 |
| From "King Solomon and the Castle" |
And to Sulaiman (Solomon) (We subjected) the wind strongly raging, running by his command towards the land which We had blessed. And of everything We are the All-Knower. Quran 21:81, Hilali-Khan
With this power Solomon could do a whole month's journey in a single morning:
And to Solomon (We subjected) the wind, its morning (stride from sunrise till midnoon) was a month's (journey), and its afternoon (stride from the midday decline of the sun to sunset) was a month's (journey i.e. in one day he could travel two months' journey). ... Quran 34:12, Hilali-Khan
Apparently Solomon could do a day trip from Jerusalem to Istakhr in Iran and back, according to commentary Ibn Abbas. This is 1920-miles-long journey:
And unto Solomon (We gave) the wind) and We made the wind subservient to Solomon, (whereof the morning course was a month's journey) He would go in the morning from Jerusalem to Istakhr, which was a month's journey (and the evening course a month's journey) and come back in the evening from Istakhr to Jerusalem which was another month's journey,... Ibn Abbas on Quran 34:12
(Similar is said in Ibn Kathir on 34:12.) The Quran also elaborates that Solomon could use his power to go anywhere he wants:
So, We subjected to him the wind, it blew gently to his order whithersoever he willed, Quran 38:36, Hilali-Khan
Commentary Ibn Kathir says that Solomon would use his powers to propel a magic carpet. A magic carpet so large and heavy that it could carry a large army complete with cavalry:
He had a mat made of wood on which he would place all the equipment of his kingship; horses, camels, tents and troops, then he would command the wind to carry it, and he would go underneath it and it would carry him aloft, shading him and protecting him from the heat, until it reached wherever he wanted to go in the land. Then it would come down and deposit his equipment and entourage. Ibn Kathir on Quran 21:81
Can we believe this account? No man in history has ever had such command of the laws of nature. This sounds like a folk tale.
Lets talk about another man, one who is said to have calmed the raging sea. Not by the authority imparted by another, but by his own authority. That man is Jesus.
Jesus stilled the storm simply with the words "peace be still". Quoting the gospel of Mark:
And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Mark 4:39 ESV
Who do we know has authority over the laws of nature? God. God created the universe and forged the laws of nature. Of him it is written:
He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Psalm 107:29 ESV
If Jesus can calm the storm, he was no mere man. He carries the attributes of God.
When the disciples saw what Jesus could do, they marveled at who he was. For he wielded a power that no mere man could ever wield:
And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” Mark 4:41 ESV
They were coming to realize Jesus is God.
This God who calms the storm is also the God who rescues and redeems:
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble. Psalm 107:2 ESV
He delivers from the waves and the storm:
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. Psalm 107:28 ESV
God is offering us deliverance today. We each are in slavery to sin. We need rescue. That redemption is found in Jesus.
