DAY FIFTEEN: Courageous
Evangelism
Act 7:19-60 NASB - "19 "It was he
who took shrewd advantage of our race and mistreated our fathers so that they
would expose their infants and they would not survive. 20 "It was at this
time that Moses was born; and he was lovely in the sight of God, and he was
nurtured three months in his father's home. 21 "And after he had been set
outside, Pharaoh's daughter took him away and nurtured him as her own son. 22
"Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and he was a man
of power in words and deeds.
Moses becomes an anointed one who is dead
(thrown in the Nile to die) is resurrected (taken out of the river of death)
and then resurrected to royal power.
Moses was provided the best education that Egypt could offer and was
respected for his ability to speak and act.
According to history, Pharaoh Thutmose and
his wife Queen Ahmose had one child, a daughter, Hatshepsut, who later became
supreme ruler. Hatshepsut married her stepbrother Thutmose II as arranged by
her father. After her father’s death, her husband Thutmose II became pharaoh,
but Hatshepsut was really in power. She co-reigned with her husband from
approximately 1504-1482 BC. She was one of Egypt’s greatest rulers.[1] It is thought by some that this may have been
the daughter who rescued Moses.
23 "But when he was
approaching the age of forty, it entered his mind to visit his brethren, the
sons of Israel. 24 "And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he
defended him and took vengeance for the oppressed by striking down the
Egyptian. 25 "And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was
granting them deliverance through him, but they did not understand. 26 "On
the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting together, and he
tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, 'Men, you are brethren, why do you
injure one another?' 27 "But the one who was injuring his neighbor pushed
him away, saying, 'WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND JUDGE OVER US? 28 'YOU DO NOT MEAN
TO KILL ME AS YOU KILLED THE EGYPTIAN YESTERDAY, DO YOU?' 29 "At this
remark, MOSES FLED AND BECAME AN ALIEN IN THE LAND OF MIDIAN, where he became
the father of two sons.
Moses is anointed leader to deliver Israel
is rejected, is placed under a death warrant for murder, and buried in the
desert where he fled.
30 "After forty years had
passed, AN ANGEL APPEARED TO HIM IN THE WILDERNESS OF MOUNT Sinai, IN THE FLAME
OF A BURNING THORN BUSH. 31 "When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight;
and as he approached to look more closely, there came the voice of the Lord: 32
'I AM THE GOD OF YOUR FATHERS, THE GOD OF ABRAHAM AND ISAAC AND JACOB.' Moses
shook with fear and would not venture to look. 33 "BUT THE LORD SAID TO
HIM, 'TAKE OFF THE SANDALS FROM YOUR FEET, FOR THE PLACE ON WHICH YOU ARE
STANDING IS HOLY GROUND. 34 'I HAVE CERTAINLY SEEN THE OPPRESSION OF MY PEOPLE
IN EGYPT AND HAVE HEARD THEIR GROANS, AND I HAVE COME DOWN TO RESCUE THEM; COME
NOW, AND I WILL SEND YOU TO EGYPT.'
God resurrects Moses from exile 40 years later
to fulfill the original plan of him being the deliverer of Israel.
35 "This Moses whom they disowned,
saying, 'WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND A JUDGE?' is the one whom God sent to be both
a ruler and a deliverer with the help of the angel who appeared to him in the
thorn bush. 36 "This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the
land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. 37
"This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, 'GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR
YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN.'
God makes Moses ruler even though the people
rejected him. Moses predicts that an
ultimate prophet will arise the ultimate Messiah and prophet. So Moses does not claim to be the final or
ultimate prophet. The Sadducees at the
time one of the main parties that ruled in the Sanhedrin believed exactly
that. So Stephen has refuted a key
belief that many of them held.
38 "This is the one who was in the
congregation in the wilderness together with the angel who was speaking to him
on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living oracles to
pass on to you. 39 "Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but
repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt, 40 SAYING TO AARON,
'MAKE FOR US GODS WHO WILL GO BEFORE US; FOR THIS MOSES WHO LED US OUT OF THE
LAND OF EGYPT--WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM.' 41 "At that time they
made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the
works of their hands.
