“Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.” Acts 27: 21-25
The Etesian winds were unpredictable. They blew across the Mediterranean Sea, holding out a challenge to the seafarers who dared to sail these waters during late autumn.
As Paul and the others boarded the ship to Rome, he and Luke were glad to see their fellow disciple, Aristarchus from Thessalonica, who had suffered with Paul during the riot in Ephesus (19: 29). The fellowship that they shared was encouraging, like “iron sharpening iron”(Pro.27: 17), and was just one more reassurance that the Lord was with them.
It didn’t take long to encounter the winds that were against them as they approached Cyprus. They were forced to use the island-mass to shelter the ship from the wind. They switched to a larger Alexandrian freighter when they docked at Myra.
The Alexandrian grain freighter was a massive boat for its time. It was 140 feet long, the hold carried 1,200 to 1,900 tons of grain, with crew and passengers numbering 276 to 600 individuals. It had a severe structural flaw, however. Its lack of a proper internal keel and skeletal frame, combined with an unfavorable length-to-beam ratio, made the vessel highly vulnerable to bending forces at sea.
They made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. “When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete….We moved along the coast with difficulty and to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.
It was incredible what happened next. Paul, the prisoner under guard ( but the Lord’s freeman), spoke candidly, “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” The pilot and the ship owner were unsettled with Paul’s warning but decided to nevertheless sail on, since the present harbor by their estimation was unsuitable to winter in.
Before long, a wind of hurricane force called a Northeaster swept down from the island. “The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along.” The crew began to lighten their load by throwing the cargo overboard, and eventually the tackle was thrown overboard with their own hands. When “neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.”
In his biography, Paul N.T. Wright makes an analogy of Judgment Day: “ The ship, their home for the last few terrifying weeks, is falling apart under the battering of the waves. Two hundred and seventy-six frightened men—merchants, businessmen, ship owners, soldiers, apostles, sailors, slaves, and prisoners alike, in the sudden egalitarianism of emergency—gasp and splash their way to shore. There is no distinction: all are soaked, scared, freezing, and exhausted. Rank and wealth mean nothing as they crawl or stagger onto dry land. But the trial by water is over. All have been saved.”
God’s man brought a word of salvation: “The God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, "Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.” The word was tried and true.
Paul not only made an impression on his shipmates, but he also bewildered the islanders of Malta where they ran aground. First, he was ‘murderer’; then when the snakebite didn’t kill him, he was a “god”. He ministered healing to all on the island, and showed them the God from whom true healing comes. By any measure, Paul’s presence there was good news. On this, the islanders and his shipmates agreed.
“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he bought them out of their distress.
He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.” (Psalm 107:28-29)
Questions To Think About:
The Etesian winds were unpredictable. They blew across the Mediterranean Sea, holding out a challenge to the seafarers who dared to sail these waters during late autumn.
As Paul and the others boarded the ship to Rome, he and Luke were glad to see their fellow disciple, Aristarchus from Thessalonica, who had suffered with Paul during the riot in Ephesus (19: 29). The fellowship that they shared was encouraging, like “iron sharpening iron”(Pro.27: 17), and was just one more reassurance that the Lord was with them.
It didn’t take long to encounter the winds that were against them as they approached Cyprus. They were forced to use the island-mass to shelter the ship from the wind. They switched to a larger Alexandrian freighter when they docked at Myra.
The Alexandrian grain freighter was a massive boat for its time. It was 140 feet long, the hold carried 1,200 to 1,900 tons of grain, with crew and passengers numbering 276 to 600 individuals. It had a severe structural flaw, however. Its lack of a proper internal keel and skeletal frame, combined with an unfavorable length-to-beam ratio, made the vessel highly vulnerable to bending forces at sea.
They made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. “When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete….We moved along the coast with difficulty and to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.
It was incredible what happened next. Paul, the prisoner under guard ( but the Lord’s freeman), spoke candidly, “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” The pilot and the ship owner were unsettled with Paul’s warning but decided to nevertheless sail on, since the present harbor by their estimation was unsuitable to winter in.
Before long, a wind of hurricane force called a Northeaster swept down from the island. “The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along.” The crew began to lighten their load by throwing the cargo overboard, and eventually the tackle was thrown overboard with their own hands. When “neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.”
In his biography, Paul N.T. Wright makes an analogy of Judgment Day: “ The ship, their home for the last few terrifying weeks, is falling apart under the battering of the waves. Two hundred and seventy-six frightened men—merchants, businessmen, ship owners, soldiers, apostles, sailors, slaves, and prisoners alike, in the sudden egalitarianism of emergency—gasp and splash their way to shore. There is no distinction: all are soaked, scared, freezing, and exhausted. Rank and wealth mean nothing as they crawl or stagger onto dry land. But the trial by water is over. All have been saved.”
God’s man brought a word of salvation: “The God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, "Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.” The word was tried and true.
Paul not only made an impression on his shipmates, but he also bewildered the islanders of Malta where they ran aground. First, he was ‘murderer’; then when the snakebite didn’t kill him, he was a “god”. He ministered healing to all on the island, and showed them the God from whom true healing comes. By any measure, Paul’s presence there was good news. On this, the islanders and his shipmates agreed.
“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he bought them out of their distress.
He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.” (Psalm 107:28-29)
Questions To Think About:
- Paul urged the crew to “keep up your courage” based entirely on God’s promise, even while the storm was still raging. How can you maintain courage and faith in your current circumstance before you see the outcome?
- The Alexandrian freighter had a severe structural flaw (a lack of a proper keel) that made it vulnerable to bending forces. What structural or foundational areas in your own life (e.g., spiritual habits, relationships, integrity) need strengthening so you can withstand difficult times?
- The devotional highlights how the presence of Aristarchus and Luke was like “iron sharpening iron” for Paul. Who are the people in your life who strengthen your faith during difficult journeys? How can you better invest in those relationships?
- God told Paul, “You must stand before Caesar,” meaning the storm could not alter Paul’s ultimate destiny. What promises or callings has God placed on your life? How does remembering His sovereignty help you stay calm when unexpected delays and crises hit?
- Malta was never on Paul’s original itinerary, yet it became a place of profound ministry. What is your “Malta” right now—an unwanted, accidental, or frustrating situation that God might actually want to use as a unique mission field?
Posted in Down to The Sea in Ships