Atos 7
John Phillips · Citado em PreceptAustin
Atos 7
Phillips writes "The sacred bull was one of the countless gods of Egypt. At the very moment the written Scriptures were being entrusted to Moses, the Israelites were making a golden calf and were apostatizing from the true and living God. They already had the oral Scriptures in the stories of God's dealings with the patriarchs. They knew that Jehovah was the true and living God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. No insult offered to God could have been greater than to make an Egyptian idol and worship it as the author of their salvation. Such was Israel's initial apostasy. It was deep and dreadful, made all the worse by Aaron's craven compromise and cooperation. (Exploring Acts: An Expository Commentary) Acts 7:42 "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? (NASB: Lockman) KJV Acts 7:42 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? and delivered Ps 81:11,12; Isa 66:4; Ezek 14:7-10; 20:25,39; Hos 4:17; Ro 1:24-28; 2 Th 2:10-12 the host Dt 4:19; 17:3; 2 Kings 17:16; 21:3; Job 31:26-28; Jer 19:13; Ezek 8:16 O Amos 5:25,26 forty Ps 95:10; Heb 3:9,15-17 Acts 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries ISRAEL'S REJECTION BRINGS DIVINE ABANDONMENT But God turned away and delivered them up - In Acts 7:39+ Israel in their hearts turned back (strepho) to Egypt, and now we see God turned away from them! God gave them up to their heart's desire! They received the consequences they deserved because of their unfaithfulness to God. Turned away (4762) (strepho) means to turn, to turn about. Israel turned away from the only true and living God and to dead gods, idols, works of men's hands! What does this say about their hearts? Had they not done the same thing while Christ was with them on earth? Moses performed miracles, met their needs in the wilderness, and gave them the Word of God; Christ also had performed mighty works, fed the people, and had given them God’s Word—yet they turned away! This divine deliverance is also what God did to the Gentiles when they rejected Him even though in His natural revelation He had made Himself known to them For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures (SEE HORRIBLE PICTURE OF THE GOD OF MOLECH BELOW). (Ro 1:18-23+) As a result of the Gentiles' rejection of God, Paul used the same verb Luke uses to describe God's giving them oven to their sin! (Ro 1:24+) Therefore God gave them over (paradidomi) in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. (Ro 1:26+) For this reason God gave them over (paradidomi) to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, (Ro 1:28+) And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over (paradidomi) to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, Just as God had "delivered up" the ancient civilizations when they exchanged His incorruptible glory for form of corruptible man, etc, (false gods) so He gave His chosen people over to the the lusts of their hearts and they worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator Who is blessed forever. Delivered them up (gave them over) (3860)(paradidomi from para = alongside, beside, to the side of, over to + didomi = to give) conveys the basic meaning of to give over from one's hand to someone or something, especially to give over to the power of another. Israel was unwilling to submit to the authority of God, so God gave them over to the power of idolatry. This divine abandonment is described in Hosea 4:17NET Ephraim has attached (Lxx = metochos) himself to idols; Do not go near him! John
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Phillips - Stephen was still undermining the notion that the Temple was a permanent institution. Abraham had no tangible possession even in Canaan. His faith was exercised along purely spiritual lines. He had the promise but not the place... Stephen was underlining the purely spiritual roots of the Hebrew faith and pointing to the purely spiritual nature of New Testament Christianity, which takes little or no account of sacred shrines and holy places. (Exploring Acts) We read about this in Genesis 15 Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3And Abram said, “Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir.” 4Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.” 5And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”(Ge 15:2-5) And what was Abraham's response to God's promise? Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. (Ge 15:6) What is Stephen's point in this description of Abraham? He is describing Abraham's faith. The writer of Hebrews put it this way... By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for (term of explanation - what is he explaining?) he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. (Hebrews 11:9-10+) As David Thomson observes that "Abraham, who was the Father of the Jews, whom they could not deny had a special relationship with God, never had a specific spot to live in. God’s hand of blessing was on Abraham even though he didn’t own any of the land and was just a pilgrim with no inheritance." Note that in Ge 23:13-18 we see that Abraham purchased a cave at Machpelah to bury Sarah, but it was not given to him as a gift from God. Toussaint makes the point that what Stephen is doing here is showing from Israel's own history that the blessings of God were "not limited to the land of Israel and the Temple area. Some of Israel’s greatest favors were bestowed apart from the temple and the land." And here in Acts 7:5 we see that Abraham was called out of Mesopotamia and received God's promise of the Land (promised land, the land of Palestine, the land of Israel) for himself and his descendants before he was actually in the land. Inheritance (2817)(kleronomia from kleros = lot + némo = give or distribute) is literally that which is distributed by lot. Literally kleronomia refers to what is received as a gift from someone who has died and figuratively in a religious sense as God's promised gifts. David
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Phillips comments that Israel's 400 years of enslavement in Egypt "was an implied rebuke, too, to those who thought that biblical belief had to be tied to a Temple. At the very beginning of Jewish national life, and for four long centuries, the chosen people were not even in the Promised Land!...The high priest and his party could hardly escape the drift of Stephen's argument." (Exploring Acts) Acts 7:7 "AND WHATEVER NATION TO WHICH THEY WILL BE IN BONDAGE I MYSELF WILL JUDGE,' said God, 'AND AFTER THAT THEY WILL COME OUT AND SERVE ME IN THIS PLACE.' (NASB: Lockman) KJV Acts 7:7 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. the nation Ge 15:14-16; Ex 7:1-14; Neh 9:9-11; Ps 74:12-14; 78:43-51; Ps 105:27-36; 135:8,9; 136:10-15; Isa 51:9,10 Acts 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries GOD SAFEGUARDS HIS PROMISE TO ABRAHAM AND WHATEVER NATION TO WHICH THEY WILL BE IN BONDAGE I MYSELF WILL JUDGE,' said God - "Whatever nation" is clearly Egypt but it is stated in this somewhat obtuse manner because Stephen is quoting from the Septuagint of Ge 15:14 which has "And the nation whomsoever they shall serve I will judge." Will be in bondage (1398)(douleuo from doulos) means that Israel was in the position as servants, in bondage, subjected to and serving the Egyptians. In contrast to douloo above this verb specifically includes the idea of serving while douloo means to make one a slave without necessarily conveying the idea of serving. Will judge (2919)(krino) is described in Exodus in the 10 plagues on Egypt. In (Ex 7:1-14) we read Then the LORD said to Moses, “See, I make you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. 2 “You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the sons of Israel go out of his land. 3 “But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. 4 “When Pharaoh does not listen to you, then I will lay My hand on Egypt and bring out My hosts, My people the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt by great judgments. 5 “The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst.” AND AFTER THAT THEY WILL COME OUT AND SERVE (WORSHIP) ME IN THIS PLACE - Ex 3:12 says "when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship (Lxx = latreuo) God at this mountain.” Stephen changes it to "this place," but seems to still indicate that the Israelites will worship at Mount Sinai. God would deliver them from bondage as he says later using a man named Moses. Although Stephen never uses the specific Name of Jesus in this lengthy message, one cannot help but think that he was recalling this prophecy of Israel's deliverance from bondage as a picture of the Deliverer (the Messiah) who came to deliver men from enslavement to sin. As Jesus told the Jews who ostensibly had believed in Him (they had made a profession) "“If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (Jn 8:31-32) Paul Apple gives us some application questions based on this passage - Do we grasp the depth of our bondage – what original sin and total depravity mean in our own situation? Have we appreciated the precious value of our redemption? Do we live as those delivered from the power of sin? How are we serving God in the place where He has put us right now? (The Spread of the Gospel) Will serve ("will worship" - ESV, CSB, NLT)(3000)(latreuo from latris = one hired or latron = reward, wages) means to work for reward, for hire or for pay, to be in servitude, render cultic service. Latreuo was used literally for bodily service (e.g., workers on the land, or slaves), and figuratively for “to cherish.” Hear Stephen uses this verb to convey the idea of rendering service to God, including worship, performance of sacred services. This place - What place? We have alluded to this above. The place appears to be Mount Sinai (Horeb). This is clearly a "jab" at the Sanhedrin who hold that the only place to worship God is in the Temple in Jerusalem. Note also that while Stephen says Abraham and his offspring will serve (worship) God they do so without the benefit of either the Tabernacle or the Temple. Stephen's is reminding the Sanhedrin that the everlasting covenant supersedes the temple and that worship of God does not require one to be at the Temple in Jerusalem. Bob
