Praying for Day

Acts 27:29New King James Version

Acts 27:29 Then, fearing lest we should run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern, and prayed for day to come.

How to get into a storm (Acts 27:1-20):

1. Persist no matter the difficulty (Acts 27:1-8 (7-8, 16)).

a. Acts 27:1And when it was decided that we should sail to Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to one named Julius, a centurion of the Augustan Regiment.

b. Acts 27:2So, entering a ship of Adramyttium [ad ruh MIT ih uhm], we put to sea, meaning to sail along the coasts of Asia. Aristarchus [ehr iss TAHR kuhs], a Macedonian of Thessalonica, was with us.

i. ARISTARCHUS (Ἀρίσταρχος, Aristarchos). A “Macedonian traveling companion of Paul” (Acts 19:29). Aristarchus and Gaius were seized by the Ephesians during the riot of the silversmiths (Acts 19:29). Aristarchus was a native of Thessalonica and accompanied Paul from Greece (Acts 20:4) and to Rome (Acts 27:2). In Col 4:10, Paul calls him his “fellow prisoner.” Paul mentions him again in the Letter to Philemon (Phlm 24). In both of these letters, Aristarchus sends greetings of his own.

c. Acts 27:3And the next day we landed at Sidon [SIGH duhn]. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him liberty to go to his friends and receive care.

d. Acts 27:4When we had put to sea from there, we sailed under the shelter of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.

e. Acts 27:5And when we had sailed over the sea which is off Cilicia [sih LISH ih uh] and Pamphylia [pam FIL ih uh], we came to Myra [MIGH ruh], a city of Lycia [LISS ih uh, LISH uh].

i. MAP

f. Acts 27:6There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing to Italy, and he put us on board.

i. Grain ships bound to and from Rome accounted for a vast proportion of Mediterranean trade; ships from Alexandria, Egypt, would travel northward and then westward to bear their cargoes to Rome. [1]

g. Acts 27:7When we had sailed slowly many days, and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus [NIGH duhs], the wind not permitting us to proceed, we sailed under the shelter of Crete off Salmone [sal MOH nih].

i. MAP

h. Acts 27:8Passing it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea [luh SEE uh].

2. Ignore good counsel (Acts 27:9-11).

a. Acts 27:9 Now when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over, Paul advised them,

i. The “fast” here refers to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which occurs in September or October. Sea travel became more dangerous as winter approached (2 Tim 4:21; Tit 3:12). Shipping was completely closed down (except for the brave or foolhardy) from around November 10 to as late as March 10, but September 15–November 10 and March 11–May 26 could be risky periods as well.[2]

1. In A.D. 59 it fell on October 5, but in all the neighboring years from 57 to 62 it fell earlier[3]

b. Acts 27:10saying, “Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives.”

c. Acts 27:11Nevertheless the centurion was more persuaded by the helmsman and the owner of the ship than by the things spoken by Paul.

3. Go with the crowd (Acts 27:12).

a. Acts 27:12And because the harbor was not suitable to winter in, the majorityadvised to set sail from there also, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete opening toward the southwest and northwest, and winter there.

4. Do whatever you want (Acts 27:13-19).

a. Acts 27:13When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their desire, putting out to sea, they sailed close by Crete.

b. Acts 27:14 But not long after, a tempestuous head wind arose, called Euroclydon [yoo RAHK lih dahn].

i. Euroclydon - northeaster (wind) n. — a strong wind blowing from the northeast.

ii. tempestuous head wind - fierce wind of hurricane force, cf.“typhoon”[4]

iii. What they had not counted on is a northeaster rushing down from eight-thousand-foot-high Mount Ida. [5]

c. Acts 27:15So when the ship was caught, and could not head into the wind, we let her drive.

d. Acts 27:16And running under the shelter of an island called Clauda [KLAW duh], we secured the skiff with difficulty.

e. Acts 27:17When they had taken it on board, they used cables to undergird the ship; and fearing lest they should run aground on the Syrtis [SUHR tiss] Sands, they struck sail and so were driven.

i. The Syrtis, the quicksands (kjv); treacherous gulfs on N African coast, with shifting sandbars, feared by sailors[6]

ii. MAP

f. Acts 27:18And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship.

g. Acts 27:19On the third day we threw the ship’s tackle overboard with our own hands.

5. Give up hope (Acts 27:20).

a. Acts 27:20Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up.

i. Luke includes himself with those who had given up hope.

1. ESV: all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. [7]

How to get out of a storm (Acts 27:21-44):

1. Say “I told you so” only if you’re in the same boat as everyone else (Acts 27:21).

a. Acts 27:21But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss.

2. Pray and hear from God (Acts 27:22-26).

a. Acts 27:22 And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.

b. Acts 27:23For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve,

c. Acts 27:24saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’

d. Acts 27:25 Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.

e. Acts 27:26However, we must run aground on a certain island.”

3. Don’t jump ship too soon (Acts 27:27-32).

a. Acts 27:27Now when the fourteenth night had come, as we were driven up and down in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors sensed that they were drawing near some land.

b. Acts 27:28And they took soundings and found it to be twenty fathoms; and when they had gone a little farther, they took soundings again and found it to be fifteen fathoms.

c. Acts 27:29Then, fearing lest we should run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern, and prayed for day to come.

d. Acts 27:30And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, when they had let down the skiff into the sea, under pretense of putting out anchors from the prow,

e. Acts 27:31Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.”

f. Acts 27:32Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the skiff and let it fall off.

4. Put your words into action (Acts 27:21-22, 33-37).

a. Acts 27:21But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss.

b. Acts 27:22 And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.

c. Acts 27:33And as day was about to dawn, Paul implored them all to take food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day you have waited and continued without food, and eaten nothing.

d. Acts 27:34Therefore I urge you to take nourishment, for this is for your survival, since not a hair will fall from the head of any of you.”

e. Acts 27:35And when he had said these things, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; and when he had broken it he began to eat.

f. Acts 27:36Then they were all encouraged, and also took food themselves.

g. Acts 27:37And in all we were two hundred and seventy-six persons on the ship.

5. Do whatever you got to do (Acts 27:38-44).

a. Acts 27:38So when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship and threw out the wheat into the sea.

b. Acts 27:39When it was day, they did not recognize the land; but they observed a bay with a beach, onto which they planned to run the ship if possible.

c. Acts 27:40And they let go the anchors and left them in the sea, meanwhile loosing the rudder ropes; and they hoisted the mainsail to the wind and made for shore.

d. Acts 27:41But striking a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the prow stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern was being broken up by the violence of the waves.

e. Acts 27:42And the soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim away and escape.

f. Acts 27:43But the centurion, wanting to save Paul, kept them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should jump overboard first and get to land,

g. Acts 27:44and the rest, some on boards and some on parts of the ship. And so it was that they all escaped safely to land.

[1] Keener, C. S. (2014). The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Second Edition, p. 410). Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press. [2] Keener, C. S. (2014). The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Second Edition, p. 411). Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press. [3] Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Book of the Acts (p. 481). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. cf. confer, compare [4] Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc. [5]Witherington, B., III. (1998). The Acts of the Apostles: a socio-rhetorical commentary (p. 765). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. kjv King James Version [6] Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc. [7] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ac 27:20). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.