Chapter Seven
Stephen’s History Lesson
7:1 And the high priest said, “Are these things so?”
Stephen was falsely accused of speaking against the Temple and the law of Moses, now standing before the council, the high priest asks him is that what he said. Instead of answering directly, Stephen had what the Jews call in Yiddish “chutzpah,” and offers a brief history lesson (essentially covering the end of Genesis chapter eleven through to 1 Kings chapter ten) in front of Israel’s most learned men, highlighting how they are guilty of these charges, not him. He begins by first addressing the false charge of blasphemy.
7:2 And Stephen said: “Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’
Stephen begins with Abraham (at that time his name was Abram) living in Mesopotamia (Ur of Chaldeans, see Genesis 11:28, see also Genesis 15:7; Nehemiah 9:7) when God called him to leave his home land and go into a land that He will show him. Stephen reveals here that the “God of glory” appeared to Abraham, that detail is not mentioned in the Genesis account (see Genesis 12:1).
7:4 Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living. 5 Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child.
Abraham moved from the land of the Chaldeans to Haran and then proceeded south to the land that is often referred to as “the Promised Land.” Yet when he got there God did not give Abraham any of the land for himself, but promised that He would give it as a possession to his offspring, even though at that time he had no child.
7:6 And God spoke to this effect—that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years. 7 ‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.’ 8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.
Stephen relays that God told Abraham about the future, that Abraham’s offspring would still be nomadic, sojourners in lands that belonged to others, but would eventually become slaves to a people that will afflict them four hundred years. At which point God will judge that nation and His people will emerge victoriously to worship Him in the Promised Land. After revealing the future to Abraham, God gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and Isaac was the father of Jacob, and Jacob was the father of the twelve patriarchs.
7:9 “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him 10 and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. 11 Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food. 12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit. 13 And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. 14 And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all. 15 And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers, 16 and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
Stephen then “fast forwards” through Joseph’s time in Egypt to the time of the famine that affected both Canaan and Egypt ,which ultimately reunited Joseph to his family. Stephen notes that Jacob and all the family members numbered seventy-five, many like to point out the inconsistency in the number reported in Genesis 46:26-27; Exodus 1:5 and Deuteronomy 10:22 (click here to read about the differences). Jacob and his sons died in Egypt, but were later transported to and buried in Shechem in the tomb that Abraham bought.
7:17 “But as the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt 18 until there arose over Egypt another king who did not know Joseph.
As the four years in Egypt drew to a close, the people who numbered only seventy-five when they entered Egypt were now a sizable nation of people and was seen as potential threat to Egypt by a king who knew nothing about Joseph. Egypt’s history contains a significant number of foreign invasions and hostile takeovers which played out in a variety of dynasties of kings and pharaohs, this king likely knew little about Egypt’s past.
7:19 He dealt shrewdly with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants, so that they would not be kept alive. 20 At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God’s sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father’s house, 21 and when he was exposed, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. 22 And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds.
Stephen notes that the king made life miserable for the Israelites including preventing them from growing any larger by killing male infants. When Moses was born he was hidden for three months but became too hard to keep him hidden from the authorities. Skipping how Moses ended up in hands of Pharaoh’s daughter we are told that he was raised by her as her own son and that he received an Egyptian education. Stephen further notes that he was mighty in his words and in his actions.
7:23 “When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. 24 And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. 25 He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand. 26 And on the following day he appeared to them as they were quarreling and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why do you wrong each other?’ 27 But the man who was wronging his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? 28 Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 At this retort Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.
At the age of forty, Moses decided to visit his fellow Israelites. During his visit he sees one of them “being wronged” (Greek adikoumenon, acting unjustly) by an Egyptian, so he defended the man by striking dead the Egyptian. Stephen adds that Moses thought his actions would be appreciated, but they did not see it that way. The next day while again visiting his people Moses saw two Israelites quarreling and so he tried to intervene but got an earful with the retort, “Who made you a ruler and judge over us?...Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?” (Acts 7:27b-28, NLT). When Moses heard this he fled Egypt to land of Midian where he became the father of two sons.
7:30 “Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush.
Another forty years passed and while in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, Moses sees an angel in a flame of fire in a bush. In the Genesis account we are told that Moses saw a burning bush that was not being consumed by the flames, but this was the “Angel of the LORD” (see Genesis 3:2) none other than Jesus (theologians call this a ‘Christophany’, click here for more information).
7:31 When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and as he drew near to look, there came the voice of the Lord: 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.’ And Moses trembled and did not dare to look. 33 Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34 I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.’
When Moses approached the bush, God spoke to him and identified Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and was instructed to take off his sandals as the ground he was standing on was holy ground. God told Moses that He has seen their affliction of His people and heard their groaning, so He has come down to deliver them, and that Moses was being sent back to Egypt.
7:35 “This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years.
Stephen points out that the same man who was rejected and mocked was the man God sent to to be both a leader and a redeemer by the hand of the Angel (Jesus) that appeared to Moses in the bush. Without mentioning why the Israelites spent forty years in wildness, Stephen states that Moses led them out of Egypt by performing many wonders and signs in there (including ten plagues) and at the Red Sea (Greek Erythra Thalassē, Red Sea, which may sound redundant but some believe the miracle occurred elsewhere, but this text tells us it was indeed the Red Sea) and many other miracles while they were in the desert forty years.