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Phillips - Stephen now turned to Isaiah 66:1-2 for his final word about the inadequacy of the Temple. What need did God have of a temple-God, who was able to create suns and stars, able to make a planet such as Earth and fill it to overflowing with all things man could ever need? What need did such a vast, infinite, eternal God have of a temple, however magnificent? Man might need a temple in the ritual and symbolic picture book stage of his spiritual development, but God certainly had no need of a temple. The very Temple, indeed, of which the Jews were so inordinately proud in Stephen's day was not Solomon's Temple. God had allowed that one to go up in flames. Moreover, within a few decades, the present Temple would be destroyed. It made no difference. The Temple was not necessary to true spiritual faith. Like the Tabernacle before it, it was never intended to be more than a temporary phase in their spiritual education. Their charge that he had blasphemed God by proclaiming Jesus to be greater than the Temple and to have declared the Temple redundant was answered. (Exploring Acts) OR WHAT PLACE IS THERE FOR MY REPOSE - Answer? He has need of none! The self-existent, the Great I Am does not need a place to rest. Earlier Isaiah had spoke to this in this great description of God... Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable (Isaiah 40:28) (Play the beautiful melody Scroll Down for "Do You Not Know?") Repose (2663)(katapausis from katá = intensifies or "down" conveys sense of permanency + paúo= make to cease) describes literally a ceasing from one's work or activity. Thayer cites a use in the active sense of a putting to rest as used in the sentence "a calming of the winds". NET Note - What kind…resting place? The rhetorical questions clearly show that mere human beings cannot build a house to contain God. Today "God's temple" is our body! (1 Cor 3:16, 1 Cor 6:19+) Think about this! Is God able to "rest" in His Temple, your (my) body? Whoa! Are you as convicted as I am? We all have the tendency to think that we worship in church on Sunday. But the truth that God is with us wherever we are should cause us to think more about worshiping Him any time and any place, for when and where we are, He is! Now are you really convicted? Let this truth motivate you to live day to day with a more conscious awareness of God's presence and the unspeakably sublime privilege we as His children to worship Him without limits of time or place! Beloved, it has always been God’s will that His people, individually and corporately, be His dwelling, not some man-made stone edifice. God is not looking for stone buildings but for soft hearts in which to dwell even as He says in Isaiah 57:15 For thus says the high and exalted One (WHOSE THRONE IS HEAVEN!) Who lives forever, Whose Name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite. (Read also Isaiah 66:2) Bob Deffinbaugh: The First Martyr – Taking God for Granite - I confess that this is a play on words, but it is one that represents an important truth. The law of Moses was written on stone. The temple, too, was made of stone. In one sense, the Jews had made the law of Moses (as they interpreted it) and the temple an idol. Their “god” was a god of their making, rather than the One who made all things (Acts 4:24). They made stone (granite?) their “god.” Thus, they took God for granite, or perhaps we should say they took granite for their god...Unbelieving Jews could not stand to hear anything about the coming destruction of the temple. As the Law of Moses (or rather the traditions the Jews had made up themselves and attributed to Moses) had become an idol to the Hellenistic, Greek-speaking Jews who opposed Stephen, so had the temple. They assumed that to have the temple was to have the assurance of God’s presence among them and His blessings. . . As our Lord Jesus told the woman at the well, worship is not a matter of finding the right place, but of finding the right Person (John 4:20-26). They have an exaggerated view of the importance of the temple. (The First Martyr or Taking God for Granite Acts 7:1-60) Dave
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Phillips - Their unbelief had begun with their treatment of Joseph, one of the great types of Christ in the Old Testament. As the Sanhedrin had rejected Jesus, so the patriarchs rejected Joseph, and for the same reason-envy. (Exploring Acts) Became jealous (2206)(zeloo from zelos = zeal from zeo = boil; English word "zeal") means to be fervent, to "boil" with envy or jealousy. This description of the patriarchs (held in high esteem by the Sanhedrin) must have caused a stir as the Sadducees themselves had been filled with jealousy of the apostles (Acts 5:17) and ultimately "were cut to the quick" by the teaching of the apostles and were "intending to slay them," until Gamaliel stepped in for the rescue. The point is that the members of the Sanhedrin had reacted with jealously just as had the jealous patriarchs so that the implications and intent of Stephen's story would have been unmistakable. Sadducees were surely squirming in their seats! This same verb zeloo is used in the Septuagint in Ge 37:11 "His brothers were jealous (Lxx = zeloo) of him, but his father kept the saying in mind." Zeloo was also used in the Septuagint to describe the jealousy against Moses (Nu 11:29), again Jews being jealous of the one God had chosen to be their deliverer! Yet - Term of contrast. In this case Stephen presents a strong contrast between the way Joseph's brothers treated him and the way God treated him. Horton comments that "Stephen is leading also to a comparison with the way the Jewish leaders treated Jesus and the way God exalted Him. (Acts: A Logion Press Commentary) God was with him - Despite being rejected, God was faithful and protected Joseph, even as he did Jesus. Note the Warren
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Phillips - It is only with the full light of the New Testament thus shining upon the Old Testament page that we can appreciate to the full the cleverness of Stephen's speech. For what had happened in Joseph's day will all be repeated, on a grander scale, to drive the Jews at last to Jesus. Acts 7:14 "Then Joseph sent word and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five persons in all. (NASB: Lockman) KJV Acts 7:14 Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls. sent Ge 45:9-11; Ps 105:23 seventy-five Ge 46:12,26,27; Dt 10:22; 1 Chr 2:5,6 Acts 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Then Joseph sent word and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him - "It was this knowledge, brought to Pharaoh, that enabled Joseph to transfer his father and his entire relationship from Canaan to Egypt and to take them out of the famine-stricken land to one that was well supplied with food, with one of the family serving as vice-ruler. But this move was a fulfillment of the word spoken to Abraham in Acts 7:6. Here in Egypt God intended to let Jacob's family grow into a nation." (Lenski) Seventy-five persons in all - The Hebrew version (Masoretic Text) of Ge 46:26-27; Ex 1:5; and Dt 10:22 all record 70 people came down to Joseph in Egypt, while the Septuagint version of Ge 46:27 says 75. As we have stated earlier, Stephen quotes are all from the Septuagint (possibly reflecting his Hellenistic background - which would be more familiar with Greek in the Septuagint). Opponents of the Bible cry "Foul" (Discrepancy)! But they are not correct. Gleason Archer explains this alleged discrepancy concluding "that both totals are correct, though they were calculated differently. Jacob's own sons numbered twelve; his grandsons by them numbered fifty-two; there were already four great-grandsons born in Canaan by the time of the migration, for a total of sixty-six. Manasseh and Ephraim, born in Egypt, increased the total to sixty-eight; Jacob and his wife (whichever she was) brought it up to seventy. But the Septuagint added the seven grandsons of the prime minister [Joseph] and omitted Jacob and his wife from the tally. This brings us to the result that Stephen correctly reported the number seventy-five, according to the Septuagint in Genesis 46:27 and Exodus 1:5. Likewise, Genesis 46:27, Exodus 1:5, and Deuteronomy 10:22 in the Masoretic text are correct with their total of seventy. Either figure is correct, depending on whether Joseph's grandchildren are included. (Four great-grandchildren of Jacob were included even in the Masoretic text tally of seventy.) (Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1982], 379) Acts 7:15 "And Jacob went down to Egypt and there he and our fathers died. (NASB: Lockman) KJV Acts 7:15 So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers, Jacob Ge 46:3-7; Nu 20:15; Dt 10:22; 26:5; Joshua 24:4 died Ge 49:33; Ex 1:6; Heb 11:21,22 Acts 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries And Jacob went down to Egypt and there he and our fathers died - The patriarch died but not the nation of Israel. All the 12 patriarchs died far from the land of promise. Here the story becomes somewhat confusing as is discussed in notes on the next verse. Stephen's presentation of Joseph's life in many ways parallels Jesus' life and prepares the Sanhedrin for his summation of their murder of the Righteous One (Acts 7:52) Jesus and Joseph were both beloved by their fathers. Jesus and Joseph were both Jews from Israel. Jesus and Joseph were delivered up because of envy or jealousy (Acts 7:9;. Mk 15:10). Both were rejected by their Jewish brethren (cf Jn 1:9-11) Jesus was condemned to death by the testimony of false witnesses while Joseph was imprisoned because of the false accusations of Potiphar's wife. Jesus was resurrected, freed from the "prison of death" and exalted, even as Joseph was freed from prison and exalted to high office. Joseph was able to deliver his sinful brothers from physical death, even as Jesus provided deliverance for His sinful brethren from spiritual death. Jesus was not recognized on His first visit by His Jewish brethren, even as Joseph was not recognized on the first visit of his brethren. Jesus will reveal Himself and be recognized by His Jewish brethren at His Second Coming (Zech 12:10-14), even as Joseph revealed himself to his brethren on their second visit. Acts 7:16 "From there they were removed to Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem. (NASB: Lockman) KJV Acts 7:16 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. Ex 13:19; Joshua 24:32 the tomb Ge 33:9-20; 35:19; 49:29-32 Acts 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries BURIAL IN THE PROMISED LAND This paragraph will allude to the Scriptures that are recorded below for reference. First note that while Stephen does not specifically say, the implication of the specific requests of Jacob and Joseph to be buried in the promised land is a manifestation of faith in the Abrahamic covenant. Genesis 49 (see Ge 49:29-32 below) records the request of Jacob to be buried in Mamre which is in Hebron (MAP OF HEBRON) in the cave where the other two patriarchs, Abraham and Isaac, were