Unity is a precious gift from God. It is the bond that holds us together as His children, His family, His body. Unity is the result of our common calling, our common character, and our common confession. Unity is the mark of a true church, a true community, a true witness.
But how do we achieve unity in a world that is full of division, conflict, and confusion? How do we overcome the challenges and temptations that threaten to tear us apart? How do we live in harmony with one another as members of one body?
The answer is found in the Bible. The Bible is not only a book of truth, but also a book of unity. The Bible reveals God’s plan for His people to live together in peace and love. The Bible shows us how God’s people have experienced unity in different times and places. The Bible teaches us how to preserve and promote unity among ourselves.
In this article, we will look at five stories of unity in the Bible that can inspire us to seek and maintain unity with one another. These stories are:
5 Stories of Unity in the Bible
Here are 5 stories of unity in the Bible to help fuel your relationship with God and man.
1. Unity Of The Disciples of Jesus (Mark 6:7-13) and the Lesson to Learn
One of the most amazing stories in the Bible is the story of how Jesus sent out his twelve disciples to preach the gospel and heal the sick. This story is found in Mark 6:7-13, and it shows us how Jesus prepared his followers for their mission, how he gave them authority and power, and how he expected them to act.
The story begins with Jesus calling his twelve disciples to him and telling them that he was going to send them out two by two, as he had done before with his other disciples. He gave them authority over the unclean spirits, which means that they could cast out evil spirits from people who were possessed by them. He also gave them a simple instruction: they should take nothing for their journey except a staff, no bread, no bag, no money in their belts. They should wear sandals and not put on two tunics. This was a way of showing humility, simplicity, and dependence on God.
Jesus also told them where they should go: wherever they entered a house, they should stay there until they left. If any place would not welcome them or listen to them, when they left, they should shake off the dust that was on their feet as a testimony against them. This was a way of showing respect, obedience, and witness.
The twelve disciples followed Jesus’ instructions and went out to proclaim that people should repent. Repentance means turning away from sin and turning to God. It means changing one’s mind, heart, and behavior. It means accepting God’s forgiveness and grace.
The twelve disciples did not go alone; they went together as a team. They supported each other, encouraged each other, and prayed for each other. They also shared their resources, their burdens, and their joys. They worked together as a team; they complemented each other’s strengths; they supported each other’s weaknesses; they trusted each other’s decisions.
The twelve disciples did not go empty-handed; they carried God’s word with them. They proclaimed that people should repent; they announced God’s kingdom; they invited people to join God’s family. They also demonstrated God’s power with them; they cast out many demons; they anointed with oil many who were sick; they healed many who were suffering.
The twelve disciples did not go unnoticed; they made an impact wherever they went. They shook off the dust from their feet as a testimony against those who rejected them or ignored them. They left behind a legacy of faithfulness, courage, and compassion.
What can we learn from this story? Here are lessons we can apply to our lives today:
Jesus’ disciples were able to accomplish their mission because they worked together as a team. They supported each other and relied on each other’s strengths. They also shared the message of God’s love and grace with others. They did not compete or compare with each other, but rejoiced in each other’s success.
2. The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)
These 5 Stories of Unity in the Bible won’t be complete without the story of the prodigal son.
There was a very rich person. He had two sons. The first son was hard working. He always obeyed his father. He was a very good and nice person. But the second son was different from the first son.
He was lazy. He did not work in his father’s field. He was disobedient to his father.
He wanted to lead a gay and free life.
One day, the younger son said to his father. “Father, give me my share of the property.” The father felt very sad. He divided the property.
The second son took his share of the property. He left home with his share. He went to a distant land. There he made a lot of friends. He spent his property lavishly on his friends, food, and drinks. He had many bad habits too.
He wasted all the money. Soon he was left with no money. His friends saw this. They all deserted him one by one.
At that time, there was a famine in that land. He could not get any job. None of his friends gave him food or money. He was forced to take up a very meaningful job. His job was to feed the pigs. Very often he ate the food kept for the pigs. He was very sad about his present condition.
He soon began to think of his father and his brother. He said to himself, “In my father’s house, even the servants have enough food. They get good shelter too. But here, I am struggling for food and shelter. I will go back to my father. I will beg him to take me as his servant.”
So decided, the prodigal son set out for his father’s house.
In the meantime, his father was always thinking of his second son.
He would sit near the windows. He would look out at the road, expecting his son to return home.
One day his father saw his son coming at a distance. He ran out of his house in great joy. He met his son on the way.
His son knelt. He said, “Father, I am not fit to be your son.
Take me as your servant.”
His father lifted his lovingly.
He embraced him. He turned to his servants. He said, “Bring the best robe. Put it on my son.
