Project 119: Acts 27:13-44
| Project 119 | Amy Hirsch
I’m not a meteorologist by any stretch of the imagination, but weather has always been fascinating to me. I’ve read some about the record-breaking nor’easters of 2018; while we don’t know if this “northeaster” Paul and the crew experienced at sea was anything like the storms that wreaked havoc on the Northeast this year, I can imagine that the experience was terrifying as rain pelted the ship, the winds raged, the thunder boomed, and lightning struck while the crew was out on the sea, vulnerable and unprotected on the water. If only they had listened to Paul! As they looked up to the dark sky, without any navigational beacons, all of their hopes for being saved faded (Acts 27:20).
Paul spoke into this bleak situation and brought hope. He told the crew and prisoners that he had a vision that night, a vision of an angel of the Lord, who encouraged him and told him not to fear, because the Lord had plans for Paul to stand and testify before Caesar. This northeaster would not overtake their ship, because Paul’s God was sovereign over the storms: the weather would not thwart His purposes. As we read on, we see that Paul’s vision was confirmed; the Lord spared the people on the ship because they were traveling with Paul. God has a divine purpose that He was bringing to pass.
Wouldn’t it be nice if life was always like this? If, when we were walking through a difficult situation, God would appear to us with an encouraging word, promising that things would work out for good? Paul had a supernatural vision from God which gave the crew hope and gave him opportunity to provide leadership on the ship, allowing everyone to get to shore on Malta safely. But, just in case we’re tempted to envy Paul, remember that he was headed to testify before Caesar. It wasn’t as if the Lord had just freed him from his prison sentence. Rather, God saved him so that the gospel might be declared in Rome by a man in chains.
There is much suffering in life, and we may never have a vision quite like Paul had in the midst of a trial. But we can trust in what God has told us to be true through His word. God promises to never leave and never forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He promises that He has sent a Helper, the Holy Spirit, to help us in our weakness (John 16:1-24, Romans 8:26-28). He promises to walk with us, even in the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4), and even tells us that one day, He will swallow up death forever (Isaiah 25:6-9). Sometimes, God delivers us from suffering. And sometimes, God allows us to walk through suffering. We may not understand His purposes on this side of heaven, but like Paul, we trust that “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18).
Acts 27:13-44 (ESV):
13 Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore. 14 But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. 15 And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with difficulty to secure the ship's boat. 17 After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and thus they were driven along. 18 Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. 19 And on the third day they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.
21 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. 22 Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. 26 But we must run aground on some island.”
27 When the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. 28 So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms. A little farther on they took a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms.29 And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. 30 And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and had lowered the ship's boat into the sea under pretense of laying out anchors from the bow, 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship's boat and let it go.
33 As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength, for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.” 35 And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. 36 Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37 (We were in all 276 persons in the ship.)38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
39 Now when it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned if possible to run the ship ashore. 40 So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that tied the rudders. Then hoisting the foresail to the wind they made for the beach. 41 But striking a reef, they ran the vessel aground. The bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was being broken up by the surf. 42 The soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape. 43 But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, 44 and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land.