- Acts 27:16-20
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- Acts 27:16 (KJB)
- And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much
work to come by the boat:
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- The wind had continually drove the ship southwest and after a certain
amount of time, the ship came around the south side of the Island of Clauda.
The Island is about 7 miles (11 km) long and 3 miles (5 km) wide. Today it
is called the Island of Gavdos. They had gone 23 miles (37 km) from where
they first encountered the storm. In the lee of the island, the part which
was sheltered from the wind, they were able to temporarily secure the small
boat which they were towing.
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- Acts 27:17 (KJB)
- Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship;
and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, struck sail, and so
were driven.
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- Then once the small boat was hoisted on to the deck, it was used to go
back and forth to land when the ships were out in the harbor, some distance
from land, they then took ropes and cables and fastened them vertically
around the ship to prevent the timbers from straining too much which could
cause a break and ultimately the ship would break up. So while the storm
continued, they feared they would be driven off their course toward Syrtis
in North Africa which was a quicksand area. These were a terror to the
sailors in ancient times. So they took down the topsail because if they left
it up, the wind could cause it to break in half and then they would have no
sail when the storm finally ceases and this caused them to be driven at the
mercy of the sea in the northeast wind.
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- Acts 27:18 (KJB)
- And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day
they lightened the ship;
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- Exceedingly - Violent
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- This storm showed no sign of letting up and even on the next day they
were being violently tossed about. They had decided to start lightening the
load of the ship so it would ride higher above the waves and would not be
swamped with water on every toss. Normally they would start with some of the
cargo but this cargo was too important to Rome so they probably started with
furniture and maybe with personal belongings.
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- Acts 27:19 (KJB)
- And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling
of the ship.
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- Tackling - Rigging, gear, or equipment
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- The third day from the time the storm hit them, they were still in its
grips and then Luke states that they began to throw the tackling of the ship
overboard. It may have been comprised of anything they could get their hands
on like rope, cables, furniture, and whatever was not nailed down to lighten
the ship as much as possible.
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- Acts 27:20 (KJB)
- And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small
tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken
away.
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- Since this storm was not letting up, they were unable to see the sun nor
the stars which meant they were unable to know where they were. They could
not see the sun rise or set and they could not see their location at night
by the stars. At this point despair had taken over the ship and they began
to think that none of them would be saved alive from this storm. They
probably never encountered a storm of such magnitude and length of time. The
crew was probably all exhausted at this time since they continually tried
their best to keep the ship afloat but with everything being thrown
overboard and the ship secured with ropes, there was nothing else which
could be done and that is why it seemed to them that their lives would be
lost. This situation with the boat should be a lesson to all Christians that
when we are given good advice we should heed it. Israel believed the 10
spies over Joshua and Caleb and it cost them 40 years in the wilderness
instead of just 11 days plus all the loss of life. Here an entire boat of
life sustaining wheat will be lost because of not following good advice. It
was already a month past the time when good sailing weather could be
expected and yet they chose to disobey even what they learned over the
years.
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