7 Stories of Unity in the Bible

What is a good example of unity in the Bible?

Introduction

Anyone religious can tell you that within the Bible are many important lessons.

The Bible is filled with tales and anecdotes that teach us valuable lessons for later on in life.

Not only can the Bible be a great grounding for helping us understand each other, but it can also be essential for helping us understand ourselves. Among the most important lessons in the Bible, though, are stories of unity.

The Bible preaches harmony and working together, so what are some of the best stories of unity in the Bible?

Let’s take a look.

Below are, in our view, the seven stories of unity in the Bible that make it so much easier to understand why unity matters so much.

The Seven Stories Of Unity In The Bible: What Does The Bible Say About Unity?

The Bible has many stories that focus on the importance of unity and togetherness. While the seven stories below only cover a fraction of these tales, they provide some of the most illuminating stories about unity within families, friends, and communities.

#1 Psalm 78:4-7

The first story of unity we wish to highlight from the Bible stems from Psalm.

In this part of the Bible, a very important topic is raised: the importance of unity from one generation of people to the next.

Think, for a moment, about your opinions that your parents might not.

Then, think of your parents’ disagreements and different views compared to your grandparents.

It is rare for two generations to think entirely alike.

The upbringing of someone in a new generation often provides different worldviews and points of interest.

As such, this can create division as we find ourselves at odds with the views and opinions of the people we love. In Psalm, though, it is declared the importance of passing down the word of God to the next generation.

The hope is that with this form of unity, we can help retain the Ten Commandments and ensure that future generations retain the piety of those who came before.

That is very important, as in the modern world, it can feel increasingly easy for each generation to move away from religious scripture to guide their way through this confusing, complex world.

Scripture such as Psalms focuses on ensuring that previous generations are there to guide future generations on the right path.

Instead of focusing on the differences between generations, we should focus on the existing connections and combinations.

Even with the changes in thinking and culture from generation to generation, having that unity together helps foster a better future for all.

#2 John 5:26

In the fifth chapter of John, an important quote is provided: “For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself.”

This is a vital quote that speaks about the unity between a father and son.

Both can say that they have a life within themselves. But, without a father, a son cannot exist – and without a son, a father might not feel fulfilled in life.

Your life starts because you are conceived by your parents, right? Without that union, you would never have been born.

That unity results in the creation of another human being who can have that same unity with another person. However, without God, none of this life could be possible. God grants us the ability to live our own lives, but there is a lesson here about the importance of unity.

Unity with another being allows us to bring new life into this world.

Without that unity, we would not be able to continue our species.

Many stories of unity within the Bible focus on the importance of a strong family dynamic, and given that our parents conceive us and bring us into this world, it is important to focus on the fact that, without our parents, we would never be here.

This section of the Bible can be interpreted in many ways, but it is one of many stories within the Bible that focuses strongly on the importance of unity.

#3 Genesis 27:30

Orvieto – Duomo facade. The first pillar: scenes from Genesis

Arguably one of the most important sections of the Bible, Genesis is a revered part of scripture thanks to the enormity of the lessons that can be learned from within.

In Genesis, we are told the story of Joseph, which has a very important focus on the quality of unity.

As we know, Joseph is loved by his father, Jacob, arguably more than any of his other brothers due to his arrival to his father in later life. However, this focus on love from Jacob destroys the unity of the family; his other brothers grow covetous of the love that Josep receives.

When Joseph shared his prophetic visions with his family, the straw broke the camel’s back.

The story shows that Joseph is sold into slavery, his father told that animals instead killed him, and in prison, Joseph meets many individuals who had served under the Pharaoh.

His ability to translate their dreams into predictions that come true naturally drew many people to Joseph.

God has shown that there would be seven years of feast and seven years of famine, so he prepares accordingly with a food bank.

When his brothers arrive to buy grain as they have no food, Joseph shows the importance of unity with family and forgives his brothers.

Joseph makes clear in later parts of Genesis that he does not hold against his brothers what they did and that their arrival in Egypt was fated so that Joseph could preserve their lives and further cement their change of heart for what they have done.

This lesson teaches us that even when our families commit wrong actions, we can still forgive them and bring the family back together – if they show a change of heart.

#4 Genesis 25:27-34

bible stories about unity and working together

The prayer of Jacob – Picture from The Holy Scriptures, Old and New Testaments books collection published in 1885, Stuttgart-Germany

A previous section of Genesis focuses on the Bible’s two important names: Jacob and Esau.

As twins, Jacob and Esau grow up having lived very different lives.

