Man’s Efforts to Protect the Ship are Futile

8/9 Reading Portions: Ruth 2; Acts 27; Jeremiah 37; Psalm 10

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8/9 Reading Portions: Ruth 2; Acts 27; Jeremiah 37; Psalm 10

Acts 27:20

When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.

SAVED

In the incredible providence of almighty God, Paul, having appealed to Caesar a few years after his arrest, was sent via a ship to Rome. The ship he boarded sailed westward and around the southern coast of Crete in mid-autumn, after the Day of Atonement (Acts 27:9); and the apostle, having suffered three shipwrecks before and spent a night and day in the deep (2 Cor 11:25), he had experience in these situations and advised the ship’s pilot not to put out to sea (Acts 27:10-11). His advice went unheeded (Acts 27:12), so the winds were contrary (Acts 27:14) and the seas, hazardous. The sea state worsened, causing desperation in the crew. Paul told them to take heart since an angel of God assured Paul that he must stand before Caesar (Acts 27:21-24). The ship carried Paul, Luke and 274 other persons (Acts 27:37); and though the ship ran aground on a reef and was destroyed, not a soul of their number was lost. This episode presents a blessed picture of gospel salvation, in general, for every soul. Because we have sinned against a holy God, we are warned by God’s Word of the peril that awaits us (Acts 27:9-11). But, sinners that we are, we do not always heed God’s Word or warnings (Acts 27:12), and in God’s sovereignty, the storm of God’s wrath becomes a reality (Acts 27:14), and we fear Him (Acts 27:17), recognizing that, despite all our best efforts (Acts 27:18-19), they are void of hope and that all is lost apart from the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 27:20). After the Word of the Lord comes again to us (Acts 27:21-24), we are saved (Acts 27:37), though the ship, which represents the world, is destroyed (Acts 27:41-44; 2 Pet 3:10). We all must come to a place of utter hopelessness so that Jesus Christ is the only Hope to the abandonment of all else. Like the lives of Luke and Paul, our lives in Christ Jesus will have gospel pictures manifested in our situations and circumstances; perhaps not readily apparent to us, but nonetheless, they will be there, whereas Christ is exalted and the Father is glorified. Hallelujah! What a sovereign Savior!

The shipwreck here presents a truth
Of gospel implication:
It’s for our strength, to learn and use;
Not merely for salvation.