Paul's Dire Prediction is Realized

This is our Understanding the Scriptures segment, we are in the Book of Acts chapter 27, and we’re going to pick up with verse 10:“And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with much hurt and damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.”

Dave:

Tom, I would say that God gave Paul insight, prophetic insight, because Paul is accurately telling them what is going to happen.But…

Tom:

Would this be a word of knowledge, Dave?

Dave:

Well, I guess you could call it that, although it has to do with the future, so that knowledge is not sitting around there for anyone to grab.I would say this is prophetic insight, and they do not yet know Paul well enough to have complete confidence in him, because I’m sure the master, that’s the captain of the ship and the owner—well, look, we’ve been sailing this area for years and Paul is just an alarmist, don’t be worried about it—and then they are going to really regret that.

Tom:

Verse 12:“And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phoenice, and there to winter; which is a haven of Crete, and lieth toward the southwest and northwest.”That was a bad place to hang out, Dave.My wife and I had a sailboat for a while, it was a pretty good size, and sailing sometimes can be a precarious event.

Dave:

Right, so they’re using what they think is their common sense based upon their experience, and they know where they want to go.So let’s head for this other haven that is much better than this one.

Tom:

Right.“And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat:Which when they had taken up, they used helps, under girding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quick sands, struck sail, and so were driven.”I assume “quick sands” they are talking about these vortexes that a storming sea can produce. What do you think?

Dave:

Well, I think it would be if you could get stuck, you know, run aground, they are very close to this island.By the way, here is an illustration of what we have been talking about.We’re being taken on a journey now.I don’t think you could map this out a couple of hundred years later, and an island named Clauda?I don’t know, it may not even be on a map, sounds like a rather small one.So, again we have proof.This is written by an eyewitness, and it is historically, geographically accurate, as it is spiritually accurate.

Tom:

Verse 18:“And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship; And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.”This would be apparatus to, you know, to set the sails, do all kinds of work on the ship.

Dave:

They are getting desperate, obviously, they have given up any hope that they can guide this ship and they are just trying to lighten it to make it’s draft as small as possible in case they are going to run into shallow water.

Tom:

Right.Verse 20:“And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.”

Dave:

All right, you can understand that.I mean, we’ve done everything we could do, and this storm is in control.We have no longer any control over the ship even, so I guess this is it!

Tom:

“But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.And now I exhort you to be of good cheer:for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.”

Dave:

Well, Paul has talked to the Lord, and he’s telling them it’s going to be okay.God is going to rescue us, but as I told you earlier, Paul says, there is going to be great loss to the ship, to the cargo, but no one’s life shall be lost.Well, that should have comforted them a bit.They should by now what Paul says is accurate.I love the next verse, Tom, let me read it.“For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve.”Paul says, This is the God that I know very well.I belong to Him, I am His servant, and He has told me these things.So let’s be of good cheer, and this could happen, I believe God, it will happen even as it was told to me, how be it we must be cast upon a certain island.

Tom:

Dave, I’ve been, as I mentioned, and having a sailboat, it was about 35 feet, I’ve met some seas that just scared me to death.And, you know, as I think about this verse, here you’ve got the crew and everybody and nothing is working, yet a man offers hope.I mean, he offered the hope of the true and living God, but just to offer hope in a situation like that, it’s like—I’m sure they turned to him and said oh here is some hope here!

Dave:

But this is the man who warned them, so they know that he’s in touch with this God, of course they’re pagans, who knows what gods they worship, but we’re going to have to be cast upon a certain island.Well, I guess we’re going to lose the ship.

Tom:

Verse 24:“Saying, Fear not, Paul; (of course, he’s talking about the angel of God who stood by him) thou must be brought before Caesar:and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.”Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer:for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.”

Dave:

Well, that sure gave them some confidence, but it’s still a very scary situation.The Bible, I’m sure there are many more incidents like this that could be recounted for us.If you go to 2 Corinthians chapter 11, you remember, Paul says, “thrice was I shipwrecked, a night and a day I have been in the deep” just swimming for it.He tells you a lot of other things happened to him that are not recounted bit by bit.But this has some further significance which we’ll see as we proceed.They’re driven, and up and down, driven up and down, and the shipmen, they think they are going to escape, they’re not believing Paul.We’ll have to come back to that.