buried. Joseph also requested to be buried in the land promised to Abraham (see below - Ge 50:24-26), but he did not specify burial in the same place as the three patriarchs. Joshua 24:32 records that Joseph was in fact buried at Shechem. Now here in Acts 7:16 Stephen says "from there they were removed to Shechem" (MAP OF SHECHEM = NORTH OF HEBRON) to be buried. Now think about this for a moment. First, Stephen says nothing about Jacob being buried in the cave facing Mamre in Hebron. Second, there is also nothing said about Joseph's brothers. But what Stephen does say is THEY were buried in Shechem. So by deduction who is THEY? Clearly, THEY would include Joseph (based on Josh 24:32) but by default must also include his 11 brothers who also died in Egypt. In summary, Jacob is buried in Mamre in Hebron (the promised land) and Joseph and his 10 brothers are buried in Shechem(also the promised land). That's the "easy part" -- now the problem that arises is Stephen's statement that it was Abraham who purchased the burial plot in Shechem but Joshua 24:32 describes the burial plot that "Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem." So who is correct -- Joshua or Stephen? The short answer is BOTH! Gleason Archer has one of the best explanations... "In this entire discourse Stephen evidences a thorough knowledge of the Old Testament. How could he have been ignorant of Joshua 24:32, which indicates that the coffin of Joseph was finally laid to rest in a plot of ground that “Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor.” At first glance it looks as if we have a clear contradiction between these two statements. Yet there is a good possibility that what Jacob did when he made that purchase was to obtain once again for his family that which had originally been bought by Abraham. Quite similar is the case of the well of Beersheba. Originally that well was dug by Abraham’s workmen, and he paid for the rights to that property by offering seven lambs to Abimelech, king of Gerar (Ge. 21:27–30). But later on, owing to the nomadic habits of Abraham and his family, the property rights he had legally acquired became ignored; and the tract on which the well was located fell back into the possession of the local inhabitants. It was not until many years later that Isaac, having reopened the well to care for his livestock, found it expedient to secure the ownership by paying for it once more, rather than to assert his legal title to it by means of a range war. He therefore gave an oath of friendship and nonaggression to King Abimelech (probably a son or grandson of the same name as the Abimelech with whom Abraham had dealt many years before) and held a covenant-sealing sacrifice and banquet (Gen. 26:28–31) with him. Here then was a case where both Abraham and his descendant purchased the same ground." Genesis 49:29-32 records Jacob's desire to be buried in the promised land -- Then he (JACOB) charged them and said to them, “I am about to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre (the cave before or facing Mamre is in Hebron - Ge 13:18; 23:19), in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field from Ephron the Hittite for a burial site. 31 “There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah, there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there I buried Leah– 32 the field and the cave that is in it, purchased from the sons of Heth.” Genesis 50:12-14 records Jacob's dying instructions which were fully carried out... Thus his (JACOB'S) sons did for him as he had charged them; 13 for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (WHICH IS IN HEBRON), which Abraham had bought along with the field for a burial site from Ephron the Hittite. 14 After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him to bury his father. Genesis 50:24-26 records Joseph's desire to be buried in the promised land... Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here.” 26 So Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years; and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt. Joshua 24:32 records that Joseph was buried in the promised land as he had requested Now they buried the bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel brought up from Egypt, at Shechem, in the piece of ground which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of money; and they became the inheritance of Joseph’s sons.
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Phillips adds - God's eye is ever on the clock. He does things according to set times and never forgets a date or misses an appointment. There are set times, predetermined in heaven, at which God acts. The Scriptures may be studied profitably from that standpoint. A vast wealth of evidence proves it so. (Exploring Acts) (Ed: Beloved have you not had this same experience in your life? You thought something should have occurred at a certain time and it did not, even though you prayed for it. But later, as you look back on that time you can see that God had allowed it to be that way to achieve His purposes in your life.) Stephen is alluding to the fact that the fourth generation of Israel would return (to the promised land), for the iniquity of the Amorite was now complete. (Ge 15:16+). This is the third time Luke has used the word promise or epaggelia/epangelia in Acts. In Acts 1:4 and Acts 2:33, 39 it refers to the promise of the Holy Spirit. Luke uses it again in Acts 13:23 when Paul said that “From the descendants of this man (DAVID), according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus." In (Acts 13:32) “And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers. In (Acts 26:6) Paul declares “And now I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers." (this promise could refer to the Messiah or the hope of resurrection). David Thompson summarizes Stephen's illustration using the life of Moses . Acts 7:17-43 Now Stephen has been charged with speaking against the O.T. Law, so he devotes the most verses to Moses. There are six facts brought out from the book of Exodus: (Fact #1) - A new Egyptian king arose who did not know Joseph . Acts 7:17-19 Many believe that this king was Rameses II. If this is the one, then when he died Moses would have been next in line to be Pharoah because Rameses did not have any sons of his own. This sets the stage for God raising up a new leader. (Fact #2) - Moses was born and grew and defended Israel . Acts 7:20-29 Moses was born and was only in his Israeli home for three months (Acts 7:20). They exposed him in a basket to Pharoah’s daughter who took him and raised him as her own son (Acts 7:21). According to Josephus, her name was “Thermutis”. Moses was educated in Egypt for forty years and he became a man of power in words and deeds (Acts 7:21-22). Moses never forgot that he was Jewish and he decided to visit his people and he saw one of the Jewish people being beaten by an Egyptian so Moses struck down the Egyptian and he assumed that the Israelites would realize that God was going to grant deliverance to the nation through Moses (Acts 7:23-25). He was Israel’s deliverer, but the next day when he went to Israel, instead of accepting the deliverer they said “who made you our ruler and judge” (Acts 7:26-28), so Moses fled to Midian for the next forty years (Acts 7:29). The reason Moses had to leave the area was because he was rejected by his own brothers. Jesus had left Israel and ascended back up into heaven and the reason why He left is because He was rejected by His own brothers; “He came unto His own and His own received Him not.” (Fact #3) - God appeared to Moses and selected Him to deliver Israel even though Israel had rejected Moses. Acts 7:30-36 God calls Moses to do his great work when he is 80 years old. God appears to Moses in a wilderness at Mt. Sinai in an area God called “holy ground” (Acts 7:30-33). Think of this. There is no tabernacle, there is no temple, but it is holy ground. Why? Because the presence of God is there. God saw the pathetic condition of His people and out of pure grace He decided to save them. He did the same with us. The Grace of God Gospel clearly reestablishes this point. You do not have to be in the Temple of Jerusalem to be holy. You do not have to be in church to be holy. Your body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit and therefore you are holy because you have the presence of God in you and the religious leaders did not like that. In Acts 7:34-36, Stephen said God sent Moses back to you in pure grace to deliver you. This was the one you disowned but Moses was God’s chosen deliverer. (Fact #4) - Moses told Israel God would raise up a prophet like him from Israel. Acts 7:37-39 Moses spoke of another Person, another Prophet, a Divine Person who would come to Israel. He would be Jewish, but He also would be a God/man Redeemer (Acts 7:37-38/ Deut. 18:15). He was there at Mt. Sinai when Moses received the Law, but when Moses told them this they rejected him and they rejected his message. They would rather go back to Egypt than have a relationship with the true God. (Fact #5) - Moses delivered the Word of God to Israel who rejected grace. Acts 7:40-41 Notice they did not want to worship the God of Grace, they rejoiced in their own works. (Acts 7:41) False religion hates the Grace of God. It always has and always will. It loves works. (Fact #6) - God turned away from Israel and gave them over to idolatry . Acts 7:42-43 Not only did they reject the truth, they turned to idol worship. Stephen is proving to Israel that they are not interested in a relationship with the true God; they are arrogant and rebellious. They made idols with their hands and worshipped them and God turned from them and gave them up. Acts 7:18 until THERE AROSE ANOTHER KING OVER EGYPT WHO KNEW NOTHING ABOUT JOSEPH. (NASB: Lockman) KJV Acts 7:18 Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph. Acts 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries ANOTHER KING RAISED UP BY THE SOVEREIGN GOD God can take evil and use it for good (Ro 8:28+, Ge 50:20) and that is exactly what He did when He raised up "another king over Egypt." (cf Da 2:21+) Until THERE AROSE ANOTHER KING OVER EGYPT WHO KNEW NOTHING ABOUT JOSEPH - Stephen is quoting the Septuagint version of Exodus 1:8. Stephen had memorized Scripture giving all of us an excellent example to emulate. Related Resources: Memorizing His Word Memory Verses by Topic Another is heteros which means another king of a different kind, a new anti-Semitic sovereign! Robertson on knew nothing about Joseph - Joseph's history and services meant nothing to the new king. Knobel - The previous dynasty had been that of the Hyksos; the new king was Ahmes who drove out the Hyksos.”
