Atos 7
R.C.H. Lenski · Citado em PreceptAustin
Atos 7
Lenski - Egypt was the great wheat country of the world, in later times the granary of Rome (Acts 27:38). Why Egypt had wheat throughout the seven years of famine is not stated, but it was due to Joseph. (The Interpretation of The Acts of the Apostles) He sent our fathers there the first time - The first visit Joseph recognized them but they did not recognize him. Notice that he does not tell us that the first time they went they did not recognize Joseph but he did recognize them. Acts 7:13 "On the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph's family was disclosed to Pharaoh. (NASB: Lockman) KJV Acts 7:13 And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh. Joseph Ge 45:1-18; 46:31-34; 47:1-10 Acts 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE DELIVERER RECOGNIZED ON THE SECOND VISIT The picture above is "Joseph recognized by his brothers" by Léon Pierre Urbain Bourgeois, 1863 oil on canvas. On the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers (read the dramatic reunion in Ge 45:1-16) - The verb anagnorizo (only here) means Joseph made himself known again, caused himself to be recognized and became reacquainted with those who had rejected him.
Atos 7
Lenski notes that "The Old Testament reports nothing in regard to the brothers of Joseph. It is Stephen who here tells us that they, too, were buried in Shechem together with Joseph." E. F. Harrison adds that “Stephen’s mention of Shechem was probably not casual but deliberate...A rigid Jew (LIKE THE THOSE IN STEPHEN'S AUDIENCE) might want to forget the patriarchal contacts with Shechem, but Stephen would not permit that. To mention Shechem was almost the equivalent of calling attention to Samaria." Rex A. Koivisto elaborates on why Stephen may have mentioned Abraham's purchase at Shechem Shechem certainly held theological significance in the Abrahamic narrative of the OT, for it was there that Abraham first exhibited his relationship to the land of promise by building an altar to Yahweh (Ge 12:6,7). A reference to an Abrahamic tomb purchase (Acts 7:16), however, would have most likely brought to the minds of Stephen’s listeners the sacred and revered tomb at Hebron. Stephen asserts that Abraham purchased a tomb not at revered Hebron, but at despised Shechem. Certainly this reference to what was Samaritan territory in Stephen’s day, particularly in the context of the Temple and worship motifs in his speech, would have had significant theological overtones, especially since the Samaritans were for all practical purposes considered outside the land. It is thus not without significance that Luke follows this speech with a narrative of the evangelization of that same Samaritan territory (Acts 8:4–25). In view of the conscious theological selection of the term “Shechem” on Stephen’s part, and the significant Lucan use of this element in his narrative, one must again conclude that the use of this “error” (ED: AS EXPLAINED ABOVE IT IS NOT AN ERROR!) is a conscious one loaded with theological import. (Grace Theological Journal 8:1 1987 - Stephen’s Speech: A Theology of Errors?) Shechem in the NAS Bible - 66x in 57v - Gen. 12:6; Gen. 33:18; Gen. 34:2; Gen. 34:4; Gen. 34:6; Gen. 34:8; Gen. 34:11; Gen. 34:13; Gen. 34:18; Gen. 34:20; Gen. 34:24; Gen. 34:26; Gen. 35:4; Gen. 37:12; Gen. 37:13; Gen. 37:14; Num. 26:31; Jos. 17:2; Jos. 17:7; Jos. 20:7; Jos. 21:21; Jos. 24:1; Jos. 24:25; Jos. 24:32; Jdg. 8:31; Jdg. 9:1; Jdg. 9:2; Jdg. 9:3; Jdg. 9:6; Jdg. 9:7; Jdg. 9:18; Jdg. 9:20; Jdg. 9:23; Jdg. 9:24; Jdg. 9:25; Jdg. 9:26; Jdg. 9:28; Jdg. 9:31; Jdg. 9:34; Jdg. 9:39; Jdg. 9:41; Jdg. 9:46; Jdg. 9:47; Jdg. 9:49; Jdg. 9:57; Jdg. 21:19; 1 Ki. 12:1; 1 Ki. 12:25; 1 Chr. 6:67; 1 Chr. 7:19; 1 Chr. 7:28; 2 Chr. 10:1; Ps. 60:6; Ps. 108:7; Jer. 41:5; Hos. 6:9; Acts 7:16 Acts 7:17 "But as the time of the promise was approaching which God had assured to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt, (NASB: Lockman) KJV Acts 7:17 But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, as the time of the promise was approaching Acts 7:6; Ge 15:13-16; 2 Peter 3:8,9 the people Acts 13:17; Ex 1:7-12,20; Ps 105:24,25 Acts 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries GOD IS THE COVENANT KEEPING GOD In Acts 7:17-43 Stephen describes God's deliverance under Moses and demonstrates in so doing that he clearly is not guilty of the charge of blasphemy against Moses (Acts 6:11). Remember that Stephen's goal is less about defending himself, and more about accusing his accusers of rejecting the Righteous One (Acts 7:52). But as the time of the promise (epaggelia) was approaching (eggizo) which God had assured ( homologeo) to Abraham, the people increased (auxano) and multiplied (plethuno) in Egypt - Note Stephen's continued emphasis on God and His faithfulness to keep covenant promises. The Israelites had become content in Egypt and showed no interest of claiming God's promise to Abraham God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. (Acts 7:6-7+) 14 “But I will also judge the nation (EGYPT) whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. 15 “As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. 16“Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.” (Genesis 15:13-16+) So God begins to move and in His sovereignty, He uses their growth to cause them to return to the land that had been promised to Abraham. John
Atos 7
