The Wings Of The Wind Series

When Columbus and his crew were being blown West by the Atlantic trade winds, one of

the reasons they were so fearful was they did not know how they could get back home against

the wind. Fortunately they discovered not only a new world, but new winds that carried

them back to Spain. They returned as heroes on the wings of the wind.

The ancient world was almost completely dependent on wind power for travel on the sea,

and all of the great adventures that began the modern era depended on wind power.

Columbus could not have discovered America without the wind, and Magellan could never

have sailed around the world without wind.

Dr. Luke in describing the travels of Paul makes it clear that where you got to, and when,

was all up to the wind. In Acts 27:4 he writes, "From there we put out to sea again and

passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us." In verse 7 he says, "When

the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete." Then comes the

long description of the hurricane force wind that swept them across the sea eventually

destroying the ship. The point is, man all through history has been at the mercy of the wind.

It is one of natures greatest forces. It would take thousands of atomic bombs exploding

every minute to match the energy of even a modest gale. It is no wonder that man has

sought for ways to harness the power of the wind. Hammurabi, back somewhere around

2000BC, planned to use windmills to irrigate, and in the second century BC we have a record

of a windmill in Alexandria, Egypt that was used to play an organ.

Prov. 30:4 pictures God holding the winds of the world in His fists, and all through the

Bible God is the controller of the winds that produce the music of nature as they go singing

through the canyons and the forest.

"God holds in His hands the winds of the East,

And the West and the South and North:

And He stands in love in the skies above,

And He sends them leaping forth."

The winds of all four directions are dealt with in the Bible, and each has its own special

purpose. This is a study in and of itself.

I have been in a forest when the wind is coming through the trees, and I have heard the

music of the trees. It was somewhat scary until I knew what it was, and then it became

beautiful. I can now appreciate the words of the unknown poet-

"God is at the organ I can hear

A mighty music

Echoing far and near.

God is at the organ

And the keys

Are storm-strewn moorlands

Billows, trees!"

This image of God creating music with the wind I have had in my mind before, for much

of the music of man is made by wind propelled through instruments. But not until I began to

study Psalm 104 did I ever imagine God riding on the wings of the wind. God is portrayed as

being way ahead of man in His recognition of the value of wind power for travel. This must

have been a popular image in Israel for in Psalm 18:10 we read again, "He mounted the

cherubim and flew; He soared on the wings of the wind." Then in II Sam. 22:11 David

pictures God soaring on the wings of the wind. Three times the Bible tells us God rides the

wings of the wind.

The Hebrew mind could look up into the cloud filled sky as the wind pushed them rapidly

across the heavens and imagine God using the clouds as His chariot, and wind as His fuel for

flying. Our more scientific mind can only conclude that this is poetry, and that God, who is

already everywhere in His omnipresence, does not need to travel across the skies. But the

Hebrews knew this too, and so we do not need to take it so literally that we imagine God

jumping on a cloud and actually riding it anymore than we need to try to picture the wind

with actual wings. Of course we are dealing with poetry here, but poetry that is telling us

something important about God and His relationship with nature.

We know God does not need wind to travel, but who are we to say that God never enters

His creation to enjoy the beauty of what He has made, and actually ride the wings of the

wind? God enters earth many times in the Old Testament. God enjoyed eating with

Abraham and walking in fellowship with Enoch. He walked in the garden in the cool of the