Put a ring on his fingers and shoes on his feet.
Kill the fatted calf. Prepare a feast. Let us eat and enjoy. My son was lost.
Now he is the fount.”
The elder son was returning from his work. He heard the sound of the music and dancing from his house. He asked one of his servants about it.
His servant told him, “Your brother has come. Your father is rejoicing at his return.
A fatted calf has been killed to prepare for a delicious feast and celebration.
The first son was angry and he refused to enter his house.
The father came out and begged his elder son to come in for rejoicing.
The elder son said, “I have obeyed you all these years.
I have done all your works. But you never gave me even a kid to enjoy with my friends. This son wasted all your money and property, And you order a fatted calf for him!”
His father replied, “My dear son, you are always with me, All my property is yours.
Your younger brother was dead, Now he is alive. He was lost. Now he is found. Therefore should we not rejoice?”
The elder son understood the love behind the words of his father.
He forgot everything about his younger brother. He decided to take part in the celebration. He was happy.
The lesson on unity: The parable of the Prodigal Son shows us the unity of God’s love and forgiveness. God is like the father in the story, who loves both of his sons unconditionally and wants them to be reconciled. God does not hold grudges or keep records of wrongs, but rejoices when a sinner repents and returns to him. God also wants us to love and forgive each other, and to share in his joy. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ, and we are all part of God’s family. We should not let pride, resentment, or bitterness divide us, but rather seek unity and peace.
3. The Story Of Jacob’s and Esau’s
One of the most fascinating stories in the Bible is the story of Jacob and Esau, the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah. This story reveals God’s sovereign plan for choosing a nation and a line of descent that would lead to the Messiah. It also shows us the importance of being faithful to God’s call and not compromising our spiritual values for worldly gain.
The story begins with Esau, who was born first and had the birthright, which gave him the privilege of inheriting his father’s blessing. However, Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew, because he was famished and in a hurry. He did not realize that he was giving up his inheritance and his destiny for a temporary satisfaction. He also did not care about his brother’s feelings or his father’s wishes.
Jacob, on the other hand, was content to be a simple man who stayed at home with his mother. He did not seek his father’s favor or his brother’s approval. He trusted God to provide for him and to bless him in his own way. He also had a vision from God that revealed that he would become a great nation and that God would bless all the families of the earth through him.
The story continues with Isaac, who was old and blind when he received Esau and Jacob as gifts from their mother Rebekah. Isaac loved Esau more than Jacob, because he was a skillful hunter and enjoyed wild game. But Rebekah loved Jacob more than Esau, because she saw that he was a man of God. Isaac asked Esau to go hunt for him some game, so that he could eat before he died. Esau agreed, but he did not bring anything for himself.
Meanwhile, Rebekah overheard Isaac talking to Jacob about giving him the blessing that belonged to Esau. She told Jacob to go into the field and catch some rabbits for Isaac. She also gave him her servant girl as a wife, so that he could have children with her. She instructed Jacob to deceive Isaac by pretending to be Esau when he came back.
Jacob did as Rebekah said, but when Isaac saw him coming with the rabbits, he thought they were from Esau. He blessed Jacob and gave him the blessing that belonged to Esau: “May your descendants be like numerous as the dust of the earth; may you may your name be blessed; may you be blessed above all nations!” (Genesis 27:28).
Esau came back from hunting and found out what had happened. He was furious with Jacob for stealing his birthright and his blessing. He threatened to kill him, but Jacob fled away to his brother Laban’s house in Haran.
The story ends with Jacob living in Haran for twenty years, until God appeared to him in a dream and changed his name from Israel (meaning “he struggles with God”) to Israel (meaning “he prevails with God”). God also told him that he would return to Canaan someday and inherit it from his father Isaac.
The story of Jacob and Esau teaches us several lessons:
- God has a purpose for each person in His plan. He chose Jacob over Esau because He saw something special in him: faithfulness, obedience, humility, and perseverance.
- We should not sell our birthright or our inheritance for anything in this world. They are precious gifts from God that cannot be bought or exchanged.
- We should not neglect our spiritual growth or our relationship with God because of worldly distractions or temptations. They are temporary pleasures that cannot satisfy our deepest needs.
- We should seek God’s will above our own desires or expectations. He knows what is best for us and He will bless us according to His plan.
- We should be ready to face challenges or difficulties in life with courage and confidence. God will help us overcome them if we trust Him and follow Him.
4. The Tower Of Babel In The Bible
The fourth of these 5 Stories of Unity in the Bible is the building of the tower of Babel.
