These verses provide another opportunity to better understand the Ancient Near East, the world where the people of God lived and dwelled for generations—and where Jesus Himself lived.
Meshech was likely a reference to a region north of Judah, in what is now modern-day Turkey. Its people were known to be distant, warlike, and barbaric. Kedar was an Arab tribe descended from Ishmael (Abraham’s older son), often seen as uncivilized and aggressive because they were nomadic tent-dwellers.
The writer of this psalm may have literally lived in Meshech or among the tents of Kedar. But these places could have also been metaphors, expressing how the psalmist felt—isolated, alone, and perhaps surrounded by hostility.
Much like this psalmist, I find it exhausting sometimes just trying to make it in the world. It often feels like everything around me is curated to weigh me down—from the media I take in, to the sugar I can’t seem to resist, to the constant stress that never seems to let up. Even when my home, work, or family environments aren’t openly hostile, the culture I live in can still feel overwhelming and hard to navigate. Like the psalmist, I find myself longing for a place where I can finally live in peace.
But as I make my own ascent toward God, singing songs of praise and worship—even when I feel attacked or alone—I’m reminded that true peace doesn’t come from the world around me. It comes from the Spirit of God who dwells within me. And His peace is more than enough to sustain me through any circumstance.