seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Acts 27:13 When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. 15 The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, 17 so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. 18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. 19 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 the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.
21 After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”
Anyone who has been on the East Coast for a very long time knows what the winds of a Northeaster will do. Well, I wonder, will they listen to the landlubber now?
Now, an angel has made an appearance. It's not Jesus this time. It's just an angel. But the angel was carrying a message.
Paul held the coats of the people who murdered Stephen, a child of God. While I know God will forgive the sins of anyone who accepts Jesus as their Savior, there is no guarantee that your boat will float. Paul isn't going to be tested by fire in this story. He's going to be blown around.... sort of like.... that hot air he's been spewing about being a good Greco Roman Jew. Paul's been acting all hoity toity until now. Now, God is showing him who's in charge. Blow Wind Blow.
OK, Ok.... Now Paul is starting to get it. This is from the commentary.
I believe God that it will be just as it was told me: Paul’s confident word to the troubled sailors on a storm-tossed ship express the essence of what it means to put our faith in God and His Word. God said it to Paul (through an angel) and Paul said, “I believe God.”
i. Take note of what Paul said: “I believe God.” He didn’t say, “I believe in God.” Every demon in hell agrees with the existence of God. Paul declared his total confidence in God’s knowledge of his situation and His promise in his situation.
ii. Paul believed God when there was nothing else to believe. He couldn’t believe the sailors, the ship, the sails, the wind, the centurion, human ingenuity or anything else — only God. This was not a fair-weather faith; he believed God in the midst of the storm, when circumstances were at their worst. Paul would say along with Job: Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him (Job 13:15). The storm and the danger were real, but God was more real to Paul than the dreadful circumstances.
iii. Paul was not ashamed to say that he believed God. “I would to God that all Christians were prepared to throw down the gauntlet and to come out straight; for if God be not true let us not pretend to trust him, and if the gospel be a lie let us be honest enough to confess it.” (Spurgeon)
iv. Paul’s unshakable confidence in God made him a leader among men, even though he was a prisoner of Rome.
However, we must run aground on a certain island: This was mixed news, and in these circumstances to run aground might be fairly called to shipwreck. Paul essentially said, “We’re all going to shipwreck on an unknown island, but everyone will be alright.”
i. A certain island means that God did not tell Paul everything about what was going to happen. Paul had to trust that God knew which island they would run aground on, even if Paul didn’t know.
See??? When Jesus knocked Paul down on the road to Damascus, Paul knew Jesus was the one talking to him. I don't think the conversion happened then. This is when I think Paul finally accepted God as his Father, and Jesus as his Messiah.
Until this point, he was just a mutt barking his defense at everyone. He couldn't bark at God. He couldn't bark at the Messiah, God's Only Begotten Son.
Some people think they have Salvation. Some people think they can run their own lives and still be a child of God. Some people never really get it. In my humble, ignorant, opinion, Paul didn't have it.... until God reminded Paul of the Power of God the Jewish Traditions understood.
Paul was a Jew. He was raised to respect the Power of God. It wasn't until he was on the boat, in a Northeaster, that he finally accepted Jesus as his Messiah. It wasn't until the boat was about to break apart that the message from an angel would do the trick.
Now, in my humble, ignorant, opinion.... Paul is ready to be a disciple of His Lord, Jesus Christ.
Blow Wind Blow!