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Phillips comments that "She stands out on the pages of history as one of the most remarkable women of all time—the daughter of a Pharaoh, the wife of another, the stepmother of a third, and a Pharaoh herself for some twenty years." It is fascinating that she had no sons and thus Moses her "adopted" son stood in line to become the most powerful ruler in the world! This background makes even more poignant the words of the writer of Hebrews who records that "By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter." (Heb 11:24) NET Note on as her own son (cf Ex 2:10), which NET translates as adopted - In this instance both the immediate context and the OT account ( Exod 2:3–10) do support the normal sense of the English word "adopt," although it should not be understood to refer to a technical, legal event. Robertson on anaireo, common in the N.T. in the sense of take up and make away with, to kill as in Acts 7:28, but here only in the N.T. in the original sense of taking up from the ground and with the middle voice (for oneself). Quoted here from Exodus 2:5. The word was used of old for picking up exposed children as here. Vincent quotes Aristophanes (Clouds, 531): "I exposed (the child), and some other women, having taken it, adopted (aneileto) it." Vulgate has sustulit. "Adopted" is the idea here. (Word Pictures in the New Testament) Luke uses anaireo meaning to kill in Lk. 22:2; Lk. 23:32; Acts 2:23; Acts 5:33; Acts 5:36; Acts 7:28; Acts 9:23; Acts 9:24; Acts 9:29; Acts 10:39; Acts 12:2; Acts 13:28; Acts 16:27; Acts 22:20; Acts 23:15; Acts 23:21; Acts 23:27; Acts 25:3; Acts 26:10; 2 Thess. 2:8; Heb. 10:9 Robertson on her own son - The tradition is that she designed Moses for the throne as the Pharaoh had no son (Josephus, Ant. ii. 9, 7). Acts 7:22 "Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds. (NASB: Lockman) KJV Acts 7:22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. was educated 1 Kings 4:29; 2 Chr 9:22; Isa 19:11; Da 1:4,17-20 Acts 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries FORTY YEARS IN A PAGAN PLACE Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians - He would have been a prince in Egypt. Educated is paideuo which speaks of child rearing, guiding him toward maturity. Learning is sophia which means wisdom which describes the ability to use knowledge to for correct behavior. At this time the Egyptians had already made great advances in science, engineering, mathematics, astronomy, and medicine (See The New Kingdom).
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Phillips quips that "And at this point Stephen skillfully dropped his brush and palette and picked up his sword. He had drawn a breath-taking parallel between Joseph and Jesus and Moses and Jesus. Now came the sword-thrust application." (Exploring Acts) Acts 7:35 "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. (NASB: Lockman) KJV Acts 7:35 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. This Moses Acts 7:9-15,27,28,51; 1 Samuel 8:7,8; 10:27; Luke 19:14; John 18:40; 19:15 the one whom God sent Ps 75:7; 113:7,8; 118:22,23 a ruler Acts 2:36; 3:22; 5:31; 1 Samuel 12:8; Neh 9:10-14; Ps 77:20; Isa 63:11,12; Rev 15:3 with the help of the Angel Acts 7:30; Ex 14:19,24; 23:20-23; 32:34; 33:2,12-15; Nu 20:16; Isa 63:9; Colossians 1:15; Heb 2:2 Acts 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE DELIVERER DISOWNED This Moses whom they disowned, saying, 'WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND A JUDGE (quoting Ex 2:14)?' - Scripture is always the best commentary on Scripture and here Stephen comments on the same phrase quoted in Acts 7:27+. The implication is that Moses would have been their deliverer had they received him at that time. Looking at this question ('WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND A JUDGE?') from another perspective, the answer is that God made Moses a ruler and a deliverer. Gilbrant comments that "Stephen had in mind the saying that the stone the builders refused was made the head of the corner (Psalm 118:22). The same God who gave honor and power to Moses gave honor and power to Jesus." (Complete Biblical Library – Acts)
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Phillips - Such was Israel's blindness. They had rejected the savior sent to them by God, but God had no other savior. All they had gained by their blind and wicked rejection of Moses was further bondage. In the end the very savior they had spurned was sent back by God to be ruler and deliverer. Encompassed in this forceful summary of the type are the two comings of Christ with Israel's age-long rejection sandwiched in between. The Sanhedrin could hardly miss the point Stephen was driving home. (Exploring Acts) With the help of the Angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush - Moses was a redeemer of Israel but Stephen says he carried out his role as a redeemer with the help of THE REDEEMER (where help is Greek word for hand), the Angel of the Lord, the pre-incarnate Christ! How so? If a redeemer pays a ransom price to set the captives free, what ransom price did Moses pay to set captive Israel free? Indeed, it was the blood of the perfect male lamb (Ex 12:3-5), the blood representing the price that had to be paid, which was the life of the lamb (Ex 12:7, 13-14). And of course this alludes to one of the most beautiful Old Testament "shadows" of our Redeemer, the Angel, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world (Jn 1:29) (setting us free from captivity to sin [see Sin personified] by the price of His precious blood, unblemished and spotless. - 1 Pe 1:18-19+), Paul explaining that "Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed." (1 Cor 5:7) Does the thought of the price paid by our Great Redeemer to set us free not draw your heart to worship Him in spirit and in truth? Play (and sing) these great words and (enabled by the Holy Spirit) take them to heart as you sing them... DEARLY WE'RE BOUGHT Listen to this one! Come, raise your thankful voice, Ye souls redeemed with blood; Leave earth and all its toys, And mix no more with mud. Dearly we’re bought, highly esteemed; Redeemed, with Jesus’ blood redeemed. With heart, and soul, and mind, Exalt redeeming love; Leave worldly cares behind, And set your minds above. Dearly we’re bought, highly esteemed; Redeemed, with Jesus’ blood redeemed. Lift up your ravished eyes, And view the glory given; All lower things despise, Ye citizens of heaven. Dearly we’re bought, highly esteemed; Redeemed, with Jesus’ blood redeemed. Be to this world as dead, Alive to that to come; Our life in Christ is hid, Who soon shall call us home. Dearly we’re bought, highly esteemed; Redeemed, with Jesus’ blood redeemed. GLORY! HALLELUJAH! AMEN! Acts 7:36 "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. (NASB: Lockman) KJV Acts 7:36 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. led them out Ex 12:41; 33:1 performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt Ex 7:1-14; Dt 4:33-37; 6:21,22; Neh 9:10; Ps 78:12,13,42-51; Ps 105:27-36; 106:8-11; 135:8-12; 136:9-15 in the Red Ex 14:21,27-29 and in the wilderness Ex 15:23-25; 16:1-17; 19:1-20; Nu 9:15-23; 11:1-35; 14:1-45; Nu 16:1-17; 20:1-21; Dt 2:25-37; 8:4; Neh 9:12-15,18-22; Ps 78:14-33; 105:39-45; 106:17,18; 135:10-12; 136:16-21 Acts 