He stretches out Zaphon over the void, and hangs the earth upon nothing. He binds up the waters in his thick clouds, and the cloud is not torn open by them. He covers the face of the full moon, and spreads over it his cloud. He has described a circle on the face of the waters, at the boundary between light and darkness. The pillars of heaven tremble, and are astounded at his rebuke. By his power he stilled the Sea; by his understanding he struck down Rahab. By his wind the heavens were made fair; his hand pierced the fleeing serpent. These are indeed but the outskirts of his ways; and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?” (Job 26:7-14, NRSV)
Zaphon. Now this is a name we all know and love!
How many of you said what is Zaphon?
Well it is 2 different things…
It is a city on the eastern side of the Jordan River, taken from Sihon and given to the tribe of Gad (Josh. 13:27). Later it became a battleground between the forces of Jephthah and Ephraimites who assailed Jephthah for not inviting them to pursue the Ammonites (Judg. 12:1). Zaphon probably appears in the Egyptian records of 18th Dynasty as Dapuna, and in the Amarna Letters as Sapuna.
And it is a high mountain (ca. 1770 m. [5807 ft.]) on the coastal border between Syria and Turkey. It is the divine abode of the weather-god Hadad/Haddu, Lord of Zaphon (Baal-zaphon). The mountain plays a central role in Ugaritic/Canaanite mythological tradition and as such underlies the biblical accounts (Ps. 48:2[3]; Isa. 14:13; cf. Ps. 89:12[13]; Ezek. 1:4) and place names such as Baal-zephon (Exod. 14:2) and Zaphon (Josh. 13:27) may derive from Baal’s mythical abode.
So which one does the Psalmist refer to here?
Really to me it makes no difference!
This psalm tells us of the great power the Lord has. It is saying He took the city or the mountain and stretched it out over the void. He bound up the cloud and it did not bust, He stilled the sea. He has all power over creation to do what ever He wishes to do.
And how small a whisper we hear of Him…
We barely know what He can do. But what we know He will do is shelter us in His wings and watch over us as a mother hen watches over her young!
The promises are true and He will stand by them. So let His power thunder, but always trust in His love!
aSacredRebel 