Acts 7 - 8:1 "Stephen Points the OT at Jesus"

What image comes to mind when you think of walking by faith? Like, maybe we’re wearing a blindfold and trusting God as we walk by faith and not by sight? Blind faith? Or maybe, we see all the dangers ahead of us but we keep walking anyway—by faith.

How about this idea? We’re walking toward the future but we’re looking at the past faithfulness of God. Like we’re walking backwards toward the future—with our eyes focused on the cross and the resurrection and all the ways God has delivered us in our life. I think it’s a strong image.

As we continue in the Book of Acts, today a young man named Stephen is called on to give a defense of his faith in Jesus. He’s been accused of hate speech against God, Moses, the temple and everything the Jewish people held sacred. 

We have a lot to cover today so let’s get started, chapter 7…

And the high priest said, “Are these things so?” And Stephen said: Acts 7:1

It says that Stephen’s face suddenly looked like the face of an angel. Probably means he started to shine really bright with supernatural shekinah glory. He was going to give quite a long answer and I think his glowing face was the reason they let him keep talking.

“Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’ 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. 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. Acts 7:2-5

Notice how respectful Stephen is, “Brothers and fathers, hear me.” Abraham is the original patriarch of the Jewish people. He was a pagan, minding his own business, when God showed up—the God of Glory (probably drawing attention to his glowing face)—God showed up and called him to leave his home country and go to some promised land. God is a little iffy on the details. Just that one day his offspring would inherit the land and be a nation for all nations. But Abraham never saw any of those things in his lifetime. God promised that Abraham’s children would be as numerous as the stars, but at this point he had no children and even by the end of his life, he’ll only have two sons.

Abraham’s story is all about faith in God’s promises. Stephen’s accusers all considered themselves to be sons of Abraham, so he’s showing what they have in common.

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. ‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.’ (All that happened in Egypt) 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. Acts 7:6-8

This is the beginning of all that Jewish stuff they loved so much and were accusing Stephen of speaking against. So, Abraham circumcised his son Isaac on the eighth day, Isaac was the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of the twelve patriarchs who would be the twelve tribes of Israel. 

Stephen knows his Bible. It’s not like he was able to pull out a scroll or his Bible app. And he’s talking to the most educated men in all of Israel—probably needs to keep the details straight.

So, the twelve brothers…  

“And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him 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. Acts 7:9-10

Do you remember the story of Joseph? Jacob’s favorite son. Gave him a technicolor dream coat? His brothers were mad with jealousy and sold him into slavery—drenched his fancy coat in goat blood and let dad believe he was eaten by a wild animal. Pretty brutal start to the tribes of Israel. I wonder if the Sanhedrin were starting to pick up on the Jesus vibe Stephen was laying down? Rejected by his brothers? Supposed to be dead but ascended to power at the right hand of Pharaoh. Nah, they’re probably not getting it yet but they will.

Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food. But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit. And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. Acts 7:11-13

Hmm. Second visit is when they recognized him. Might be a subtle reference to when Jesus comes back next time. In any case, this is how the sons of Abraham, the sons of Israel, ended up in Egypt.

And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all. And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers, 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. 
Acts 7:14-16

God always had a plan for His people. He provided for them when there was a famine and brought them to Egypt where they would grow into a nation to be reckoned with. Stephen’s reminding the Sanhedrin of the long history of God working through unexpected circumstances and unlikely people.

“But as the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt until there arose over Egypt another king who did not know Joseph. He dealt shrewdly with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants, so that they would not be kept alive. 
Acts 7:17-19

Stephen was accused of blasphemy against God but he’s showing how God is in complete control of history—not exactly blasphemy. He’s also setting the stage to talk about Moses and the exodus from Egypt. The new Pharaoh was threatened by how many Israelites there were and ordered that their newborn babies were left outside to die of exposure. Very harsh Pharaoh.

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, and when he was exposed, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds. Acts 7:20-22

Well, Stephen was accused of hating on Moses, too—how hateful is it to say he must have been a beautiful baby? The princess of Egypt sees a three month old baby floating in a wicker basket and adopts him as her own. The future leader of Israel was going to be raised in Pharaoh’s house with the finest education possible. You think the Sanhedrin caught any of the parallels between Moses and Jesus? Herod tried to kill all the babies when Jesus was born. Joseph to him to Egypt to escape—Jesus spent at least part of His childhood there where He grew in wisdom and stature. Nah, they’re probably not getting it yet.

Moses was raised as an Egyptian but somehow held onto his Hebrew identity.

“When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand. Acts 7:23-25

Moses goes to see the people he came from. He sees a Hebrew slave being mistreated by an Egyptian taskmaster, so Moe does what any of us would have done—he murders him on the spot. Okay, maybe a little over the line, Moe. He was pretty sure they’d be thankful. Not so much. Interesting that Moses already thought of himself as the deliverer though.

