On his way sailing to Rome, Paul and his companions encounter a tempestuous wind. The ship is blown for days and the men aboard begin to give up hope. The Lord encourages Paul and he in turn becomes an agent of hope for the men aboard.
Paul is under arrest and being taken to Rome. The quickest and supposedly the easiest way to Rome from Jerusalem is by sea. In today’s passage Paul’s voyage goes bad.
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. (Acts 27.13-15)
‘Tempestuous wind‘. Paul’s voyage encounters serious trouble. An incredibly strong wind that would threaten to sink the ship and drown all its occupants. The ship is blown a long way off course.
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. (Acts 27.16-20)
‘Violently storm-tossed’. The description of their sea journey and its ominous details focus attention firmly on the possibility that Paul will fail to arrive in Rome.
We all experience times of trouble and desperation.
‘All hope of being saved was abandoned’. Eventually the constant danger caused the men to give up hope. Everyone has their breaking point.
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.” (Acts 27.21-26)
‘You should have listened to me’. Paul has a told you so moment, but this is not the end for them.
‘God has granted you all those who sail with you‘. Paul gives them a word of hope. God promised him he would stand before Caesar. He also gave a reassuring word for the sailors. They too would be spared.
How would you feel if you were on that boat?
‘Take heart men’. Paul encourages them to take heart. To have courage and trust in his God.
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. (Acts 27.27-32)
‘They took a sounding ‘. Blown along by the wind they fear they will run aground. They take soundings to test the depth. Twenty and fifteen. They fear shipwreck.
Finally some pray. But others try and escape.
‘Unless these men stay in the ship‘. The promise given Paul was conditional on the men staying in the ship. If anyone left they would die. The centurion believes and cuts all escape boats preventing anyone from leaving.
Brand, C. et al. eds., 2003. Bread. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary.
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. (Acts 27.33-38)
‘For it will give you strength‘. In this time of trial Paul encourages the men and gives them strength. They haven’t eaten in a long time. They have been worried for so long. He urges them to eat.
‘Giving thanks to God in the presence of all’. Paul provides a wonderful example of trust and courage in a difficult time.
They were all encouraged and ate some bread.
About Mission
Paul encouraged the people twice in this trial (27:22, 25). He then demonstrated his own trust in God by eating. Seeing this “they were all encouraged and ate some food” (27:36).
What we do and say can enable us to be agents of hope in hopeless times. One powerful message we can give to the world is that God is in control and there is hope in the dark and stormy nights that may engulf us.
On his way sailing to Rome, Paul and his companions encounter a tempestuous wind. The ship is blown for days and the men aboard begin to give up hope. The Lord encourages Paul and he in turn becomes an agent of hope for the men aboard.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. (Acts 27.13-15)
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.” (Acts 27.21-26)
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. (Acts 27.27-32)