7:37 This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’ 38 This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us.
Moses was told that God will raise up a prophet like him through the Israelites, his brothers. Stephen notes that Moses was the one that while in the assembly of the people of Israel in the wilderness spoke to the Angel on Mount Sinai and received living oracles (the law) to give to the people.
7:39 Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt, 40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. 42 But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: “ ‘Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices, during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? 43 You took up the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan, the images that you made to worship; and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’
Stephen then reminds the council that their forefathers refused to obey, pointing to the golden calf incident that occurred after some of the people thought that Moses wasn’t coming back. At that time they asked Aaron to make them “gods who will go before” them. A calf was made and they offered sacrifices to the idol and were rejoicing in what they made. But God turned away and let the people over to worship objects in the sky. In support of that statement, Stephen quotes Amos 5:25-27 (from the Septuagint which varies from the Hebrew text, plus there are debates on whether Amos was referring to two obscure false gods or something else).
It should be noted that Stephen’s quote from Amos stating that God would send them into exile beyond Babylon, cannot be found anywhere, as the Old Testament text actually reads Damascus (the text in the Hebrew, Greek Septuagint, and the Aramaic Targum all agree) and since Amos was prophesying for the northern kingdom, then Damascus would be correct. So why the replacement? Some believe that since Stephen refers to Babylon it was his way to combine judgments (to extend the time frame) to apply for both kingdoms, since all of Israel fell. This concludes his defense of being accused of blasphemy, as it was the people and leaders of Israel who were guilty, not him.
7:44 “Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen. 45 Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David, 46 who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. 47 But it was Solomon who built a house for him. 48 Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says, 49 “ ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? 50 Did not my hand make all these things?’
Next, Stephen speaks regarding the false charge of him speaking against the Temple. He begins with the building of the Tabernacle that was built while Moses and the Israelites were in the wilderness. It was brought into the land at the same time Joshua and the people of Israel crossed over the Jordan which was followed by the removal of the people and nations that inhabited the land. The Tabernacle was utilized until the days of King David who found favor in God’s eyes and asked Him about building a Temple. It was his Son Solomon who had the Temple built. Stephen notes that God does not live in buildings made by human hands and then quotes Isaiah 66:1.
Stephen was not guilty of blaspheming the Temple, they were, as they confined God to it as He is far greater than any structure. They treated the Tabernacle and then later the Temple as if God could only existed there, Stephen’s point was that the Temple was a symbol of His presence, not a vessel that contained Him.
7:51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, 53 you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”
Considering the group that Stephen was addressing, it is curious that they allowed him to speak as long as he did. Perhaps they were waiting to see what conclusion or point he was going to make before interrupting. But now Stephen’s message was made clear, he accused them to be just as stiff-necked as their forefathers were, always resisting the Holy Spirit and persecuting the people God sent them. That they, those who considered the law was delivered to them by angels, did not keep the law, and they are guilty for killing the Righteous One, the Messiah, when He came.
Stephen Stoned to Death
7:54 Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him.
Undoubtedly tension had been slowly building up, but now after Stephen accused them as being just as obstinate as their predecessors and that he (like that of Peter and John did before) also accuses them of murdering the Messiah, they were “cut to the heart,” and gnashed their teeth at him.
7:55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
After speaking, Stephen looked up and saw the glory of God, with Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Stephen immediately proclaimed that he could see the heavens were open and the Son of Man (the title Jesus used most often during His ministry) standing at the right hand of God.
7:57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
Thinking that Stephen was speaking blasphemy, they stopped listening and began to yell loudly and rushed together at him pushing him to a spot outside the city and stoned hm. According to the law those who had witnessed the person’s crime, or in the case of blasphemy those that heard, were to be the first to throw the stones (see Deuteronomy 17:7). Here we see the witnesses (perhaps the false witnesses, see Acts 6:13-14, but could be any of those gathered as they may have believed that Stephen blasphemed when he spoke of Jesus standing next to His Father in heaven) laying down their garments at the feet of a man named Saul (removal of outer garments so their arms were free to throw the stones). He was likely the key instigator that encouraged the stoning.
7:59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
While being hit with stones, Stephen knowing that he was going to die makes two remarkable statements. The first, he is asking Jesus to receive his spirit, he knew that upon death his spirit would instantly be with Jesus in heaven. Then he intercedes for his accusers asking God to not hold this sin against them. And then he died.
Considerations
Why Would Stephen Want God to Not Hold His Execution Against Them?
Stephen understood God’s desire for His people to forgive, that just as Jesus forgives us, we are to forgive. And that just as Jesus called upon His Father to forgive those who were responsible for His suffering and execution while on the cross, Stephen called upon his heavenly Father to do the same (see Luke 23:34). Stephen knew these people, and how they thought, as their worldview incorporated an incorrect understanding of God’s law and as a result they firmly believed that they were obeying Him by stoning Stephen. He also undoubtedly was aware of their spiritual blindness (see Romans 11:7, 25).