Moment of Meditation: Tarshish (Genesis 10:4)

The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. Genesis 10:4 Jephthah’s grandson Tarshish was made famous by the prophet Jonah. When Jonah was called to preach to Nineveh, he sought to find a boat from Joppa going the opposite direction (Jonah 1:1-3). Tarshish is the Hebrew name for Tartessus in southwestern Spain. It was truly considered the end of the ancient world. There were no ports beyond that point that the Israelites would do business. Tarshish shows the ultimate extreme of the west as compared to the east. “As far as the east is from the west, so far does [God] remove our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). Yet Jesus also promises, “Many will come from the east and the west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 8:11). There is no place where you can go where God’s Word will not be proclaimed to remove sin and bring blessing. Even way out there in Tarshish. Amen.