“Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!” (Psalms 120:5)
David wrote this Psalm when he was a persecuted by Saul and on the occasion that Doeg the Edomite gave him up to Saul. David realizes he is in a hostile place. Mesech was the 5th son of Japhet son of Noah. He was not literally in Mesech which is in the northern lands of Gog and Magog, but he was in a very precarious place in the midst of enemies. Kedar was the name of the 2nd son of Ishmael. His people dwelled in black tents made of black skins. The saying to dwell in the tents of Kedar was to say he was living far from God. David realizes that he is among enemies and in a very perilous place. He was among his enemies. Such was the life of Lot also, living among the heathens in Sodom, exasperated by their ungodliness and wickedness. They would have killed him to do wickedness to his angel guests, thinking they were mere men. (Genesis 19:1-29)
When Peter wrote about Lot, he sums it up with this verse. “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:” (2Peter 2:9) There are two things that can happen when one lives among the wicked. Not only is the wickedness annoying and frustrating but tempting. A person of a weak nature can be tempted and fall into the sin around him. If he doesn’t fall into sin, he is rescued by the Lord when judgement comes.
There was another time David found himself in the midst of enemies who would have killed him. He is escaping Saul and goes to Gath but is recognized and taken to the king of Gath. Achish the king of Gath would have killed him, but David acts like a crazy man. Scripture gives no explanation why David would act like a madman for the king of Gath. Without knowing about Achish the king of Gath, it makes no sense. But David knew what he was doing. Achish the king of Gath wants nothing to do with a madman. History tells us that Achish’s wife and daughter were mad. He had enough madness in his house. He didn’t need more, and David was released. (1 Samuel 12:10-15)
It is very distressing to live among the enemy. And in reality, that is what we Christians do. We live in the world that is totally the opposite of godly. We hear their curses and are pounded every day with their ungodly thinking, reasoning and actions. And sometimes we cannot say anything. We know we live counterculture. To speak out against such things which pertain to how a person perceives himself or his actions that are sinful is seen as hateful and punishable by discernable disregard in the workplace and other social areas of life. There is a total unconcern for the lifestyle and beliefs of the believer while applauding the lifestyle of outright sinners. Rightness is considered wrong. And wrong is considered right. This is the world we live in.
We can echo David’s lament. “Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!” Although we will not suffer death in the west as in other parts of the world, there is persecution. Will we flee like David to a more agreeable place? Will we act like their crazy companion in the craziness of their sinfulness? Or will the Lord rescue us like He rescued Lot? The answer is that we cannot flee. God has placed us in these places of darkness to shine and declare righteousness.
We don’t have to condemn others, their behavior or beliefs, but we can declare that our behavior and beliefs are just as valid and stand strong in righteousness regardless of the persecution, while being the love and excellence of the Lord on display at work and at social activities. We don’t have to participate in anything that we consider sinful. And the simple reply is that such things offend our God, and our participation would offend our God. The risk is flip flopping. When we are inconsistent, people will see us as flakes and fakes. In this world our actions and reactions reflect on our Lord. Our reputation reflects God’s reputation. This is the world we live in. This is how we must discern and be on guard against betraying the trust the Lord has placed on us. Jesus purposely left us here in this dark earth to be His light in the darkness. Jesus prayed to the Father, “I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” (John 17:15-16) Jesus prayed that we wouldn’t fall into the trap of inviting more sin into our lives and participating in it.
The Lord will deliver us from this sinful and dark world. The time will come when we meet Him in the air and be taken out of this world. It may or may not be in our lifetime. But before the judgement, like Lot, God will take us out. “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1Thessalonians 4:14-17)
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