Jacob is very much a ‘mother’s boy’ and very quiet. Esau, meanwhile, was an outdoorsman with a skill for hunting and thus the apple of his father’s eye.

After coming home from a hunt, Esau was hungry.

He asked his brother to give him some stew; Jacob asked for his birthright in exchange.

As Esau is the older of the two twins, he is set to inherit a larger portion of their father’s inheritance

. Jacob uses the short-term hunger of his brother, providing food today for a greater portion of the rewards in the future.

A further wedge is driven between the brothers, though, when their mother and Jacob look to convince their father, Isaac, to provide his blessing to Jacob instead of Esau.

Esau finds out about this, threatening to murder Jacob for his deception. Jacob flees, ashamed of what has happened, but they meet and reconcile in the years to come.

The lesson here is simple: almost anything can be overcome between blood.

Even the most significant and devious deceptions can be overcome if the two family members are committed to being in each other’s lives once again.

#5 Ephesians 5:22-3

Unity is a guiding topic within the Bible, and large parts of the Bible speak about the importance of familial unity.

In the fifth chapter of Ephesians, there is a section that speaks heavily about the importance of the family unit.

At one stage in this section of the Bible, Paul discusses the relationship between a husband and wife.

In the view of Paul, a husband and wife should submit to one another just as they do to the Lord himself. He believes they should love and devote themselves to one another in the same strength of feeling as Jesus did for the church.

According to Paul, such a deep sense of submission to one another is a great way to show the world the power and importance of unification.

Unity within the family is a vital story, one of the most important stories in the Bible.

Many stages of the Bible talk about the importance of keeping a family together and the often painful consequences of when a family loses that unity.

The Bible has many stories that give us a clear example of what happens when unity is broken and when divisions are allowed to fester.

We might not always agree with our family’s actions, but we can believe that the actions they take in life are, in their eyes, at least, the right ones.

Our beloved family members are to stand by and provide that same unity and support in these challenging times.

#6 Acts 2:1-4

Jesus tells the disciples that they may pick corn – Picture from The Holy Scriptures, Old and New Testaments books collection published in 1885

Anyone familiar with the scripture of the Bible will understand the importance of this particular story.

The unity of Jesus’ disciples is one of the most important stories told in the Bible.

This occurs in the second chapter of Acts and is a crucial understanding of how his disciples acted in the immediate aftermath.

In this part of the Bible, Jesus asks his disciples to wait together as one group, not to disband or fall away from one another. He requests that each disciple head to Jerusalem as a group.

As noted in the Bible, when the day of Pentecost arrived, the disciples were still together, unified as one.

As such, they could fulfill what Jesus had asked of them – to stick together, to stay unified, even in the face of what they had lost.

The disciples all stayed together and joined one another in prayer.

They also shared various forms of scripture with one another, wanting to share the greatest reading they could find. More importantly, though, they retained a sense of togetherness, always encouraging each other to do the right thing and to work together.

There is also a strong focus on remembering all that Jesus had said and done for the disciples during his time with them.

The disciples all stay together, waiting for the promise of the Father to arrive.

It is an important tale of unity within the Bible and shows the importance of people sticking together even when losing the very thing that brought them together in the first place.

#7 Nehemiah 4:15-23

Entry into Jerusalem. 1) Le Sainte Bible: Traduction nouvelle selon la Vulgate par Mm. J.-J. Bourasse et P. Janvier

The last story of unity in the Bible that we wish to draw attention to revolves around rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls.

The wall around Jerusalem has been destroyed, and it fell to Nehemiah to devise a solution to rebuild it.

As they worked on rebuilding the wall, those who were hostile to the Israelites would continue to lay siege and limit the work.

Nehemiah shows that the group managed to work through the challenges they faced.

They devised solutions that allowed them to continue building despite the attacks.

The simple solution that Nehemiah came up with was this: instead of everyone working on the wall, half would work on the wall, and half would stand guard.

By bringing together everyone to work on the task from different angles, Nehemiah created unity within his workers.

This ensured that workers no longer felt discouraged about working on the wall’s construction, nor did they fear for their safety.

The guards provided protection, meaning the opposition was less likely to attack as they would face resistance.

The story of Nehemiah, then, is a great example of unity in a shared purpose.

When we all work together to achieve success, we can do great things we would have never thought possible. Only through this kind of togetherness and unity can we make sure that we can build a happier future for all.

Whether it comes from sharing the load or working together differently, Nehemiah is an example of leadership and using resources intelligently to remove uncertainty and boost results.