reflects the glory of Jesus Christ. If such beauty can be produced in human hearts, what must our Saviour be like? He is, indeed, the Rose of Sharon.

The Dew and Unity

We cannot pass by the significance of the context of this most special psalm, where the dew and precious ointment is associated with the unity of brethren. How delightful is this true unity, where men stand on the same truths, with great love for each other! There is much misunderstanding today on Christian unity. Suffice to say, that the unity put forward by many is a pale reflection of what is meant here.  Nevertheless, we must say this, that the unity described in Psalm 133 goes hand in hand with blessing and God’s presence. How important, therefore, is true unity! How beautiful is true unity! It is like the dew of Hermon.

Imagine a Service

Imagine a service, where God is present. The people are attentive and listening, as the dew is descending on them. The Lord is upon the sermon, as the preacher finds ease of utterance. The Lord is upon the congregation, where all untimely interruptions are prevented. The Lord is upon the hearts of the people, as the words sink deeply. Surely, we might reflect, there will be fruit.

The Fruit of Revivals in Wales

This fruitfulness and sense of refreshing was seen in Wales, during those two centuries of almost unbroken blessing. It was said, that on the Lord’s Day, you could walk the length of one of the valleys of Glamorganshire, and never be out of earshot of chapel singing. As you drew near one chapel, the singing could be heard, and would grow louder as you drew level. As you made your way past that chapel,  the singing would fade, but before fading altogether, the singing of another chapel could be heard. Such was the fruit of God’s presence, that chapels sprung up all over the land.

The character of the Welsh people was also greatly affected at this time.  Like all nations, the Welsh temperament has its faults, but to a large extent, those faults were submerged in the times of His presence. There were even occasions, when the white glove was presented to a county, where no court cases had been presented throughout the year.

What could be the cause of such a change as this? It is the dew of Hermon. It is the presence of God.