The Storm - 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.

The “Nor’easter” is a reference to a violent windy storm lasting several days coming over water from the northeast direction.  The term is Euroclydon in other interpretations.  The ship gets caught into this and they are just trying to survive.  They go to great lengths to stay afloat.  They have thrown their cargo over and lost all hope of economic profit in order to sit higher in the water.  They have removed and thrown over anything of weight trying to avoid hitting bottom and losing the ship.  They have even put ropes around the bottom to hold it together.  They are worried about dragging bottom and the ship tearing apart leaving them in the sea in the middle of the storm.  The storm is so large and long that they haven’t seen the sky for days.  They have lost hope for survival.

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 ²⁴and 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.”

Paul stands up and says “I told you so.”  Was it his intent that they know that he was right for his sake?  No, only so that they might listen to him now.  He is saying, “Hey guys, God showed me this would happen and you did not believe me.  Now He is showing me that all of you will live, so don’t be hopeless, this will happen because I have faith.”  It is a testimony to them of the God he serves.