Fear took hold of them there, and pain, as of a woman in birth pangs, as when You break the ships of Tarshish with an east wind. (Psalm 48:6-7)
When it comes to Tarshish — a city or nation known in antiquity for its seafaring abilities — Bible scholars have long speculated as to exactly where it was located. Some have concluded it was synonymous with Tartessus of ancient Spain; some feel it was somewhere in the British isles. Wherever it was, it seems clear that it was a major seaport which sent out great fleets of ships and, most importantly, it was situated west of the land of Israel. That means its ships needed a strong wind from the west in order to propel them eastward on the Mediterranean when their destination was the land of Israel.
In contrast to that is the east wind as mentioned above. Throughout the Bible the east wind is associated with God’s punishments upon the proud and the wicked. One of the first times we see it mentioned is when Pharaoh shares his ominous dream with Joseph. It shows up again in Exodus bringing the locusts into the land of Egypt. Once again we see that it is an east wind that caused the waters of the Red Sea to stack up in heaps allowing the children of Israel to cross; that same east wind allowed the waters to return to their place and destroy Pharaoh and his chariots. Rabbinical scholars believe that the east wind stirs up turbulence in the sea like the contractions of a woman in labor and, in the scenario presented by the psalm, prevails against the ships of Tarshish breaking them in the midst of the sea.
What you and I need to make note of is that, as great and powerful as anyone may think they are, whether a person or a nation, the Creator of the Universe is eternally supreme. Pharaoh considered himself to be a god who held Israel as his possession; but the God of Israel demonstrated that Pharaoh was nothing but a man. For all his power and might, Pharaoh was quickly subdued by the Almighty who, with a “blast from his nostrils,” opened the sea to deliver His people. Further, as it is written, “You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters” (Exodus 15:10). The point is, the Pharaohs of the world and the “ships of Tarshish” may be many, powerful and arrogant; at times, they may sail along without care and with the wind at their backs. But the day is coming when the powerful and the arrogant will be brought low and will be broken — and all God need do is breathe and send an east wind to dismantle his enemies and, in so doing, deliver His servants.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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