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries MIRACLES AT THE HAND OF MOSES This man led them out - The one they had earlier rejected led them out. The one that they would have delivered to Pharaoh and certain death. Moses did not hold this against them but carried out his God given role as their deliverer. Moses whose name means "drawn out," led them out of four centuries of oppressive conditions which is a long time to be in bondage! God had raised up Moses to be Israel's deliverer from slavery in Egypt. His leading began on the night of the Passover, Exodus 12:41 stating that "And at the end of four hundred and thirty years, to the very day, all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt." While Moses was their human leader, their ultimate leader was God as we read in Deuteronomy then you shall say to your son, ‘We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and the LORD brought us from Egypt with a mighty hand. 22 ‘Moreover, the LORD showed great and distressing signs and wonders before our eyes against Egypt, Pharaoh and all his household; (Dt 6:21-22) He (JEHOVAH) wrought wonders before their fathers In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. 13 He divided the sea and caused them to pass through, And He made the waters stand up like a heap. 14 Then He led them with the cloud by day And all the night with a light of fire. 15 He split the rocks in the wilderness And gave them abundant drink like the ocean depths. 16 He brought forth streams also from the rock And caused waters to run down like rivers. (Ps 78:12-16) Note that Israel's rejection of Moses was tantamount to a rejection of God who raised up Moses. Lead out (1806)(exago from ek = out + ago = lead) lead out, bring out from a place, conduct from an area (Mk 15:20; Acts 5:19; Acts 7:36; 16:37, 39; Acts 21:38). As a shepherd leads his flock (John 10:3). NT uses of exago - 12x in 12v - bring(1), brought(1), lead(1), leads(1), led(7), taking(1). Mk. 15:20; Lk. 24:50; Jn. 10:3; Acts 5:19; Acts 7:36; Acts 7:40; Acts 12:17; Acts 13:17; Acts 16:37; Acts 16:39; Acts 21:38; Heb. 8:9 Septuagint - Gen. 1:20; Gen. 1:21; Gen. 1:24; Gen. 8:17; Gen. 11:31; Gen. 15:5; Gen. 15:7; Gen. 19:5; Gen. 19:8; Gen. 19:12; Gen. 19:17; Gen. 20:13; Gen. 38:24; Gen. 40:14; Gen. 41:14; Gen. 43:23; Gen. 48:12; Exod. 3:8; Exod. 3:10; Exod. 3:11; Exod. 3:12; Exod. 6:6; Exod. 6:7; Exod. 6:26; Exod. 6:27; Exod. 7:4; Exod. 7:5; Exod. 8:18; Exod. 12:17; Exod. 12:42; Exod. 12:51; Exod. 13:3; Exod. 13:9; Exod. 13:14; Exod. 13:16; Exod. 14:11; Exod. 16:3; Exod. 16:6; Exod. 16:32; Exod. 18:1; Exod. 19:17; Exod. 20:2; Exod. 29:46; Exod. 32:1; Exod. 32:7; Exod. 32:11; Exod. 32:12; Exod. 32:23; Exod. 33:1; Lev. 19:36; Lev. 22:33; Lev. 23:43; Lev. 24:14; Lev. 24:23; Lev. 25:38; Lev. 25:42; Lev. 25:55; Lev. 26:13; Lev. 26:45; Num. 15:36; Num. 15:41; Num. 19:3; Num. 20:10; Num. 20:16; Num. 21:5; Num. 23:22; Num. 27:17; Deut. 1:27; Deut. 4:20; Deut. 4:37; Deut. 5:6; Deut. 5:15; Deut. 6:12; Deut. 6:21; Deut. 6:23; Deut. 7:8; Deut. 7:19; Deut. 8:14; Deut. 8:15; Deut. 9:12; Deut. 9:26; Deut. 9:28; Deut. 9:29; Deut. 13:5; Deut. 13:10; Deut. 17:5; Deut. 21:19; Deut. 22:21; Deut. 22:24; Deut. 26:8; Deut. 29:25; Jos. 2:3; Jos. 6:22; Jos. 6:23; Jos. 10:22; Jos. 10:23; Jos. 10:24; Jos. 15:9; Jos. 24:5; Jos. 24:30; Jdg. 2:12; Jdg. 6:8; Jdg. 6:30; Jdg. 19:22; Jdg. 19:24; Jdg. 19:25; 1 Sam. 12:8; 2 Sam. 5:2; 2 Sam. 12:31; 2 Sam. 13:9; 2 Sam. 13:18; 2 Sam. 22:20; 2 Sam. 22:49; 1 Ki. 8:12; 1 Ki. 8:16; 1 Ki. 8:21; 1 Ki. 8:51; 1 Ki. 9:9; 1 Ki. 21:10; 1 Ki. 21:13; 1 Ki. 22:34; 2 Ki. 10:22; 2 Ki. 11:15; 2 Ki. 21:15; 2 Ki. 23:4; 2 Ki. 25:27; 1 Chr. 11:2; 1 Chr. 19:16; 1 Chr. 20:3; 2 Chr. 1:17; 2 Chr. 7:22; 2 Chr. 18:33; 2 Chr. 23:11; 2 Chr. 35:23; 2 Chr. 35:24; Neh. 9:7; Neh. 9:18; Job 8:10; Job 10:18; Job 12:22; Job 15:13; Job 23:7; Ps. 18:19; Ps. 25:17; Ps. 31:4; Ps. 66:12; Ps. 68:6; Ps. 78:16; Ps. 104:14; Ps. 105:37; Ps. 105:43; Ps. 107:14; Ps. 107:28; Ps. 135:7; Ps. 136:11; Ps. 136:16; Ps. 142:7; Ps. 143:11; Isa. 42:7; Isa. 43:8; Isa. 43:17; Isa. 48:21; Isa. 65:9; Jer. 10:13; Jer. 15:19; Jer. 20:3; Jer. 26:23; Jer. 31:32; Jer. 32:21; Jer. 35:3; Jer. 38:22; Jer. 38:23; Jer. 39:14; Jer. 51:16; Jer. 52:31; Ezek. 11:7; Ezek. 11:9; Ezek. 14:22; Ezek. 20:6; Ezek. 20:9; Ezek. 20:10; Ezek. 20:14; Ezek. 20:22; Ezek. 20:34; Ezek. 20:38; Ezek. 20:41; Ezek. 28:18; Ezek. 34:13; Ezek. 37:1; Ezek. 42:1; Ezek. 42:15; Ezek. 43:1; Ezek. 46:21; Ezek. 47:2; Dan. 2:12; Dan. 2:14; Dan. 9:15; Hos. 9:13; Mic. 7:9; Performing wonders (teras) and signs (semeion) in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea - Of course the parallel with Jesus is clear - Moses was acting like Jesus Who performed signs and wonders for 3 years in Israel. Stephen is building his case for he has just said in Acts 7:35 that they disowned him. Although Stephen does not go into detail regarding the miracles, it is clear that in them all even through Moses was His instrument, ultimately God was revealing Himself. E.g., in plague of frogs Moses said he would intercede to take this plague away and he would do so "that you (PHARAOH) may know that there is no one like the LORD our God." (Ex 8:9-10+, cf the plague of flies - Ex 8:22+ = "in order that you [PHARAOH] may know that I, the LORD, am in the midst of the land."). And after deliverance through what did Moses and Israel do? They sang a song of praise to Jehovah (Ex 15:1-21). Wonders and signs - Supernatural signs were common in the book of Acts - see Acts 2:19, 22, 43; 4:30; 5:12; 6:8; 7:36; 14:3; 15:12). And in the wilderness for forty years - Stephen skips over the details of Moses' miracles in the wilderness, but the Sanhedrin would have been familiar with the provision of manna for food and water from a rock, even as Israel grumbled at Moses and ultimately against God (cf Ex 15:24-27, Ex 16:2, 7, 12, 17:3, 6,7, Nu 14:1-2,etc). Rex A. Koivisto - The implication is that since the place from which Israel was delivered was Egypt, then obviously the God who delivered them cannot be restricted by national boundaries. This is emphasized even further by the following notations: It was in Midian that the divine oracle to Moses took place (v 29 ); and the divine workings were seen when God “did wonders and miraculous signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and for forty years in the desert” (v 36 ). (GTJ 8:1 (Spr 87) p. 101 Stephen’s Speech: A Theology of Errors?) Acts 7:37 "This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, 'GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN.' (NASB: Lockman) KJV Acts 7:37 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. the Moses Acts 7:38; 2 Chr 28:22; Da 6:13 A prophet Acts 3:22; Dt 18:15-19 like me Acts 3:23; Mt 17:3-5; Mk 9:7; Luke 9:30,31,35; Jn 8:46,47; 18:37 Acts 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries MOSES' MESSIANIC PROPHECY This is the Moses - We should not miss Stephen's intent - "This Moses," this one you had rejected, this one who delivered you from Egypt. He is the very one who gave us the great Messianic prophecy. Stephen was not even subtle with this declaration because the Sanhedrin knew how the apostles like Peter had already applied this passage to Jesus! Peter had quoted this same verse preaching on Solomon's portico (Acts 3:22+). “Moses said, ‘THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you.