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?’ But the man who was wronging his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ Acts 7:26-28

Next day he gets back out there among the people and comes across some men arguing about something. Moses doesn’t take sides, he just asked why they’re fighting with each other. But the one who was guilty was offended. “Who do you think you are, man! Who died and made you boss? Oh yeah, that Egyptian you murdered yesterday.”

The word had gotten around so fast. He didn’t want to be accused of starting a slave rebellion by his dear ol stepdad the king, so he got out of town.

At this retort Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons. Acts 7:29

He spent 40 years learning everything he could learn from Egypt—now he was going to spend 40 years learning how to be a desert dweller. He was going to need both these educations for what God had in store for him. God is always preparing us for our next adventure.

“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. When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and as he drew near to look, there came the voice of the Lord: ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.’ 
Acts 7:30-32

The Angel of the LORD, the Malach Yahweh, appears as a burning thornbush and speaks to Moses. This isn’t just any angel, this is the Angel of LORD. An angel who speaks with the voice and authority of God. It’s the Logos. The Word of God. It’s Jesus before He took on flesh—it’s the Son of God eternally begotten before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God. I wonder if the Sanhedrin were catching that.

And Moses trembled and did not dare to look. Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 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.’ Acts 7:32-34

The other thing they had accused Stephen of speaking against was the temple. They had a very unhealthy relationship with the temple and this was a subtle hint. Wherever God meets His people is a holy place—not just the temple. The priests had to remove their sandals to enter the holy place in the temple. They would have caught this one.

God sent Moses back to Egypt to deliver His people. This is the central story of the Old Testament, the exodus. Stephen was pointing it directly at Jesus—the One who had stood where Stephen was standing less than a year ago, the One they rejected and crucified.

“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. This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’ Acts 7:35-37

Stephen is drawing the lines for them now. Just like Moses was rejected by his people, so was Jesus. Moses had even told you, “God will raise up another prophet like me—be ready to listen to Him.” They accused Stephen of speaking against Moses but they were the ones who dishonored Moses by forgetting his words. Jesus is the prophet God sent and they killed Him.

Then he points out how the leaders and people of Israel have always ignored Moses.

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. Acts 7:38

Moses met with God and angels, received the Ten Commandments and the words of the Bible but… 

Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt, 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.’ Acts 7:39-40

While Moses was still on the mountain with God, they were like, “Hey Moses is gone, who knows what’s happened to him. We want to go back to Egypt. We should ask the Egyptian gods to come help us!”

And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. 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? 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.’ Acts 7:40-43

The golden calf was a replica of the Egyptian god Apis—who looked like a bull. When Moses showed up, they pretended they were just making an image of Yahweh, but they had Egypt in their heart. It was gross idolatry. Stephen says they never got over it. All through the desert years, they worshiped the planetary gods—Rephan is another name for Saturn, but they also worshiped Venus, Mercury. All demons. All false gods. Moloch was the god the Israelites would return to again and again, even sacrificing their children to him. 

Stephen is quoting Amos, “Did you bring God animal sacrifices during the forty years in the wilderness?” Stephen is saying, “No. You continued to worship false gods even while you were pretending to worship Yahweh—that’s why God sent you into exile beyond Babylon.”

Now he’s going to address the temple issue directly. They loved the temple. Practically worshiped it. 

“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. 
Acts 7:44

God told Moses to build a portable tent—the tabernacle—the tent of witness. They carried it with them in the desert. It was the place of the special presence of God, it’s where the Ark of the Covenant was kept, where worship happened. Stephen is making the case that the tabernacle was better than the temple—what God really wants.

Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. Acts 7:45

After 40 years in the desert, when they finally entered the promised land of Canaan, they brought the tabernacle with them. It was that way for a long time.

So it was until the days of David, who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. Acts 7:45-46

King David asked God if it would be okay to build a solid temple instead of God's house just being a tent. God said, “No. You may not build for me a house of stone but then made him this promise: your son will build it and through Him I will establish an everlasting Kingdom—a son of the house of David will always sit on the throne.” Everyone thought God meant Solomon. Solomon did build a fancy temple, but that’s not really what God was talking about.

But it was Solomon who built a house for him. Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says, “ ‘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? Did not my hand make all these things?’ 
Acts 7:47-50

He quotes Isaiah, “God doesn’t live in houses made by hands. His throne is in heaven—the earth is nothing more than a place to put His feet.” 

They knew all these Scriptures. Stephen didn’t say anything they didn’t have memorized. 

Sometimes when we get into conversions about faith, people start throwing Bible verses at each other—like, “There, that’ll fix it!” Never does though, does it? 