5. Joseph Unit With His Brothers (Genesis 42-45)
The story of Joseph and his brothers is one of the most dramatic and emotional stories in the Bible. It is a story of betrayal and forgiveness, of separation and reunion, and of unity and reconciliation.
The story begins with a severe famine that struck the land of Canaan, where Jacob and his sons lived. Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, and he sent his ten sons, except Benjamin, to buy food. He feared that harm might befall Benjamin, as it did to Joseph, whom he believed was dead.
The brothers arrived in Egypt and came before Joseph, who was the governor of the land and in charge of the grain distribution. Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. He remembered his dreams, and he decided to test them. He accused them of being spies and demanded that they bring their youngest brother to prove their honesty. He kept Simeon as a hostage and sent the rest back with grain and their money secretly returned in their sacks.
The brothers returned to their father and told him what had happened. Jacob was reluctant to let Benjamin go, but Judah offered to be responsible for him. The famine continued, and Jacob had no choice but to send his sons back to Egypt with Benjamin and double the money.
Joseph was overjoyed to see Benjamin, and he invited his brothers to dine with him. He ordered his steward to put his silver cup in Benjamin’s sack, and then sent them away. He then sent his men to chase them and search their sacks. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack, and Joseph declared that he would keep him as a slave. The brothers were shocked and dismayed, and they all returned to Joseph.
Judah pleaded with Joseph to let Benjamin go, and offered himself as a substitute. He explained how much his father loved Benjamin, and how his life was bound up with his. He said that he could not bear to see his father’s grief if he lost Benjamin.
Joseph could not restrain himself any longer, and he revealed his identity to his brothers. He wept aloud, and embraced them. He told them not to be angry or afraid, for God had sent him to Egypt to save their lives and to preserve a remnant of Israel. He asked them to bring their father and their families to Egypt, where he would provide for them.
The brothers were stunned and speechless, but they eventually accepted Joseph’s forgiveness and invitation. They returned to Canaan and told their father the good news. Jacob was incredulous, but when he saw the wagons and the gifts that Joseph had sent, he believed. He said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
The lesson on unity: The story of Joseph and his brothers shows us the power of unity and forgiveness. Joseph and his brothers were able to overcome their past hurts and conflicts, and to restore their family bond. Joseph did not seek revenge or hold a grudge, but he forgave his brothers and showed them kindness. He also recognized God’s hand in his life, and how he was used to fulfill God’s plan. His brothers also repented of their sin, and showed loyalty and love to their father and their brother Benjamin. They were willing to sacrifice themselves for their family’s sake. They also acknowledged Joseph’s authority and leadership, and bowed before him as his dreams had foretold.
Unity is a vital aspect of our Christian faith and life. The Bible shows us many examples of how unity can help us overcome challenges, achieve goals, and glorify God. Let us reflect on the importance of unity in our own lives and seek ways to build unity in our church and community. Let us pray for God to give us the spirit of unity and peace. Let us remember the words of Jesus: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35)
iNSPIRATIONAL PRAYER FOR UNITY.
God, We need you. Some days feel so broken and uncertain. We’re hurting, we’re struggling, and we’re aware, more than ever, of our own weaknesses, and of the dark forces that constantly surround us, fighting to gain ground in our lives and families. We choose to stand our ground today and say, “no more.” We ask for your help to set aside our differences and look to the greater cause, the cause of Christ. We ask that you would help us to truly live a life of love. We ask that you surround this country and cover us with your mighty hand. We pray for unity in our land, that despite our differences, we would be willing to stand strong together and live out our days with compassion and grace. Remind us to live aware, to redeem the time, listen to your words, and be willing to make a difference in this land. Give us the courage to speak out. Amen.
Powerful Bible Verse For Unity
Use these collections of unity scriptures to the unit with each other.
1 Corinthians 1:10
2 Corinthians 13:11
Acts 4:32
Ephesians 4:23
Galatians 3:28
John 13:35
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”
Philippians 2:2
Philippians 2:3
Romans 14:19
Matthew 18:19-20
Ephesians 4:11-13
Colossians 3:13-14
John 17:23
Psalm 133:1
Ephesians 4:1-6
1 Peter 3:8
1 John 4:12
Ephesians 4:3
Romans 12:16
Matthew 23:8
Philippians 2:1
Ephesians 1:10
2 Chronicles 30:12
Ephesians 2:14
Romans 12:4
Galatians 3:26-28
1 Corinthians 12:12-13
Ephesians 4:16
Romans 6:5
Final Thoughts
These stories of unity in the Bible inspire us to seek and maintain unity in our own lives. Whether it is in our families, churches, communities, or nations, unity is essential for fulfilling God’s purposes and glorifying his name. Let us remember the words of Psalm 133:1: “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”