Introduction: Acts 7 begins with a question from the High Priest to Stephen, one of the original seven men sometimes called deacons. The rest of the chapter contains Stephen’s review of Israel’s history and his reply to the charge/s against him (see Acts 6) and the response of those who heard him. Stephen was the first acknowledged martyr of the Christian Church.
The question by the high priest, verse 1
Text, Acts 7:1, KJV: 1 Then said the high priest, Are these things so?
--Compare this “trial” with what had happened to Jesus Himself not long before.
--Did this sequence of events even follow the protocol or Jewish laws about trials?
We also don’t know the high priest’s attitude here. Stephen had been doing nothing but good; logically there was no reason for him to blaspheme or speak evil of anything.
The review of Israel’s history, verses 2-50
--From Abraham’s calling to Jacob’s sons, verses 2-8
2 And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, 3 And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee. 4 Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell. 5 And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child. 6 And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years. 7 And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place. 8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs.
Most of this is familiar to those of us who know Israel’s history as recorded in the Old Testament. One of the most important days in history was the day God called Abram when Abram was living in Ur of the Chaldees (Genesis 12).
Abram’s stop at Haran (“Charran”, verse 2) is noted in Genesis 11:31. Stephen does not mention that Terah, Abram’s father, died in Haran.
No mention of Abram’s time in Egypt. The covenant between God and Abram is found in Genesis 17. Circumcision and the promise of an heir were included in that covenant.
Isaac’s birth and circumcision are mentioned in Genesis 21:1-5.
Jacob’s birth—and Esau’s (his twin brother, not mentioned here)—are mentioned in Genesis 25:19-26. The births of Jacob’s sons, called patriarchs in Stephen’s message, are recorded in Genesis 29:31-35, 30:1-24, and 35:16-20.
--From the birth of Jacob’s sons to Israel moving to Egypt, verses 9-16
9 And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him, 10 And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. 11 Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance. 12 But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. 13 And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh. 14 Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls. 15 So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers, 16 And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem.
The story of Joseph being sold to Egypt: Genesis 37. Joseph’s arrival in Egypt and how God prospered and protected him is in Genesis 39.
Joseph’s promotion from prisoner to prime minister, second only in power to Pharaoh, is recorded in Genesis 41.
Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s double dreams about the 7 years each of plenty and of famine in Genesis 41. The two journeys of Jacob’s sons to buy grain are found in Genesis 42-45, and the relocation of Jacob and the rest of his family is in Genesis 46. The last chapters of Genesis give information about Jacob and his family in Egypt, plus the account of Jacob’s death and burial. Joseph did indeed have Jacob’s body buried in the same tomb where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and Leah were already buried (compare Genesis 23:17-19, 25:9-10
--From the bondage in Egypt to the Exodus, verses 17-36:
17 But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, 18 Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph. 19 The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.
All of this was recorded in Exodus 1.8-22. Why Stephen didn’t give the exact words of Pharaoh, when he gave the death sentence to every newborn Hebrew male, is not clear.
20 In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months: 21 And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son. 22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.
The birth of Moses and how Pharaoh’s daughter rescued him is told in Exodus 2:1-10. Josephus added more to the story of Moses in his work titled “The Antiquities of the Jews”.
23 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. 24 And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian: 25 For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not. 26 And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another? 27 But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? 28 Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday? 29 Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.
These verses summarize the first 40 years of Moses’ life. Stephen summarized Exodus 2. The names of Moses’ sons were Gershom and Eliezer (see Exodus 18:3-4). The events leading to Moses being basically forced to escape Egypt is found in Exodus 2:11-15.
30 And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush. 31 When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him, 32 Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold. 33 Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground. 34 I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt.
Stephen mentions the burning bush, described in Exodus 3. “Sina” is the same name as Sinai, also called “Horeb” in Exodus 3:1. Some have found it interesting that Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law near Sinai when he was living in Midian, and later Moses climbed the same mountain any number of times when Israel left Egypt: witness the original writing of the Ten Commandments and other times Moses spoke with God atop Mt Sinai.
35 This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush. 36 He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years.
This took place after the Ten Plagues, mentioned in Exodus 7-11. Dr. Harry Rimmer, in his book “Dead Men Tell Tales” wrote how each of these plagues was an attack on the “power” of ten of Egypt’s “gods” and how the God of Israel defeated each one—thoroughly and convincingly!
--From Moses’ return to Egypt and the Exodus to the construction of the Temple, verses 37-50
37 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
Stephen quotes from Deuteronomy 18:15 here, in reference to Moses’ words.