Lenski - He appears here on Sinai because here he will renew and advance his covenant with the children of Israel when Moses, through God's mighty hand, has freed them from Pharaoh and brought them to this place. (The Interpretation of The Acts of the Apostles) One other point - Who is the audience? The religious leaders, predominantly Sadducees, many of whom may well have heard this same quote from the lips of Jesus Christ in His defense of the doctrine of the resurrection and the future life, as He used this passage in which God describes himself as the God of the living not the dead. Mark 12:26 “But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB’? Matthew 22:32 ‘I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” Luke 20:37-38 “But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the burning bush, where he calls the Lord THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB. 38“Now He is not the God of the dead but of the living; for all live to Him.” OUR GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD Moses shook with fear and would not venture to look - Literally becoming tremulous or terrified. Notice that Stephen thinks of God as a God to be feared, not blasphemed as they had accused him of doing. Horton is probably correct in his comment that "This shows he knew about God's dealings with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; he knew what a holy God they served. He knew too that God had made covenant promises. No doubt his mother had told him these things (see Exod. 2:8-9)." (Acts: A Logion Press Commentary) And recall they had accused Stephen of blaspheming God, but here we see how he esteems God. So once again he is in a sense defending himself of the charges of blasphemy (Acts 6:11-14). Shook (1790)(entromos from en = in + tromos = trembling, quaking, from tremo = to quake, to tremble, especially with fear) means trembling with fear (as the Philippian jailer rushing in when Paul and Silas were freed from their prison cells - Acts 16:29). It is a picturesque adjective which refers to "being in a quivering condition because of exposure to an overwhelming or threatening circumstance (IN SOME WAYS BOTH WOULD BE TRUE IN MOSES' CASE)." The last use of entromos recalls that described here of Moses' reaction "And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “I AM FULL OF FEAR and trembling.” (Heb 12:21+). Here Moses is speaking of the terrifying sight of God coming down on Mt Sinai (cf Heb 12:18-20). Venture (5111)(tolmao from tólma = courage) means to have courage, be bold, dare to do something. Louw-Nida - "to be so bold as to challenge or defy possible danger or opposition."
Atos 7
Lenski comments that Acts 7:35-40 "is one chain: five emphatic “this” (Acts 7:35, 36, 37, 38, 40) terminating in two “he who (Acts 7:44)(to whom - Acts 7:39KJV).” It is like a grand pyramid, and the capstone is Israel’s idolatrous unbelief." The verb disowned is arneomai which means the Jews denied and renounced Moses as their deliverer, just like they did with Jesus. You can envision the nostrils of the Sanhedrin beginning to flare! Arneomai is the same verb used twice by Peter in Acts 3:13-14+ which resulted in thousands of Jews accepting Jesus as their Messiah and Savior... “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, (SAME PHRASE STEPHEN USED) the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned (arneomai) in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. 14 “But you disowned (arneomai) the Holy and Righteous One (SAME NAME OF GOD STEPHEN USED IN Acts 7:52+) and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses. Is the one whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer - Moses was God's appointed messenger and they had rejected him. The result was 40 more years of oppression and slavery! The rejection of their King and Redeemer the first time has already brought 2000 years of affliction to the Jews and sadly the worst is yet to come in the time of Jacob's trouble (aka The Great Tribulation)! Sent (649)(apostello from apo = from, away from + stello = to withdraw from, avoid) means to send off, to send forth, to send out. To send out; to commission as a representative, an ambassador, an envoy. The idea is to send forth from one place to another. But the meaning of apostello is more than just to send because it means "to send off on a commission to do something as one’s personal representative, with credentials furnished" (Wuest) To send upon some business (Mt. 2:16; 10:5; 20:2). To send away in the sense of to dismiss (Mk 12:3, 4). To send or thrust forth as a sickle among corn (Mk 4:29). Three things are true of the person sent from God. (1) He belongs to God, who has sent him out. (2) He is commissioned to be sent out. (3) He possesses all the authority and power of God, who has sent him out. It is no coincidence that the verb Stephen uses for sent (apostello) is repeatedly used of the Father sending the Son on mission and here are just a few of over 30 passages - Luke 10:16 “The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.” John 3:17; “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. John 5:36 “But the witness which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish, the very works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. John 6:29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” Deliverer (3086)(lutrotes from lutroo = to release by paying a ransom) is a liberator, a redeemer, one who sets free slaves or captives by payment of a price (the price of redemption). This is the only use in the NT, but there are 4 uses of lutrotes in the Septuagint and two are especially significant for they are used to describe our Redeemer (Christ Jesus), our Goel which makes Stephen's designation of Moses as Israel's lutrotes that much more compelling as he builds toward his climax in Acts 7:51-52! Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer (Hebrew = goel/ga'al; Lxx = lutrotes). Psalm 78:35 And they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer (Hebrew = goel/ga'al; Lxx = lutrotes). John