[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during April 2026]
Quinquireme of Nineveh from distant Ophir
Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine,
With a cargo of ivory, and apes and peacocks,
Sandalwood, cedarwood, and sweet white wine.
John Masefield (1903)
Does this cargo manifest sound familiar? Those of a certain age may have learnt John Masefield’s poem at school but its inspiration is much earlier. King Solomon had a fleet of trading ships modelled after those built at Tarshish for the equivalent of global trade within the then-known world. They were the container vessels of their day.
For the king had a fleet of ships of Tarshish at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the fleet of ships of Tarshish used to come bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
1 Kings 10 v22 [ESVUK]
Solomon’s fleet brought him great wealth and considerable influence, allowing him to rule in peace with many of the peoples of what is now known as the Levant. Solomon is associated with the writing of the Biblical book of Proverbs, which includes the following observation:
When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Proverbs 16 v7 [ESVUK]
Is the converse true? Is the absence or presence of enemies a valid indicator of our relationship with God?
Solomon’s empire did not last; it split into two distinct entities, becoming the nations of Israel and Judah. The kings of Israel did not follow the ways of the Lord; the kings of Judah varied between those who obeyed God and those who did not, and the fortunes of the nations varied accordingly. Jehoshaphat was a God-fearing king of Judah who made an unfortunate liaison with the king of Israel. Together they tried to emulate Solomon’s trading success but God was not pleased.
Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go, for the ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber.
1 Kings 22 v48 [ESVUK]
Mention of Tarshish reminds us that the prophet Jonah boarded a ship headed in that direction in his attempt to outwit God. Jonah’s enjoyment of the voyage came to an abrupt end.[1] Speaking of passengers failing to reach their destination, during the night of 14-15 April 1912 the British liner RMS Titanic hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic and sank, with the loss of approximately 1,500 lives. A well-known hymn is associated with the event.[2]
Do we recognise God’s presence in the circumstances that we face? Do we draw nearer to God or blame him for our problems?
We live in a time when much of the world is dependent upon shipping and the safe transport of cargo. We have all felt the effects of what happens when a voyage does not go as planned. The Psalmist recognised the perils of the sea and suggested a response:
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress … Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.
Psalm 107 v28-30 [ESVUK]
We too have to face the storms of life – do we acknowledge from whence comes our help?
References:
[1] Jonah 1:11-15
[2] ‘Nearer, my God, to thee’, Sarah Adams, 1840
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Last week’s reflection: How’s Your Enemy?
Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © Steve Humphreys