Paul on the Storm-Tossed Ship with Roman Soldiersby IpswichSDA
27:24Acts 27:24
Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Cæsar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
After two weeks adrift without sun or stars, Paul was visited at night by a holy angel who assured him not to fear, for he must yet stand before Caesar in Rome and God had granted him the lives of all who sailed with him. The assurance meant the ship itself would be wrecked upon an island, yet not one person aboard would perish. His preservation was for a divine purpose, that through his bonds and trials as a prisoner the knowledge of Christ might be carried to rulers and to Gentiles, with many converted by his teaching and miracles. Because he believed God that it would be exactly as told, he took courage, spoke calmly amid danger, directed the crew, and revived hope so that all made every effort and escaped safely to land with no one missing. In this his presence became the means of their deliverance, showing how God in all ages sends ministering angels to protect His people in peril and to give courage in danger.
Promise in the Tempest
The promise belongs to first-century sea travel, which carried peculiar hardship and peril because mariners steered largely by the position of the sun and stars, owners feared to venture into open sea when those lights did not appear and storm threatened, and during part of the year safe navigation was almost impossible. After fourteen days drifting under a sunless and starless heaven, while suffering physically himself, Paul received in the night a visit from the angel of God whose he was and whom he served.
The visitor was a holy angel sent on a mission of mercy to Paul and his companions in the night of tempest on the sea, one instance of how holy angels in all ages minister to God's people for mercy and protection. Ministering angels work in the tempest-tossed ship by bearing an active part in what men call their own work, and they frequently disguise themselves in human form, so that in the hour of danger an angel speaks encouragement to allay fear and inspire hope while the passengers suppose the speaker is one of their own number to whom they had never before spoken.
God assured Paul with the words Fear not that he must be brought before Caesar and that God had granted him the lives of everyone sailing with him. The same assurance is that he would stand before Caesar at Rome and reach Rome to testify for Christ. The promise meant the ship would be lost and they must be cast upon a certain island, but no life aboard would be lost and no one would die.
The granting of the lives of all who sailed with him answered Paul's earnest pleading and prayer for them from pity for the sinful, degraded souls around him who were unprepared to die.
Purpose Protection and Effect
Paul had to be kept alive to reach Rome and stand before Caesar to bear witness for the truth of Christ, and therefore he had no fear for himself. His long voyage by sea as a bound prisoner served God's special purpose, for God carried forward His work through him and made his bonds and trials the means of spreading the knowledge of Christ, glorifying God, and bringing the testimony of Jesus before rulers. The journey was designed so that the ship's crew would witness God's power through Paul and so that Gentiles and heathen would hear the name of Jesus, and many were converted through his teaching and by witnessing the miracles he wrought.
The promise was fulfilled when all on board escaped safely to land and not one person was missing. Paul believed God that it would happen exactly as told to him, and on that ground the assurance gave him confidence and courage. That confidence strengthened him to reason with the sailors, to speak calmly and faithfully amid danger, to direct the crew and help preserve those aboard, and to urge all to be of good cheer that the ship would be lost but no life would be lost.
His words revived hope among the passengers and crew and led them to make every effort to avert destruction. The ship's company was preserved by God's protection because Paul was there as a person through whom God could work, showing that God's presence can protect and deliver those in peril and giving courage in danger. The same guardianship of heavenly angels is given to preserve the lives of His people in sudden danger, as when an accident overturns a carriage an angel stands by to keep from serious harm, keeping those thrown out calm and silent and holding a spirited horse still with a thill on its back so that it trembles but does not run, bringing escape with no bones broken and no serious hurt.
After two weeks adrift without sun or stars, Paul was visited at night by a holy angel who assured him not to fear, for he must yet stand before Caesar in Rome and God had granted him the lives of all who sailed with him. The assurance meant the ship itself would be wrecked upon an island, yet not one person aboard would perish. His preservation was for a divine purpose, that through his bonds and trials as a prisoner the knowledge of Christ might be carried to rulers and to Gentiles, with many converted by his teaching and miracles. Because he believed God that it would be exactly as told, he took courage, spoke calmly amid danger, directed the crew, and revived hope so that all made every effort and escaped safely to land with no one missing. In this his presence became the means of their deliverance, showing how God in all ages sends ministering angels to protect His people in peril and to give courage in danger.
Promise in the Tempest
The promise belongs to first-century sea travel, which carried peculiar hardship and peril because mariners steered largely by the position of the sun and stars, owners feared to venture into open sea when those lights did not appear and storm threatened, and during part of the year safe navigation was almost impossible. After fourteen days drifting under a sunless and starless heaven, while suffering physically himself, Paul received in the night a visit from the angel of God whose he was and whom he served.
The visitor was a holy angel sent on a mission of mercy to Paul and his companions in the night of tempest on the sea, one instance of how holy angels in all ages minister to God's people for mercy and protection. Ministering angels work in the tempest-tossed ship by bearing an active part in what men call their own work, and they frequently disguise themselves in human form, so that in the hour of danger an angel speaks encouragement to allay fear and inspire hope while the passengers suppose the speaker is one of their own number to whom they had never before spoken.
God assured Paul with the words Fear not that he must be brought before Caesar and that God had granted him the lives of everyone sailing with him. The same assurance is that he would stand before Caesar at Rome and reach Rome to testify for Christ. The promise meant the ship would be lost and they must be cast upon a certain island, but no life aboard would be lost and no one would die.
The granting of the lives of all who sailed with him answered Paul's earnest pleading and prayer for them from pity for the sinful, degraded souls around him who were unprepared to die.
Purpose Protection and Effect
Paul had to be kept alive to reach Rome and stand before Caesar to bear witness for the truth of Christ, and therefore he had no fear for himself. His long voyage by sea as a bound prisoner served God's special purpose, for God carried forward His work through him and made his bonds and trials the means of spreading the knowledge of Christ, glorifying God, and bringing the testimony of Jesus before rulers. The journey was designed so that the ship's crew would witness God's power through Paul and so that Gentiles and heathen would hear the name of Jesus, and many were converted through his teaching and by witnessing the miracles he wrought.
The promise was fulfilled when all on board escaped safely to land and not one person was missing. Paul believed God that it would happen exactly as told to him, and on that ground the assurance gave him confidence and courage. That confidence strengthened him to reason with the sailors, to speak calmly and faithfully amid danger, to direct the crew and help preserve those aboard, and to urge all to be of good cheer that the ship would be lost but no life would be lost.
His words revived hope among the passengers and crew and led them to make every effort to avert destruction. The ship's company was preserved by God's protection because Paul was there as a person through whom God could work, showing that God's presence can protect and deliver those in peril and giving courage in danger. The same guardianship of heavenly angels is given to preserve the lives of His people in sudden danger, as when an accident overturns a carriage an angel stands by to keep from serious harm, keeping those thrown out calm and silent and holding a spirited horse still with a thill on its back so that it trembles but does not run, bringing escape with no bones broken and no serious hurt.