Take Food

All to take food

ACTS 27 COMMENTARY ◄
Acts 27:27-32 Adriatic Sea

Acts 27:33-44 Take Food

ACTS 27:33-38 33 And 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. 34 Therefore I urge you to take food, for this is for your survival, since not a hair will fall from the head of any of you.” 35 And 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. 36 Then they were all encouraged, and also took food themselves. 37 And in all we were two hundred and seventy-six persons on the ship. 38 So when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship and threw out the wheat into the sea.

How many people were aboard the ship?
"Two hundred and seventy-six persons" (Acts 27:37).

How many of them were going to be injured?
None: "Not a hair will fall from the head of any of you" (Acts 27:34).

Why was the ship "lightened" (Acts 27:38)?
Since the ship was going to "run aground" (Acts 27:26), the lighter the ship, the closer to the beach it will run aground.

Why did they throw "out the wheat into the sea" (Acts 27:38) instead of taking some ashore?
Paul had conveyed that the entire ship will be lost: "there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship" (Acts 27:22).

ACTS 27:39-44 39 When 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. 40 And 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. 41 But 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. 42 And the soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim away and escape. 43 But 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, 44 and the rest, some on boards and some on parts of the ship. And so it was that they all escaped safely to land.

What did the sailors do to maximize the ship's speed to shore?
"They let go the anchors ... [loosed] the rudder ropes and hoisted the mainsail to the wind and made for shore" (Acts 27:40).

Did the ship make it to the targeted "beach" (Acts 27:39)?
Not quite. It struck a sandbar or some other barrier below the waterline that created "two seas" (Acts 27:41) - one toward the ocean and the other toward the shore - where the bow "stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern was being broken up by the violence of the waves" (Acts 27:41).

What did the stern breaking up create?
Floating "boards" (Acts 27:44) for those who couldn't swim.

Who saved Paul's life?
The Lord, including by using the "centurion" (Acts 27:43).

What type of (attempted) actions did the storm draw from the various people?
Some stopped hoping and gave up. Others tried to escape. Still others tried to harm others to protect themselves. At least one trusted God and prayed for others.

How do you ride out life's storms?