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Phillips - The studied parallel between Moses and Jesus was now brought into sharp focus by Stephen. Moses had prophesied that there would be just such a parallel (Deut. 18:15). In their own beloved law, in the Torah, Moses and the Messiah were brought together, the one to be a type of the other. "Him shall ye hear," Moses had said. Well, they had heard Him and had deliberately turned a deaf ear to Him. But they had not heard the last of Him by any means. "Unto him ye shall hearken," (Deut. 18:15), said Moses. "Him shall ye hear," echoed Stephen. And one can well imagine that his voice rang out in that chamber with triumph. Israel has not heard Him yet, but the day is coming when she will. (Exploring Acts) Note that the KJV (following the Textus Receptus manuscript) has the phrase "him shall ye hear," which is not in the modern Greek manuscripts which most scholars accept as more accurate than the Textus Receptus. Nevertheless, this phrase is present in the original Masoretic and Septuagint versions of Deut 18:15 and therefore certainly still applicable, as it is a call not just to physically hear but to heed and obey, to respond to the Messianic prophecy that Jesus is the Prophet and that His words need to be heeded! In the first chapter of John when John the Baptist was beginning his minisry... "the Jews sent to him (JOHN THE BAPTIST) priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" And he confessed, and did not deny, and he confessed, "I am not the Christ." And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" And he said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet? (REFERRING TO THE PROPHET OF Deut 18:15) " And he answered, "No." (John 1:19-21) Some Jews did recognize Jesus as the prophet like Moses. Philip alluded to this Messianic prophecy when he said Philip found Nathanael and *said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law (e.g., Deut 18:15) and also the Prophets wrote–Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” (Jn 1:45). In John 6 after Jesus had performed the miraculous feeding of the 5000 (Jn 6:10) the people recalled Moses' prediction that a Prophet like him would arise (Dt. 18:15). Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” (John 6:14) Comment - Moses had fed the people. Moses had led them out of bondage. Jesus had fed the people. Jesus could lead the people out of the hated Roman bondage. The people saw His sign, but they did not perceive its meaning. (BKC) Stephen is quoting from Deuteronomy (which means he had this memorized - how is your memory verse work going?) The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him. 16“This is according to all that you asked of the LORD your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, let me not see this great fire anymore, or I will die.’ 17“The LORD said to me, ‘They have spoken well. 18 ‘I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19‘It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him.(Dt 18:15-19) Jesus Himself had said Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope.“For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. “But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” (Jn 5:45-47) Related Resources: Messianic Prophecy How can I identify messianic prophecies in the Old Testament? Acts 7:38 "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. (NASB: Lockman) KJV Acts 7:38 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: NLT Acts 7:38 Moses was with our ancestors, the assembly of God's people in the wilderness, when the angel spoke to him at Mount Sinai. And there Moses received life-giving words to pass on to us. This is the one who was in the congregation Ex 19:3-17; 20:19,20; Nu 16:3-35,41,42 with the Angel Acts 7:30,35,53; Isa 63:9; Gal 3:19; Heb 2:2 Who was speaking to him Ex 21:1-11; Dt 5:27-31; 6:1-3; 33:4; Neh 9:13,14; John 1:17 he received living oracles to pass on to you Dt 30:19,20; 32:46,47; Ps 78:5-9; John 6:63; Ro 3:2; 9:4; 10:6-10; Heb 5:12; 1 Peter 4:11 Acts 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries MOSES RECEIVES LIVING ORACLES This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness - The congregation is the called out ones. As John Phillips says "In the wilderness, Israel was "the church," the ecclesia of God, the company of called-out ones. In no way were they the church as we have the concept in the New Testament. That church was as yet unborn when Jesus said to Peter, "Upon this rock I will build my church" (Matt. 16:18). It was supernaturally injected into history at Pentecost, and it will be supernaturally removed at the rapture. The church as such is a separate entity in God's eternal purpose, something distinct and different from the nation of Israel." (Exploring Acts)
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Phillips adds that "The worship of the golden calf was formally adopted by Jereboam as the official religion of the Northern Kingdom. It was soon supplemented by the worship of all the false gods of the Canaanites and their neighbors. The worship of Moloch, mentioned by Stephen, was a terrible thing, accompanied by the most horrible form of child sacrifice. The worship of Remphan points to the worship of the planets, a form of idolatry that grew in Israel as the country came under the growing influence of Assyria. (Exploring Acts: An Expository Commentary) IDOLATRY FROM MT SINAI TO BABYLON I ALSO WILL REMOVE YOU BEYOND BABYLON (quote from Amos 5:27) - There is a sorry saying that says "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." That is a lie. Israel found out that what starts in the wilderness (beginning with their golden calf) did not stay in the wilderness! In fact the idolatry initiated by the Golden Calf stuck to the nation like glue and for the next (approximately) 700 to 900 years (Date of Exodus - 1446 bc to Assyrian exile in 722 bc and Babylonian exile in 586 bc). So all the time they were in the wilderness and even once in the promised land idolatry continued to be snare for Israel. God said in effect to Judah "So you want idols. I will give you idols. I will sent you into the center of idolatry in Babylon!" Note that the original Hebrew of Amos 5:27 say "I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus" because Amos was prophesying the Northern Kingdom's exile to Assyria. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit Stephen changes beyond Damascus to beyond Babylon which is where the Southern Nation of Judah (tribes of Judah and Benjamin) were exiled in 586 bc. In What Stephen is saying in essence is that from the wilderness wanderings up to the time of the Babylonian exile, Israel was bent on practicing idolatry (cf. Dt. 17:3, 2 Kings 17:16; 21:3; Jer. 8:2; 19:13). Idolatry was a continual snare for the nation. The result was that both the Northern 10 tribes and the Southern 2 tribes were taken into exile (cf "I will remove") by pagan powers. I will remove (3352)(metoikizo from meta = change of place or condition + oikizo = to cause to dwell) means to cause to change one's habitation. This verb has the idea of resetting someone in Acts 7:4 where God made Abraham move or resettled him. It is the technical word for planting a colony. In the only other NT use in Acts 7:43 metoikizo takes on a more negative connotation and speaks of forcible removal or deportation, sending into, for God says "I also will remove you beyond Babylon." Metoikizo is used in Jeremiah's prophecy of Judah's exile to Babylon... “For thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I am going to make you (SPEAKING TO THE SOUTHERN NATION OF JUDAH) a terror to yourself and to all your friends; and while your eyes look on, they will fall by the sword of their enemies. So I will give over all Judah to the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will carry them away (Lxx = metoikizo) as exiles to Babylon and will slay them with the sword. (Jer. 20:4) Before God removed Judah to Babylon he removed the 10 northern tribes into Assyria, and second Kings tells us why God did this to His chosen people (this is a long quote but it behooves us to reread it asking the Spirit to examine our own heart for idols - cf Ps 139:23,24)... In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried Israel (THE 10 NORTHERN TRIBES) away into exile to Assyria, and settled them in Halah and Habor, on the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. Now this came about because the sons of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up from the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and they had feared other gods (NOTE THIS VERSE LINKS THEIR "FEAR" OF OTHER GODS WITH THEIR DELIVERANCE FROM EGYPT!) 8 and walked in the customs of the nations whom the LORD had driven out before the sons of Israel, and in the customs of the kings of Israel which they had introduced. 9 The sons of Israel did things secretly which were not right against the LORD their God. Moreover, they built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city. 10 They set for themselves sacred pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, 11 and there they burned incense on all the high places as the nations did which the LORD had carried away to exile before them; and they did evil things provoking the LORD. 12 They served idols, concerning which the LORD had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.” 13 Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah through all His prophets and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments, My statutes according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you through My servants the prophets.” 