In the winter of 1919, a coastal steamer named the “Ethie” was traveling along the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, when a terrible storm blew up. Back then they didn’t have modern weather instruments that could warn ships of approaching bad weather, and so the storm took the Ethie by surprise. The ship was carrying mail and freight, along with ninety-two people on board. Some said it was the worst storm in a hundred years to hit the coast.
The wind blew fiercely, whipping snow through the air, with waves nearly a hundred feet high. The captain doubted that his ship could withstand much more of the beating it was taking in the wild storm. He decided to move in close to shore to find shelter in a bay or behind an island. At nightfall he was about to turn into Bonnie Bay when the high winds and great waves pushed the ship too close to shore. With a heart-stopping thud, the iron hull of the boat ran aground on submerged rocks. The ship was stuck fast on the rocks seventy-five yards from shore.
A huge wave curled up with tremendous power and crashed onto the decks, washing away all the Ethie’s lifeboats into the sea. The ship, taking on water through a hole in its hull, began leaning far over to one side.
The captain realized the Ethie was in danger of breaking up into pieces at any moment. Everybody on board would be tossed into the raging seas, and everyone would likely be lost. He took a big flare gun out onto the open deck and shot it into the night sky. For a moment the sky was lit up in brilliant green before the flare burned out. He fired two more flares, hoping men on shore would see it and come to their rescue.
Rescue parties did come from nearby towns but were unable to help. The waves crashing onto shore were so big they would have smashed any lifeboats before they got through the surf.
The captain knew time was running out. He asked for a volunteer to swim from the stranded ship through the raging sea to shore, holding a light rope. Once he got to shore, the light rope would be used to pull a much heavier and stronger rope across. Then a boatswain’s chair could be rigged up on the rope and the passengers transferred, one by one, from the grounded ship to shore.
One brave young man fully understood the danger of the ship breaking up and volunteered to make the attempt. He stripped off his coat, boots and shirt and dove into the icy cold water. He struggled against the wild waves until some unseen current caught him in its power and swept him out to sea. He was never seen again.
Wave after wave pounded the ship as hope was failing in the hearts of everyone on board. Then the captain’s eye fell on Tang, the ship’s dog, and another desperate idea formed in his mind. Tang was a big black Newfoundland dog weighing over 150 pounds. He knew the dog was practically fearless and also intelligent. The dog was used to help with chores on the boat and in the harbors, and he always seemed to understand what he was told to do. The captain led the dog to part of the ship that was closest to shore and put the rope in the dog’s mouth. With a sweep of his hand, he pointed to shore and said, “Tang, you’ve got to swim to shore . . . to shore Tang . . . and take this rope.” The big dog seemed to understand. Without hesitating, he went to a place where the ship’s railing had been broken away and leapt into the churning waves. Newfoundland dogs are excellent swimmers, with thick, double coats of fur that protect them from the cold.
The waves crashed over the dog and the current spun him around, but still Tang swam towards shore with the rope in his mouth. He swam against strong currents. Mountainous waves would crash over him and he would be completely underwater, but he always came up and kept going. At last, he made it to shore.
Men took the rope from Tang’s mouth and quickly attached the heavier rope which the captain pulled back to the ship. After rigging up a boatswain’s chair, the passengers were transferred in the chair, one by one, from the doomed ship to shore. A baby was even placed in a mail bag and transferred just above the raging sea. The captain was the last to come across.
The Ethie broke up and sank in the waves shortly after the rescue. Because of Tang’s heroic rescue, the passengers and crew on board were saved. Lloyd’s of London, the insurance company for ships, sent Tang a beautiful medallion on a collar to show their appreciation for the dog’s brave work in saving so many people’s lives.
Tang’s courage, strength and life-saving instincts saved many lives in that terrible storm. Tang reminds us of the Lord Jesus who is supremely brave, strong and willing to save. Without hesitation on His part, He came from heaven and went to the cross where He died in the sinner’s place. He knew that every man, woman or child would be lost for all eternity if He didn’t give His life a ransom for all. At the cross God’s anger against sin fell on Jesus in one mighty wave after another. “I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of [God’s] wrath” (Lamentations 3:11I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. (Lamentations 3:1)).
Because the Lord Jesus suffered on the cross for sinners, all who believe on Him will be saved. “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:1818For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (1 Peter 3:18)).
Sinners who are being swept along by the power of sin and darkness to eternal destruction have a way to escape, because the Lord Jesus died for them. If they believe on the Lord Jesus, He will set their feet on solid rock, save their souls and they shall never perish. “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand” (John 10:2828And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:28)).
It was only because Tang was able to swim through the raging waves that many lives were saved from the Ethie, and it is only because of the Lord Jesus and His work on the cross that anyone in this world of sin can ever be saved from God’s anger against their sins.
In love Jesus died for you on the cross, but if you refuse to accept Him as your Saviour, you will have to bear the terrible storm of God’s anger against your sins. “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:1717The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. (Psalm 9:17)).
Oh, won’t you realize your dangerous condition and call out to the Lord Jesus who is mighty to save? “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:1313For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13)).
ML-09/03/2006