Numbers 7; Psalm 34:1-7; Acts 27

Numbers 7 - Offerings of the Leaders (Heads of Tribes) - Part of their "enrollment"

• 6 covered wagons, 12 oxen, to be given to the Levites to use
• Offerings for dedication of altar: One leader each day.
• Offerings identical
• A silver plate and a silver basin, both full of choice flour mixed with oil
• One golden dish full of incense
• Burnt offering: bull, ram, male lamb a year old
• Sin offering: male goat
• Sacrifice of well-being: 2 oxen, 5 rams, 5 male goats, 5 male lambs a year old
• In this order of tribal leaders:
• Judah -Issachar -Zebulun (East regiment)
  
• Reuben -Simeon -Gad (South regiment)
  
• Ephraim -Manassah -Benjamin (West regiment)
  
• Dan -Asher -Naphtali (North regiment)
• Note that Judah, the ancestor of Jesus, is the first listed. I thought maybe this was significant, then realized that gifts were brought in same order as the order of encampment, from Chapter 2 (which may be significant in itself)
  
• 89 - When God speaks to Moses, he does so from above the mercy seat in the tent of meeting.

Psalm 34:1-7 (Psalm of David, after he escaped from Abimelech by feigning madness)
3 - "O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together."

Acts 27
1-12 - Paul Sails for Rome

• A personal witness: Luke is with Paul (vs. 1 is "we"). Also Aristarchus, from Macedonia
  
• From Caesarea, to Sidon, to Myra in Lycia guarded by centurion named Julius, who treats Paul kindly.
• At Myra, they change to Alexandrian ship bound for Italy, to Fair Havens, near Lasea
• Paul warns of danger if they continue, but centurion ignores his warning, and heads for Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, hoping they can winter there.
  

13-38 - Storm at Sea

• Caused by "the northeaster."
  
• Began throwing cargo overboard, then the tackle, but still "no small tempest raged...all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned."
• Paul: You should have listened to me...But God has assured me there will be no loss of life...Keep up your courage...But we will have to run aground on some island.
• On 14th day, Paul tells crew and passengers (276 people) to go ahead and eat, and "giving thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke [bread] and began to eat." (This time, they listen to him!)
  
• They all follow his example, then throw the uneaten wheat overboard to lighten the ship.

39-44 - Shipwreck

• Crew casts off anchors in the sea, and runs the ship aground
• Soldiers want to kill prisoners to prevent escape, but "wishing to save Paul," the centurion prevents them
• Swimmers swim for land; others float on planks and pieces of ship
• "All were brought safely to land."
• Whether we would see the details as negative or positive, it's hard not to see the hand of God in this whole story, from the accusations against Paul in Jerusalem, to his trial in Caesarea, through his journey to Rome.