Luke the beloved physician wrote how he, Paul, and others with him were sailing through a storm toward Rome, and “when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country. And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms. Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day”, and in chapter twenty-seven and verse thirty of the book of Acts Luke shared how, “the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea” where we read:
And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under color as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship,
The verse begins, “And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, ...” Luke began with the words, “and as the shipmen” which means “and while and during the time that the seamen, sailors or mariners” “were about to flee out of the ship” or “were craving to seek safety by flight, escape and run away and apart from the sailing vessel or boat”, “when they had let down the boat” which means “at the time and moment the sailors lowered the tub of a boat like a lifeboat or skiff” “into the sea” or “into the large body of water known as the Adriatic Sea”. Luke shared how the sailors of the ship were attempting to escape from it by a lifeboat that they had lowered into the waters below.
The verse continues, “... under color as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship,” Luke added the words, “under color” which means “in pretense, ostensibly and for the alleged reason” “as though they would have cast anchors” or “like the sailors were going to throw anchors” “out of the foreship” which means “out of the prow or forward part of the sailing vessel”. Luke shared how the “sailors” were acting like they were going to throw “anchors” over the front part of the ship when they were actually attempting to escape by lifeboat.
When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we learn how some of the sailors on board the ship were attempting to deceive everyone else who was aboard. They began to lower a lifeboat while pretending that they were “casting” anchors over the front part of the ship. We shall see how “Paul” perceived what they were doing and his warning to them in our next verse. God was present on this voyage, and He knew everything that would happen to both the people and the ship itself. God's intention was to send “Paul” to “Rome” where he would share the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ with the people there. God loves everyone, and regardless of whether they are attempting to be deceitful or not, He invites them to have a personal relationship with Him by believing and trusting in His Son Jesus. Those who are wise understand that God knows all things, and He is willing to unmask deceit to offer salvation to all who yield to His Son Jesus.
Next time Luke shares how Paul says, “Except these abide in the ship, you cannot be saved”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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