A picture of this age -- part 2
25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. 26 Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.
Why? We'll find out, but apparently people their have been praying for God to deliver them from sickness. We don't know what it is, all we know this island is infested with poisonous snakes. Sounds like the vaccine is killing everyone.
27 But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country; 28 And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.
20 Fathoms is about 120 feet, 15 fathoms is 90 feet. It is getting shallow quickly.
29 Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day. 30 And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, 31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
Sounds like the ship has become Noah's ark.
32 Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.
How stupid. If everyone had been knit together that boat would have been very helpful in getting people on and off the ship, but because you have people who only care to save themselves you have to get rid of it.
33 And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. 34 Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. 35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. 36 Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.
Sounds like the Lord's table meeting. Reminds me of the Psalm -- the Lord prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies. It also reminds me of Passover, they eat the meal with their feet shod and they are ready to leave, like an army.
37 And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls. 38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea. 39 And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship. 40 And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore. 41 And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves.
They did this because they no longer had that row boat which the sailors were going to use to escape. Selfish, cowardly, faithless people cause a lot of problems.
42 And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.
Of course I would prefer selfish to cruel, murderous psychopaths.
43 But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land: 44 And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.
Why was the centurion willing to stand up to the rest of them to rescue Paul? The guards are not your enemy, pray for them, pray for everyone on the boat. This is your field where you are ministering and all these people who are alive are your reward. Our ministry is about saving people alive. They are in darkness, they don't know God, they don't hear from God, they are not visited by Angels, they don't have faith. They stumble around in darkness and will all die due to selfishness and cruelty. Paul was a light to them, he shone the way in the dark night.
Maybe they thought he was advising to winter in that port because he was scared, or because he didn't want to go to Caesar. But by the end of the journey they learn he is the only one who was not a coward, that he must go to Rome and that is one of the main reasons they won't die, and that when he speaks the word comes from God.