Acts 27:13

‘And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close in shore.'

At first the weather seemed to favour them, for the south wind had begun to blow gently. So they weighed anchor and, leaving Fair Havens, they sailed along the coast of Crete close in shore. This was a sign of how nervous they were. And then, just as they were beginning to congratulate themselves that all was well, and that they would safely make harbour, disaster struck.

The Storm (Acts 27:14).

This magnificent picture of the storm sees the ship being driven slowly and helplessly as it drifts in the contrary elements, torn by the winds and battered by the waves, from Crete to Malta. All aboard are seen as helpless, savage nature is in total control, everything is jettisoned, and in the end all is seen to depend on the hand of God. It is a picture of life in the raw. And yet we know that Paul must survive for he has to appear before Caesar. Thus are we to have confidence that God is in control over the whole episode.

There are also in the passage a number of hints that we are to gather from it certain spiritual lessons. God gave His guarantee that as long as they endured all would be saved in the end (Acts 27:22), ‘he who endures to the end will be saved' (Mark 13:13). If the people were to be saved all must stay within the vessel (Acts 27:31). Of those who faced the storm not a hair of their heads would perish (Acts 27:34). In the midst of the storm they could partake of the blessed and broken bread (Acts 27:35). And as we have already seen it is paralleled by Luke with the words to the elders of the Ephesian church as he warned them of troubles ahead.

Note the stages of the storm:

· The ship is driven before the storm, bobbing like a cork on the wild sea.

· As the gale shrieks around them, and the boat continually tosses and sways, and the rigging is continually torn, partial shelter from an island enables them, because of the resulting slight slackening of the wind and waves, to haul the dinghy/life boat, which was being dragged behind, into the ship.

· Fearful that the wooden ship, which is being tossed to and fro on the boiling sea, and no doubt also beginning to leak and show signs of wear, will be torn apart in the howling winds and huge waves they undergird the ship, whose timbers were already probably leaking and letting in water, with ropes, in order to give it strength and hold it together.

· By now nature has taken over and losing all thought of steering or sailing, they lower the sails and possibly chop down the mainmast which could make them top heavy and turn over. (They later use only a foresail). It is now a matter of waiting, praying and hanging on, hoping for survival.

· But the ship continues to threaten to break apart in the storm, and recognising that fact they begin to lighten it by throwing the freight overboard, including much, although not all, of the cargo of Egyptian wheat, hoping that this will help to keep them afloat. Some had to be retained as ballast.

· But still the ship flounders and the next thing to go is the ship's tackle, apart from what is vital. Torn by the wind, drenched to the skin, hardly able to keep their feet, and finding it difficult to hold on to the ship to prevent themselves going overboard, and with each no doubt roped to some solid object, their plight now appears hopeless.

· And still the storm just goes on and on, and they lose all hope, as lashed by wind and wave, without sail and unsteerable (the rudders are tied) they just wait for the end. There is nothing further that they can do. None have ever been in a storm like this before.

· But there is a man of God aboard, and from the midst of the panic and chaos, there comes a cry as Paul tells them not to fear, for God intends to deliver them because of His intentions for Paul, for Paul is destined to appear before Caesar. In the midst of disaster there is a breath of hope. If they will just obey God, they may, as it were, be brought back from the dead.