Acts 27:38-44 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.… I. THE BRUTALISING TENDENCY OF A MILITARY LIFE. One might have thought that common trials would have made every heart sympathetic; but these soldiers meditated the cold-blooded murder of men who had saved their lives. Why? Because they were trained to bloody deeds. Human life to them was cheap. II. THE SOCIAL VALUE OF A GOOD MAN. "The centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose," etc. The salvation of passengers must, under God, be ascribed to Paul, and the other prisoners were saved from massacre because of him. No one but God can tell the value of one good man in a neighbourhood or nation. Ten righteous men would have saved Sodom, etc. III. THE FAITHFULNESS OF THE DIVINE WORD. God had said that no life should be lost, that they should be cast upon a certain island, and that the ship should be destroyed. And here is the fulfilment. "Heaven and earth shall pass away," etc. IV. THE NECESSITY OF HUMAN EFFORT. Although the safety attained had been promised by God, yet the human agency was indispensable. (D. Thomas, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.WEB: When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea. |
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