14 However, they did not listen, but stiffened their neck like their fathers, who did not believe in the LORD their God. 15 They rejected His statutes and His covenant which He made with their fathers and His warnings with which He warned them. And they followed vanity and became vain, and went after the nations which surrounded them, concerning which the LORD had commanded them not to do like them. 16 They forsook all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal. 17 Then they made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, and practiced divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him. 18 So the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them from His sight; none was left except the tribe of Judah. 19 Also Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the customs which Israel had introduced.(2 Ki 17:6-19) Related Resources: Molech, Moloch Moloch - Wikipedia Acts 7:44 "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. (NASB: Lockman) KJV Acts 7:44 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. the tabernacle Ex 38:21; Nu 1:50-53; 9:15; 10:11; 17:7,8; 18:2; Joshua 18:1; 2 Chr 24:6 He who spoke to Moses Ex 25:40; 26:30; 1 Chr 28:11,19; Heb 8:2,5 Acts 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE WILDERNESS TABERNACLE OF TESTIMONY Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness - Tabernacle is first in the Greek sentence for emphasis and presents a striking contrast with the "tabernacle of Molech!" The tabernacle was God's plan and it was portable which implied that it was temporary. Furthermore it was called the Tabernacle of Testimony because its very presence served as a continual testimony to the Jews of God’s presence among them. The Tabernacle of Testimony first built just after the exodus from Egypt served as a symbol of God's presence for the next (approximately) 487 years (Date of Exodus ~ 1446 bc, Date of completion of Solomon's Temple ~ 959 bc - Acts 7:45 says "until the time of David"). All during this time Israel was also carrying on idolatrous worship in some way related to the Tabernacle. Stephen's indictment was stinging to the Sanhedrin! They knew the history, but like all of us, they undoubtedly practiced a little "selective amnesia" preferring not to remember Israel's centuries long propensity for pagan idols! Stephen in reminding them of the Tabernacle, which was repeatedly taken down and put up in place after place, is showing the Sanhedrin that God is not worshiped in one particular place. The Sanhedrin thought that particular place was the Temple in Jerusalem. Tabernacle (tent) (4633)(skene) is a tent or booth and here refers to the portable divine sanctuary comprising the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies (Heb 9.2-8);. The Tent of Testimony or Tabernacle Acts 7:44; Heb 8:2, 5; 9:11, 21; 13:10; Rev 15:5+. The very point of the Tabernacle was to depict that this was a symbol of only a temporary structure. Testimony (3142)(marturion/martyrion) means evidence, proof or the content of what a witness tells. Marturion is the declaration of facts which confirms or makes something known. In a sense the Tabernacle was "personified" as a "witness" for Jehovah. How so? Primarily because it contained "the ark of the testimony" (see Ex 25:21, cf Ex. 30:26; 21:7), which contained the tablets of the Ten Commandments stood as a witness of the Mosaic Covenant and the entire body of Mosaic Law which Israel came under at Mount Sinai. In addition, God placed His glory on the Tabernacle, Moses recording that "the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle." (Ex 40:34) The cloud of God's Shekinah glory cloud showed His approval of the completed Tabernacle and led the people by day and by night through the wilderness (Read Nu 9:15-23). Now think about that for a moment -- the Israelites could actually see a symbol of the living God, and yet what did they still choose to do? They still chose to bow down to these abominable idols which they had made. Is this not mind boggling? Again, we are reminded that our hearts are no less depraved than their hearts were, so we have great need to be continually on high alert lest we are ensnared by and bow down to abominable idols or our own making! In the Hebrew OT, the phrase "Tent of Meeting" is usually translated with the Greek phrase "te skene tou marturion," that is, the "Tabernacle of the Testimony." This Greek phases is found 32x in the Septuagint and once in the NT (Acts 7:44)... Exod. 27:21; Exod. 30:36; Exod. 40:26; Lev. 4:7; Lev. 4:18; Lev. 16:16; Lev. 16:17; Lev. 24:3; Num. 1:1; Num. 2:17; Num. 3:25; Num. 4:3; Num. 4:4; Num. 4:15; Num. 4:23; Num. 4:28; Num. 4:31; Num. 4:33; Num. 4:35; Num. 4:37; Num. 4:39; Num. 4:41; Num. 4:47; Num. 8:19; Num. 8:22; Num. 8:24; Num. 8:26; Num. 17:19; Num. 17:22; Num. 18:21; Num. 18:31; 2 Chr. 1:3; Acts 7:44 Just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the pattern which he had seen - Pattern is tupos, the same word Stephen just used for "the images" in Acts 7:43. The Tabernacle was God's idea and He gave Moses the specifications for building it. It was patterned after the Temple of the Tabernacle of Testimony in heaven (See Garland's comparison of earthly and heavenly tabernacles). What Stephen is doing here is reminding the Sanhedrin that God Himself had given the pattern for the Tabernacle, but he will go on to describe the Temple for which the Sanhedrin were so zealous as a building which had NOT actually been appointed by God. Moses records God's giving him the pattern Exodus 25:8-9 “Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them. “According to all that I am going to show you, as the pattern (Lxx = paradeigma = as in an architect's plan, a sculptor or painter's model) of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, just so you shall construct it Exodus 25:40 “See that you make them after the pattern (Lxx = tupos) for them, which was shown to you on the mountain. Exodus 26:30 “Then you shall erect the tabernacle according to its plan (Lxx = eidos = appearance) which you have been shown in the mountain. Phillips - The Tabernacle was an object of great beauty and cost. Built to divine specification, it was God's tent in the midst of His people. In that tent He took up His abode, sitting between the cherubim upon the mercy seat upon the sacred Ark inside the veil. The Tabernacle was a model, made after a heavenly pattern revealed to Moses in the mount. Every peg and pin, every curtain and color, every board and bar spoke of Christ. Stephen's point was that the Tabernacle, for all its divine origin, appointments, and purpose, was after all only a temporary structure. Built-in obsolescence was part of the plan. (Exploring Acts: An Expository Commentary) Acts 7:45 "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. (NASB: Lockman) KJV Acts 7:45 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; NLT Acts 7:45 Years later, when Joshua led our ancestors in battle against the nations that God drove out of this land, the Tabernacle was taken with them into their new territory. And it stayed there until the time of King David. our fathers brought it in with Joshua Joshua 3:11-14; 18:1; Judges 18:31; 1 Samuel 4:4; 1 Kings 8:4; 1 Chr 16:39; 21:29 upon dispossessing the nations. Joshua 3:6,7 Joshua Heb 4:8 whom God drove out before our fathers Acts 13:19; Neh 9:24; Ps 44:2; 78:55 until the time of David 2 Samuel 6:1-23; 1 Chr 15:1-17 Acts 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE TABERNACLE TRANSPORTED INTO THE PROMISED LAND And having received it in their turn - The verb diadechomai (from dechomai = accept in sense of to welcome) means it was received from Moses and was welcomed by Joshua. When did this occur? After 40 years of wilderness wanderings. So if the Exodus occurred in about 1446 BC, the event Stephen is describing occurred about 1406 BC (The dates are approximations) Our fathers brought it in with Joshua (Josh 3:14-17; 18:1) - This of course describes the Israelites coming into and possessing the land of Canaan promised to Abraham. Note the KJV has "Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus" but the reference is clearly to Joshua whose name was the Hebrew form of "Jesus" (meaning "Jehovah is Salvation"). Henry Morris suggests that "Possibly Stephen inserted this name here deliberately in order to subtly call attention to the parallel ministries of Joshua, who conquered Canaan, and Jesus, who had come to conquer Satan, sin and death." Upon dispossessing the nations (ethnos = Gentiles) whom God drove out before (literally "away from the face of") our fathers (Josh 23:9; 24:18) - This describes God's faithfulness to His covenant. This is amazing because despite the preceding description of Israel's continued abominable idolatry (and unfaithfulness to Jehovah), Jehovah remained faithful. Dispossessing the nations is literally "into the possession of the nations." The verb verb drove out is exotheo (uses only here and Acts 27:29 "run aground") which means He expelled the pagans, forcing them to leave. However, we know from the Book of Judges that God had instructed Israel to do their part to expel and exterminate the vile Canaanites. Sadly, for the most part Israel did not obey God and the nations and their idols/gods became a snare to Israel (Jdg 2:1-3+) Dispossessing (2697)(kataschesis from katecho = to take hold of, take possession) in the NT is used only in Acts 7:5 where Stephen reviews how God promised to give the land as a "possession" and here in Acts 7:45 where Stephen told how the Israelites brought the tabernacle with them “into the possession” or “in taking possession” of the nations in Canaan. The first use of this word in the Septuagint relates to the Abrahamic Covenant “I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession (kataschesis); and I will be their God.” (Ge 17:8) In Psalm 2 the Father is speaking to the Son, Messiah declaring Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your (MESSIAH'S) possession (kataschesis). (Ps. 2:8) Gilbrant - In classical Greek kataschesis primarily denotes “something which is held, a holding.” In actual practice, the basic definition