I Appeal To Caesar!

leaders were in a hurry; it goes without saying that they felt much more knowledgeable about sailing than they felt Paul did. Several times on the trip the Lord gave Paul instructions, and he communicated the information. By the end of the trip, Paul’s divinely given advice was proven superior to that of the experts! The weather worsened, and the ship was struck by a storm of hurricane force which blew them out to sea. The crew lost control of the wild ship which was now driven by the wind. The ship was battered severely, and the crew was forced to jettison the cargo and the ship’s tackle and rigging. The storm raged on, and those on board — cold, wet, famished and without hope — longed to see the sun or stars. After fourteen days, everyone aboard had given up, except Paul. God’s servant had been visited by the angel of the Lord who declared: “ Don’t be afraid, Paul. You are destined to stand trial before Caesar!” Finally, attempting to run the battered ship ashore, they end up drifting into rocky shoals; suddenly the bow sticks fast, jammed on the rocks, while the stern is smashed apart by the pounding surf. The ship is disintegrating! There is only one course of action: “Abandon Ship!”

Everyone either swims for shore or clings to planks or

pieces of the ship.

All 265 people make it to shore (just as Paul had said they would), but the total ship and cargo are lost. After being blown all over the Adriatic Sea, they are now safe on the