Stephen is like, “God’s plan was always to have a temple that’s on the go. Like the tabernacle. Y’all need to read your freakin’ Bibles. You love your shiny temple so much, it’s blinded you to what God’s actually doing in the world.”

Jesus is the real temple—the Logos who tabernacled among us. Then He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in His people. Those who are in Christ are the true temple of the Spirit of God, the presence of God on the earth.

Stephen has been patiently building common ground and showing that their case against him was wrongheaded. Now he’s going to turn the charges back around on them.

“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 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, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.” 
Acts 7:51-53

Well, if they didn’t get the point before, they certainly do now. They were accusing Stephen of blaspheming God, Moses, and the temple—of desecrating everything that it means to be a faithful Jew. But he’s not the one who’s guilty of all those things—they are. 

God had called His people “stiff-necked” all through the Old Testament, meaning they were stubborn and didn’t listen to Him. 

God had sent prophet after prophet to warn them—the religious leaders killed them one by one. All those prophets were talking about Jesus—now they killed Him, too. These same men were the ones who put Jesus on trial just a few months before. This all had to seem very familiar.

It sounds like he turned up the heat but I think he kept his cool, just like Jesus did. The words are strong but I think they were still seasoned with grace—didn’t soften their hearts, though.

Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. Acts 7:54

This is the language of hell. Gnashing of teeth.

The next thing is very important. How will Stephen react to their fury? Most of us get mad if someone gets mad at us. Anger is contagious. Not Stephen, this is why I think he kept his cool before… 

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. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” Acts 7:55-56

You might wonder where the Gospel is in Stephen’s sermon. It’s here. 

This is the only place in the New Testament where someone besides Jesus uses the name “Son of Man.” It was Jesus’ favorite title for Himself. It comes from Daniel chapter seven…

Daniel sees a figure described as “one like a son of man” coming with the clouds of heaven. This figure approaches the Ancient of Days and is given authority, glory, and sovereign power. All nations and peoples of every language worship him, and his dominion is described as an everlasting dominion that will not pass away.”

Oh they got that reference. Stephen is putting an ending on his Old Testament lesson. “Right now, in this moment, brothers of the Sanhedrin, I see Jesus alive and well, standing at the right hand of God.”

There’s your Gospel if you’ll hear it. Jesus is the Son of Man, the One you’ve been waiting for, that Moses and the prophets spoke about—I’m looking at Him right now!

But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. Acts 7:57

So much for a proper trial. The mob did what mobs do.

Outside Jerusalem there was a gross little stone pit they built just for this purpose. It was about ten feet deep and just big enough for a person to be thrown into. They’d throw them in—and if the fall killed them—fine. Good enough. But if the person survived the fall, then a single stone was dropped on them. That would usually do it. They were usually less than enthusiastic about stoning someone to death.

But not today. Today the mob was angry. Everyone wanted to get their shot.

And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 
Acts 7:58

This is our first introduction to Luke’s ministry partner and the guy who will dominate the rest of the story in the Book of Acts starting with chapter nine. Saul is his Hebrew name, his Roman name is Paulus, or Paul. He’s probably 30 years old, about the same age as the guy in the pit.

Stephen isn’t quite finished surprising us… 

And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 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. Acts 7:59-60

More Gospel. This time through echoes of Jesus when He was on the cross. When Jesus died, He said, “Lord into Your hands I commend my Spirit.” Here Stephen says almost the same thing—except he calls God, “Jesus.” Don’t let anyone tell you the apostles and the early church didn’t think of Jesus as God.

But the stones keep coming, knocking him to his knees. Then he says the most amazing thing. He prays that Jesus will not hold his murder against his killers. Jesus had said a similar thing on the cross, “Father forgive them they don’t know what they’re doing.” Stephen couldn’t say that because he had just explained to them exactly what they were doing. He still asked God to forgive them—and God is going to forgive at least one of them.

For such a violent death, it’s a beautiful description—He prays and falls asleep. When he wakes, he will still be in the presence of God, waiting for the resurrection of his body.

Then we have an unfortunate chapter break… Chapter 8… 

And Saul approved of his execution. Acts 8:1

Saul wasn’t just holding their coats. He had some authority. He was somebody. They looked to him for approval, and he gave it. He was never going to forget this day. 

Walking backwards, looking at Abraham, Joseph, Moses—who all point to Jesus. The promised one. The Messiah. Walking by faith into the future while keeping his eyes on the past faithfulness of God. Looking up and seeing Jesus, the Son of Man, standing at the right hand of the Father.

The Old Testament saints walked into the future looking at the exodus and God’s deliverance of His people. We, the people of the New Testament do the same—but our eyes are fixed on the cross and the resurrection of Jesus. We trust in God’s past faithfulness as we walk backwards by faith into the future. AMEN.