Here we find the people again rejecting
God’s leader and wanting to worship idols instead after God had delivered them
from slavery in Egypt.
42 "But God turned away and delivered
them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the
prophets, 'IT WAS NOT TO ME THAT YOU OFFERED VICTIMS AND SACRIFICES FORTY YEARS
IN THE WILDERNESS, WAS IT, O HOUSE OF ISRAEL? 43 'YOU ALSO TOOK ALONG THE
TABERNACLE OF MOLOCH AND THE STAR OF THE GOD ROMPHA, THE IMAGES WHICH YOU MADE
TO WORSHIP. I ALSO WILL REMOVE YOU BEYOND BABYLON.'
Amos 5:23-25 is quoted here that points out
that the people were actually worshipping false gods as they turned away from
the anointed leadership of Moses.
44 "Our fathers had the tabernacle of
testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make
it according to the pattern which he had seen. 45 "And having received it
in their turn, our fathers brought it in with Joshua upon dispossessing the
nations whom God drove out before our fathers, until the time of David. 46
"David found favor in God's sight, and asked that he might find a dwelling
place for the God of Jacob. 4
7 "But it was Solomon who
built a house for Him. 48 "However, the Most High does not dwell in houses
made by human hands; as the prophet says: 49 'HEAVEN IS MY THRONE, AND EARTH IS
THE FOOTSTOOL OF MY FEET; WHAT KIND OF HOUSE WILL YOU BUILD FOR ME?' says the
Lord, 'OR WHAT PLACE IS THERE FOR MY REPOSE? 50 'WAS IT NOT MY HAND WHICH MADE
ALL THESE THINGS?'
The point that is being made here was that
it was always known that the temple could not really be God’s house for nothing
can contain him, not even the whole universe.
Therefore, accusing Stephen of being against the temple as the ultimate
place to meet God seems to also fly in the face of the testimony of scripture
(Isaiah 66:1)
51 "You men who are stiff-necked and
uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are
doing just as your fathers did. 52 "Which one of the prophets did your
fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the
coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become;
53 you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep
it."
In killing Jesus the Messiah the anointed
righteous one of God they have followed the footsteps of their spiritual
fathers and rejected God’s ordained ruler.
As God raised up these other
rulers HE has not raised up Jesus.
54 Now when they heard this, they were cut
to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. 55 But being full of
the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and
Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, "Behold, I see
the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of
God."
57 But they cried out with a loud voice, and
covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. 58 When they had driven
him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their
robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 They went on stoning Stephen as
he called on the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" 60
Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not
hold this sin against them!" Having said this, he fell asleep."
Act 8:1 NASB - "1 Saul was in hearty
agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began
against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the
regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles."
The spark that began open and
direct persecution of the disciples of Jesus was a sermon by one of their
chosen deacons. This confrontation
brings out Saul as the leader of this persecution. Yet, Stephan’s message has cut everyone to
the heart and made them feel the responsibility of their rejection of Messiah
Jesus. Stephan’s vision of Jesus’ right
had is clear testimony in his faith in Jesus as resurrected. Here then we have the death, burial, and
resurrection of Jesus by God as the essential doctrine. It is this teaching that motivates people to
either follow Jesus in faith as their one hope of salvation or to be enraged
that it would depend on someone else like Jesus.
How should we then live:
How much of the Old Testament Story could
you tell by memory if someone asked you to give an overview of the main events
that occurred prior to the birth of Jesus?
Could you point people to see the Messiah
Jesus in what had occurred in Old Testament as Stephen does here?
How could you prepare yourself to be ready
to suffer and die for your faith?
What experiences have given you greater
trust in God’ s plan for your life?
Does Stephen love the people he is preaching
to about Messiah Jesus? How does the
last couple of verses in chapter 7 help convince of us.
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, give us boldness as Stephen
had and not turn from telling others about YOU.
Fill us with the holy Spirit that I might have loving boldness to speak
to others and worship in Spirit and Truth.
Lord have mercy on me and use me as a witness. Amen.
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