Acts 7

Acts Chapter 7 features Stephen, one of the first deacons in the Christian church, giving a powerful defense of his faith before the Sanhedrin. As the longest speech recorded in the Book of Acts, it serves as both a summary of Israelite history and a pointed critique of Jewish leaders' resistance to God's work, particularly their rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. The chapter culminates with Stephen's martyrdom, marking him as the first Christian martyr.

Acts 7:1-3
Then the high priest said, “Are these things so?” And he said, “Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, and said to him, ‘Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.’

Stephen begins his defense by referencing God’s call to Abraham, establishing the foundation of the Jewish faith and identity. He emphasizes the divine initiative in calling Abraham out of Mesopotamia, setting the stage for the narrative of God's ongoing relationship with Israel.

Acts 7:4
‘Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. And from there, when his father was dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell.

Stephen continues recounting the history of Abraham, emphasizing God’s guidance in moving Abraham from Haran to Canaan. This transition highlights God’s sovereignty and fulfillment of His promises, underscoring the theme of divine guidance and provision.

Acts 7:5-7
And God gave him no inheritance in it, not even enough to set his foot on. But even when Abraham had no child, He promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his descendants after him. But God spoke in this way: that his descendants would dwell in a foreign land, and that they would bring them into bondage and oppress them four hundred years. ‘And the nation to whom they will be in bondage I will judge,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and serve Me in this place.’

These verses outline the promise and the prophetic forecast given to Abraham. Despite having no children and owning no land at the time, God promised Abraham a multitude of descendants and a homeland. Additionally, God foretold the enslavement of Abraham's descendants in Egypt and their eventual deliverance, reinforcing themes of God's providential plan and justice.

Acts 7:8
Then He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot the twelve patriarchs.

Stephen shifts to the covenant of circumcision, a sign of the special relationship between God and Abraham's lineage. He succinctly traces the patriarchal line from Abraham to the twelve tribes of Israel, establishing a continuity of faith and divine covenant.

Acts 7:9-10
And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.

Joseph’s story illustrates the theme of God’s providential care despite human malice. Stephen points out that although Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers, God turned the situation for good, elevating Joseph to a position of authority in Egypt, furthering the narrative of God’s redemptive work.

Acts 7:11-12
Now a famine and great trouble came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers found no sustenance. But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.

These verses connect to the broader narrative of God's provision. The famine that affected Egypt and Canaan set the stage for the sons of Jacob to seek help in Egypt, orchestrated by God to fulfill the prophecy given to Abraham about his descendants.

Acts 7:13-15
And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him, seventy-five people. So Jacob went down to Egypt; and he died, he and our fathers.

Stephen recounts the reunion of Joseph with his family, emphasizing the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham that his descendants would grow into a great nation. This event not only preserved the Hebrew lineage but also set the stage for their eventual enslavement and God's dramatic rescue.

Acts 7:16
And they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem.

This verse touches on the burial of the patriarchs, linking their final resting place back to the land promised by God. It underscores the importance of the land as part of God's covenant with Abraham and his descendants.

Acts 7:17-19
“But when the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt till another king arose who did not know Joseph. This king dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our forefathers, making them expose their babies, so that they might not live.

Stephen transitions to a darker period in Israelite history, the oppression under a new Egyptian pharaoh who did not honor Joseph's legacy. This highlights the fulfillment of God's earlier prophecy about the enslavement and persecution of Abraham's descendants, setting the stage for God's miraculous deliverance.

Acts 7:20-22
“At this time Moses was born, and was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father’s house for three months. But when he was set out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son. And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.

In these verses, Stephen introduces Moses, a central figure in Jewish history, emphasizing his providential upbringing within Pharaoh's household despite the decree to kill Hebrew infants. Moses' education and capabilities are highlighted, underscoring that even in oppression, God was preparing a deliverer for His people.

Acts 7:23-25
“When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel. And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian. For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand.

Stephen recounts Moses' first attempt to aid his people, resulting in violence and misunderstanding. This narrative illustrates Moses’ initial failure and his brethren's inability to recognize him as God's chosen instrument for their deliverance, highlighting themes of rejection and divine timing.

Acts 7:26-29
“And the next day he appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren; why do you wrong one another?’ But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ Then, at this saying, Moses fled and became a dweller in the land of Midian, where he had two sons.

This passage details Moses' further attempts at peacemaking among his people and his subsequent flight to Midian after his actions the previous day are revealed. The rejection by his own people foreshadows a recurring theme of the prophets being rejected by those they are sent to save.

