Psalm 120: Dwelling in Meshech and Kedar

Today’s reading is Psalm 120.

Dwelling in Enemy Territory

The lament of vs. 5 is admittedly odd. The Israelites never dwelt in Meshech or Kedar. Meshech was a descendant of Japheth (Genesis 10:2; 1 Chronicles 1:5), whose people dwelt far north of Israel by the Black Sea. Kedar was a descendant of Ishmael (Genesis 25:13; 1 Chronicles 1:29) who dwelt in the Arabian desert southeast of Israel. To my knowledge, there is no connection with these locations and either the exodus from Egypt or the exiles in Assyria and Babylon. The point seems to be metaphorical. As the statement “from Dan to Beersheba” was often used to try to metaphorically encompass all Israel, it seems Meshech and Kedar are used to refer to opposite extremes of being stuck outside the Promised Land.

When the psalmist cries, “Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!” we discover the first step of pilgrimage. We have to realize we don’t dwell where we truly want to dwell. We have to look at our surroundings and believe they are lamentable. “Woe to me, I am not on God’s holy hill.” This may be one of the most difficult steps. If we have grown up in Meshech or Kedar, we likely won’t recognize the curse of dwelling there. What a shift to look at the place we were raised and decide some place else is better.

Again, I appreciate the insight of Eugene Peterson in his comments on Psalm 120 as the start of our pilgrimage. When we move out of the metaphor of Meshech and Kedar and move into the practical reality of our lives, this recognition that where we live is not where we should live, that actually we need to take a long journey to a different dwelling place is what we call Repentance.

I really hate to quote the same book two days in a row, but I simply can’t say it better than this:

Repentance is not an emotion. It is not feeling sorry for your sins. It is a decision. It is deciding that you have been wrong in supposing that you could manage your own life and be your own god; it is deciding that you were wrong in thinking that you had, or could get, the strength, education and training to make it on your own; it is deciding that you have been told a pack of lies about yourself and your neighbors and your world. And it is deciding that God in Jesus Christ is telling you the truth. Repentance is a realization that what God wants from you and what you want from God are not going to be achieved by doing the same old things, thinking the same old thoughts. Repentance is a decision to follow Jesus Christ and become his pilgrim in the path of peace.

Eugene Peterson, “A Long Obedience in the Same Direction,” IVP, Downers Grove, 2021, p 24

If you haven’t figured it out yet, Meshech and Kedar are awful. They hold nothing for you worth any value. This world is not our home. We are just sojourners here. Let us throw off the lies of the world and its ruler, grab hold of Jesus’s garments, and start the pilgrimage to God’s holy hill. Yes, this first step is hard. It is even painful. The liars around us will mock us and belittle us. It will seem unnatural and abnormal. We will experience pain. But the journey will be worth it. I promise you.

Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 120.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Psalm 120 prompt or improve your hope in God?

When Nations Rage

Today’s reading is Psalm 46.

Of course, the mountains were not actually falling into the sea. The earth was not actually melting. Perhaps we get a clearer picture of what is going on when Korah’s son says, “The nations rage, the kingdoms totter.” There is geo-political turmoil. Wars and rumors of wars. Kings rise and fall. One nation topples another and another and another. And those nations threaten God’s nation, God’s city.

However, in contrast to the roaring and foaming, earth engulfing seas, there is a river whose streams make glad God’s city. The psalmist calls to mind the rivers of Eden that fed the tree of life. The river seems to represent God Himself (see Isaiah 8:6; Jeremiah 2:13). Doesn’t this call to mind a contrast with Psalm 42 and 43? There the psalmist was faced with dehydration or drowning. Here the psalmist is in a city with a calming, peaceful, life-giving river. Even while the rest of the world floods.

Let me ask you. Do you look around you and hear the nations raging? Have you witnessed the protests? Have you seen the riots? Do you hear the fighting and bickering over everything?

One of the struggles we face that Israel didn’t is we have dual citizenship. An Israelite was an Israelite. By definition, their earthly kingdom was God’s kingdom. Even if they were taken captive by another nation, while they may have had to figure out how to live there, they knew they were still Israelites, and they were actually living in an enemy nation. However, we who are part of God’s kingdom today are also part of other earthly kingdoms. We don’t view our life in earthly nations as time in enemy territory. If we are not careful, we can allow our earthly citizenship to get mixed up with our heavenly one. We lose sight of the fact that if our earthly nation falls, God’s kingdom is not destroyed. Therefore, when the nations rage, especially our own nation, we start to get anxious, fearful, panicky.

Add to that, if the nation raging then starts to add an attack on Christ’s kingdom, we get doubly scared. Hand wringing, fretting, worrying, anxiety, stress. The “what ifs” start up. “What if they take away our tax exempt status?” “What if they label our preaching hate speech?” “What if they take our buildings away from us?” “What if they imprison our preachers and elders?” “AAAAAGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!” Then we start plotting. We start developing political plans. Historically, some have even developed military plans. But this is not God’s way.

The sons of Korah, help us see where we truly stand. We stand with the God of Jacob, the Lord of hosts. When God decides to speak, the earth will melt. That is, when God finally lets His voice be heard, the raging nations and tottering kingdoms will do nothing to His people. God stops wars. God stops armies. God stops political machinations. God shatters spears and breaks bows and disarms nukes.

When enemies rise and nations rage, it may seem like the foundations are falling out from under us. But our God reigns. And our God is with us. That doesn’t mean none of us will face discomfort, pain, persecution, even death. It does mean none of that can take away our salvation or our relationship with God. It does mean our eternity is secure. It does mean we have nothing to fear. Even if we die in this battle, we still win. After all, that is exactly what happened to our God, isn’t it?

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 46.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family

1. What are your initial reactions to the psalm and the written devo above?
2. Why do you think it is easy to get fixated on our earthly countries, nations, and citizenship?
3. How do we live faithfully as God’s kingdom citizens even while living as citizens of an earthly country also?
4. Which should we choose when the earthly nation goes against God’s kingdom?
5. What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this psalm and our discussion today?