Woe is me, for I sojourn in Meshech,
For I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
Psalm 120:5
When we are in the world we realize, “Woe is me.” Meshech was a descendant of Japheth. In the Bible there are three lines, from the three sons of Noah: the line of Japheth, the line of Ham, and the line of Shem. In the book of Genesis, Noah blessed his son Japheth by saying that God would enlarge him (Gen. 9:27). This means that Japheth’s line would have the ability to conquer and become prevailing. But the line of Japheth has nothing to do with God Himself. God’s will is not accomplished through the line of Japheth. Instead, His will is accomplished through the line of Shem. For us to sojourn in the land of Meshech means we are in a land that may be prosperous and powerful, but we are outside of the good land where God accomplishes His purpose.
Meshech represents the world which is conquering and prevailing. The business world is like this. People form partnerships so that their business can become more prevailing and successful. Human history is a history of conquering. It is a history of prosperity. But such a history is not a history of God’s economy. The young people among us should realize that in the world they may have a great future, but that great future has nothing to do with God. They can become the president of a company. But all of that has nothing to do with God’s desire. It is all vanity. This is why the psalmist says, “Woe is me, for I sojourn in Meshech.”
Adapted from The Journey of Life, page 16.
Tomorrow: “The Lord at Our Right Hand”