is “holding back, restraining” (Bauer). It occurs more than 60 times in the Septuagint where the primary meaning of the word is “a possession, a holding fast.” These occurrences translate five different Hebrew words, all referring to one’s possessions or holdings. The Hebrew word most commonly translated is ’ăchuzzāh meaning “landed property” or simply “property.” (Complete Biblical Library Greek-English Dictionary) Kataschesis - 66x in 59v in the Septuagint - Gen. 17:8; Gen. 47:11; Gen. 48:4; Lev. 25:24; Lev. 25:25; Lev. 25:27; Lev. 25:28; Lev. 25:32; Lev. 25:33; Lev. 25:34; Lev. 25:41; Lev. 25:45; Lev. 27:16; Lev. 27:21; Lev. 27:22; Lev. 27:24; Lev. 27:28; Num. 13:2; Num. 27:4; Num. 27:7; Num. 27:12; Num. 32:5; Num. 32:22; Num. 32:29; Num. 32:32; Num. 33:54; Num. 35:2; Num. 35:8; Num. 35:28; Num. 36:3; Deut. 32:49; Jos. 21:12; Jos. 21:41; Jos. 22:4; Jos. 22:9; Jos. 22:19; 1 Chr. 4:33; 1 Chr. 7:28; 1 Chr. 9:2; 1 Chr. 13:2; 2 Chr. 11:14; Neh. 11:3; Ps. 2:8; Ezek. 33:24; Ezek. 36:2; Ezek. 36:3; Ezek. 36:5; Ezek. 36:12; Ezek. 44:28; Ezek. 45:5; Ezek. 45:6; Ezek. 45:7; Ezek. 45:8; Ezek. 46:16; Ezek. 46:18; Ezek. 48:20; Ezek. 48:21; Ezek. 48:22; Zech. 11:14; Until the time of David - God drove out the Gentiles until the time of David. Gilbrant explains that "The Book of Judges shows also that in the days after Joshua the people did not drive out the Canaanites, but instead fell into Canaanite idolatry. They did so again and again, even though God was faithful to raise up judges to deliver them. Not until David's time was Israel fully united and in control of its territory. Stephen's attention, however, was focused on the tabernacle, and he showed it lasted until the time of David. After the capture of the ark of the covenant by the Philistines the tabernacle was pitched at Nob, a short distance north of Jerusalem, possibly on Mount Scopus. Later, it was at the high place at Gibeon (1 Samuel 21:1; 1 Chronicles 16:39). Finally, Solomon brought to the temple what was left of the nearly 500-year-old tent (1 Kings 8:4; 2 Chronicles 5:5). (Complete Biblical Library – Acts) Acts 7:46 "David found favor in God's sight, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. (NASB: Lockman) KJV Acts 7:46 Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. found 13:22; 1 Samuel 15:28; 16:1,11-13; 2 Samuel 6:21; 7:1,8,18,19; 1 Chr 28:4,5; Ps 78:68-72; 89:19-37; 132:11 sked that he might find 2 Samuel 7:1-5; 1 Kings 8:17-19; 1 Chr 17:1-4; 22:7,8; 28:2,3; 29:2,3; Ps 132:1-5 Acts 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries DAVID'S DESIRE TO BUILD A DIVINE DWELLING David found favor in God's sight - Or "David found grace." As evidenced by his victories over Israel's enemies and finally establishing a united kingdom of Israel under His rule. The phrase in God's sight from enopion means in front of, literally "in the face of" God. All the uses of enopion in Acts - Acts 2:25; Acts 4:10; Acts 4:19; Acts 6:6; Acts 7:46; Acts 9:15; Acts 10:30; Acts 10:31; Acts 10:33; Acts 19:9; Acts 19:19; Acts 27:35) Gilbrant - After David brought back the ark to Jerusalem, he placed it in a temporary tent shelter. But he personally desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. Second Samuel records... Now it came about when the king lived in his house, and the LORD had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, 2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within tent curtains.” 3 Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your mind, for the LORD is with you.” (2 Sa 7:1-3) 2 Samuel 7:13 is God's answer to David's request to build Him a Temple “He (SOLOMON) shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. Note that just as God had given Moses the pattern for the Tabernacle, He also gave David inspired blueprints for the Temple... David said, "All of this I put in writing as the LORD directed me and gave me insight regarding the details of the blueprints." (1Ch 28:19NET) And asked that he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob - As alluded to above, while the Tabernacle was built at God's initiative, the idea of the Temple was a desire in the mind of David and was not God's idea. Henry
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Phillips - David, contrasting God's dwelling place on earth with his own palatial residence, made up his mind that he would build a permanent Temple for God. Nathan the prophet at first endorsed the scheme enthusiastically. The very thing! Let God now permanently locate Himself in Jerusalem! But shortly he was back with a message for David from God: God had no need of a house of cedar. Nevertheless, because of the nobleness of David's thought, God would establish David's house forever—an unequivocable prophecy concerning Christ. At the same time, David was told that a Son of his would arise and build a house for God (2 Sam. 7:12-13), an obscure but equally pointed reference to Christ and to the spiritual house He would build. (Exploring Acts: An Expository Commentary) Dwelling (4638)(skenoma from skenoo= to pitch a tent [a skenos]) describes an encampment, a booth, a pitched tent or a tabernacle (used this way many times in the Septuagint eg, Ps 14:1, 25:8, 42:3, 45:5) and in context is a figurative description of the body as the dwelling place of the soul. David expressed his desire to build a Temple for God... I will not give sleep to my eyes Or slumber to my eyelids, Until I find a place for the LORD, A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.” (Ps 132:4, 5) Acts 7:47 "But it was Solomon who built a house for Him. (NASB: Lockman) KJV Acts 7:47 But Solomon built him an house. 2 Sa 7:13; 1 Kings 5:1-18; 6:1,37,38; 7:13-51; 8:20; 1 Chr 17:1; 2 Chr 2:1-4; Zech 6:12,13 Acts 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries But it was Solomon who built a house for Him - David's son built the Temple using materials David had collected. Read 1 Kings 8:1-21 for the description of the building of the Temple.
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Phillips says "Although God graciously placed the Shekinah glory cloud in Solomon's Temple, a visible token of His presence (as the royal standard flying over Buckingham Palace signals the presence of Britain's sovereign), He Himself was not to be so confined." (Ibid). In Exodus 25:22 had told Moses "I will meet with you" in the Tabernacle in the place of the mercy seat. But as Stephen has been demonstrating, God's meeting with His people was not confined to one place for He had met with Abraham in a pagan land and Moses in a burning bush on Mt Sinai. Note that Stephen implied nothing derogatory about the Temple, and in fact the same point had been made by Solomon. King Solomon in his prayer of dedication upon the completion of the Temple, acknowledged that God could not be contained by a physical building... But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built! (1 Ki 8:27). But will God indeed dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built. (2 Chr 6:18) Later in Acts the apostle Paul also made the same point to the Athenians who had the famous Parthenon... “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. (Acts 17:24) As the prophet says - Stephen does not quote Solomon (which could have been quoted) but proceeds to quote the prophet Isaiah. Derek Thomas has an interesting historical note on the Temple - In the closing years of the seventh century, as Judah’s independence came to a close and the nation succumbed to the period of Babylonian exile, Jerusalem’s loyal and faithful prophet Jeremiah took his life in his hands and preached against the city’s ever-present sins of idolatry and presumption. Despite all the signs and warnings of judgment, the rebellious Judahites continued to believe that so long as they had the temple in Jerusalem, they were safe. In the brief but dark reigns of Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, and Jehoiakin, Jeremiah seemed to mock the mantra he often heard: “This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD” (Jer. 7:4). In what is often referred to as “The Temple Sermon,” Jeremiah warned the people concerning these “deceptive words” (Jer. 7:8). Dependence on the temple had become a form of ritualism. Ritualism—reliance on outward forms and ceremonies—can be a dangerous and destructive thing. J. C.
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Phillips explains that "There are three ways in which the Holy Spirit can be opposed. He can be grieved, He can be quenched, and He can be resisted. Only a Spirit-indwelt believer can grieve the Holy Spirit. The word grieve is a love-word. We can grieve only someone who loves us and who stands in a special relationship to us. A church can quench the Holy Spirit by allowing men to usurp His authority, by refusing to follow His leading, or by permitting false doctrine or moral evil to take root. Sinners resist the Holy Spirit. Stephen now dropped his defense and went boldly to the attack, vilifying his listeners for their persistent and continuing opposition to God. Their chief sin was that of resisting the Holy Spirit. Their treatment of the saviors, the Scriptures, and the sanctuaries God had given them, and, above all, their treatment of the Son of God, constituted a persistent sin against the Holy Ghost." (Exploring Acts) James Smith - Resisted by the unbelief of men. "Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost, as your fathers did" (Acts 7:51). "They could not enter in because of unbelief" (Heb. 3:19). In doubting the Word of God, the Spirit of God is resisted, for the Word is His sword. If the Holy Ghost is to have full possession of the Canaan land of the heart, to make a clear riddance of every evil beast (lust), and all that would pollute the holy mount, then the promises of God must be believed or the Spirit will be resisted. (Handfuls of Purpose) Always (constantly) (104)(aei) means continually, constantly.