Acts 7:30-34
“And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush in the wilderness of Mount Sinai. And when Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he drew near to examine it, God called to him from the midst of the bush, saying, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then He said, ‘I am the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses trembled and dared not look. ‘Then the Lord said to him, ‘Put off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. I have certainly seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.’

In these verses, the pivotal moment of Moses' life is recounted—the burning bush encounter. Here, God reveals His plan to rescue His people from Egyptian bondage, choosing Moses as His agent. This divine encounter reiterates God's ongoing commitment to His covenant and His active involvement in the liberation of His people.

Acts 7:35-36
“This Moses whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush. He brought them out, after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years.

Stephen emphasizes that Moses, initially rejected by his people, was indeed chosen by God to lead Israel out of Egypt. The signs and wonders performed through Moses are highlighted as divine validations of his leadership and God's power over the gods of Egypt.

Acts 7:37-38
“This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear.’ This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us,

Stephen connects Moses' role as a lawgiver to his prophetic foretelling of another Prophet—Jesus, whom Stephen implies is like Moses but greater. The reference to "living oracles" signifies the divine laws given through Moses, emphasizing their sacred and enduring relevance, and hinting at their fulfillment in Christ.

Acts 7:39-41
“whom our fathers would not obey, but rejected. And in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods to go before us; as for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ And they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifices to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands.

Here, Stephen recounts the Israelites' rebellion and idolatry while Moses was receiving the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. This episode underscores a recurring theme of rejection and disobedience towards God's messengers and laws, paralleling the Jewish leaders' rejection of Jesus despite the prophetic scriptures pointing to Him.

Acts 7:42-43
“Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the Prophets: ‘Did you offer Me slaughtered animals and sacrifices during forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? You also took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, images which you made to worship; and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.’

Stephen cites the prophets Amos and Isaiah, emphasizing that Israel's idolatry persisted throughout their history. The reference to being carried "beyond Babylon" alludes to the ultimate consequence of their disobedience—the Babylonian captivity. It serves as a stern reminder of God's judgment against unfaithfulness.

Acts 7:44-45
“Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the pattern that he had seen, which our fathers, having received it in turn, also brought with Joshua into the [land possessed by] the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers until the days of David,

Stephen refers to the Tabernacle as a symbol of God’s presence and guidance, faithfully carried through the wilderness and into the Promised Land. This continuity from Moses to Joshua underscores the ongoing fulfillment of God’s promises, and the divine authority backing Israel’s conquests and establishment in the land.

Acts 7:46-47
“who found favor before God and desired to find a dwelling for the God of Jacob. But Solomon built Him a house.

David’s desire to build a temple for God and its eventual realization by Solomon illustrates the transition from a mobile tabernacle to a permanent temple. This also reflects a shift in how God’s presence was understood—from a transient, guiding force in the wilderness to a fixed point of worship in the nation's capital.

Acts 7:48-50
“However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says: ‘Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me? says the Lord, Or what is the place of My rest? Has My hand not made all these things?’

Stephen uses scripture to argue that God’s presence cannot be confined to any human-made structure, emphasizing His transcendence and omnipresence. This critique of the temple points to a more profound spiritual truth that God dwells not in buildings but in the hearts and lives of His followers.

Acts 7:51-53
“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.”

Stephen’s speech reaches its climax as he directly confronts the Sanhedrin, accusing them of persistent resistance to God, much like their ancestors. He charges them with betraying and murdering Jesus, the Just One, whose coming was prophesied. This severe rebuke highlights their hypocrisy in receiving the law yet failing to uphold its deepest principles.

Acts 7:54-56
“When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, ‘Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’”

The reaction of the council members is violent and furious, contrasting sharply with Stephen’s divine vision. This vision of Jesus standing at the right hand of God signifies His authority and power, reaffirming Stephen’s message and his faith even in the face of imminent death.

Acts 7:57-58
“Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.”

In a unanimous and chaotic response, the Sanhedrin executes Stephen outside the city. This act of mob violence includes the detail of witnesses laying their garments at Saul’s feet, introducing Saul (later Paul) as a significant figure in Christian history and foreshadowing his profound transformation and pivotal role.

Acts 7:59-60 (BSB) "While they were stoning him, Stephen appealed, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.' Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them.' When he had said this, he fell asleep."

As Stephen faces his death, his final words echo those of Jesus on the cross, asking for forgiveness for his executioners—a testament to his faith and commitment to Christ’s teachings. His death, described as falling asleep, serves as a poignant end to his earthly life and a powerful testimony to his unwavering belief in the resurrection and life after death.