38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
The word translated “church” means “a called-out assembly”, and Israel certainly was in that category. God had called Abram, later known as Abraham, out of Ur of the Chaldees and gave him a special promise (see Genesis 12 and 17). Now God had called them as a nation out of Egypt and was leading them to the land He had promised.
As mentioned, “Sina” is the Greek rendering for “Sinai” where Israel and God met, even before God gave them the Ten Commandments (Exodus 19). “Lively oracles” may refer to not only the original Ten Commandments, which God Himself wrote and gave to Moses (Ex 31:18). These didn’t survive for very long, as will be seen in the next section.
39 To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt, 40 Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
This is one of the most incredible events in the Bible. The people of Israel, plus the “mixed multitude” who came along with them out of Egypt (Exodus 12:31-10), had all crossed the Red Sea (Ex. 14:15-31), then also had experienced hunger, thirst, and God’s provisions (Ex. 15-16). Then, three months to the day after they left Egypt, the people camped near Mt Sinai and heard God speak to Moses (Ex 19:1-9). Moses made several trips up and down the mountain but while he was there for a 40-day period, the people became restless and insisted that Aaron “make . . . ‘gods’ to go before us (Ex. 32:1-6).”
Whether Stephen meant Israel had thrust God Himself or Moses “from them” is not certain—maybe they had rejected both Moses and the LORD by their worship of the golden calf (Ex 32). Nearly 3000 men (could there have been women included as well?) paid with their lives for this sin. Why they worshiped something they had made, instead of remaining faithful to the same God Who had provided everything for them is something few of us may ever understand. May we never forget that lesson.
42 Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness? 43 Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.
Here Stephen either paraphrases Amos 5:25-26 or uses the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Old Testament. Again, it seems incredible that Israel would have made, and kept, a tabernacle of Moloch, the god of the Ammonites (also called Molech and other names) even before the tabernacle to the God of Israel was constructed!
What is meant by “the star of Remphan” in this verse and the Hebrew text of Amos 5:25-26 is not exactly certain except that even when Israel left Egypt, Israel took some images of foreign gods with them.
The punishment God promised did eventually happen. First, the Ten Northern Tribes were carried away to Assyria (near Babylon) and other parts of the Assyrian Empire of the time, such as the cities of the Medes (see 2 Kings17, verse 6 being the focal point). This took place around 712 BC according to various Bible teachers and commentators. Then, around 588 BC, Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians. Most of the people of Judah, the Southern Kingdom, were taken to Babylon but a relative handful of them were allowed (!) to remain in what was left of Jerusalem. The books of 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and Jeremiah have details about the last days of Judah as an independent kingdom. Jeremiah was an eyewitness (Jeremiah 39 and following).
44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen. 45 Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David; 46 Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. 47 But Solomon built him an house. 48 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, 49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? 50 Hath not my hand made all these things?
Exodus 25 explains how God gave the pattern for the Tabernacle to Moses, while Moses was on top of Mt Sinai in communion with God. Exodus 26-27 has more details about each item to be used in the Tabernacle, like the brazen altar and table of showbread.
“Jesus” in verse 45 is actually Joshua. He was the one appointed by God to lead Israel into the Promised Land. The Book of Joshua has a history of Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land and Joshua’s leadership, humanly speaking, as this took place. Actually God drove out the Canaanites and gave Israel the victory just as He had promised them.
Note: I haven’t found an exact match to Stephen’s words in verse 48. He may be paraphrasing or, again, using the Septuagint/Greek translation of parts of 1 Kings 8 or 2 Chronicles 6. The idea is that God is greater than anything any person could build or make.
--From the time of Solomon and the Temple to the present day, verses 51-53
51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: 53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
In these verses, Stephen changed the focus from Israel’s history to his current time. He accused them of being “stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears”—which was true, in that the religious leaders in front of Stephen were pretty much the same ones who had condemned or arranged for Jesus to be condemned to death.
Stephen also made reference to the prophets who had been persecuted. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself mentioned this in Matthew 23:35 and Luke 11:51. Paul even spoke of this in 1 Thessalonians 2:15 when he shared with them how the Jews had killed the prophets. Dr. Vance Havner wrote in one of his books how one generation would try to destroy the prophets but another generation would build monuments to them (see Matthew 23:30-31).
--The final reaction to Stephen’s message, verses 54-59
54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Note the reactions: they were “cut to the heart” but did not respond favorably to the message. Stephen must have sensed what was going to happen and declared how he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God! Eventually Stephen was stoned to death, but he prayed for those who were stoning him even to his last breath. Should any believer face martyrdom, may he or she experience the same grace towards them that Stephen showed to those who killed him.
Scripture quotations were taken from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV).
