V. Progress of the Church and a Third Persecution. (6:1-8:4) (continued)
C. Stephen's discourse (7:1-53) (continued)
4. The case of Moses in the wilderness (vv. 38-41) - If we thought the Hebrews mistreated Moses before he delivered them from bondage, wait until we see what happens to him in the wilderness.
v.38 Moses received the law through the mediation of an angel, compare Heb. 2:2 and Gal. 3:19. Living oracles literally means living words.
v.39,40 Though they did not physically return to Egypt, they did "go back in their hearts" by turning to idolatry. They called on Aaron to make them gods. Ex.16:3, 17:3. God had given them the pillars of cloud and fire as a symbol of His presence, but they rejected this in favor of their own ideas..
v.41 Ex. 32:3,35 The calf idol became a substitute for the true Jehovah.
5. God's final rejection of Israel (vv. 42,43) - Stephen's speech now skips from Mt. Sinai to the prediction of Babylonian captivity.
v.42,43 God finally gave them over to their lusts to worship the sun, moon and stars (the host of heaven). The quotation is from Amos 5:25-27. Moloch- the god of the Amorites, these people practiced human sacrifice. Star of the god Rephan- the planet Saturn. The punishment for idolatry: Babylonian captivity.
6. The Tabernacle and the Temple (vv. 44-50) - To answer the charges against him concerning the blasphemy of the temple, Stephen proceeds to point out the true religious value of the building.
v.44 Tabernacle- Ex.25:22, 38:21. The tabernacle was moved from place to place. That is, the place of worship changed.
v.45 Joshua took the tabernacle into the Promised Land. David desired 46 to build the temple but he was restrained. Why? 2 Sam. 7:2ff
v.47 Solomon built the temple according to the pattern that his father David had given him, along with the building materials.
v.48-50 But, the Lord does not dwell in houses made with hands, Isa. 66:1,2. At the dedication, Solomon said the same thing. 1 Kings 8:26,27,43. If the universe can not hold God, then how can a man-made house?
7. The application (vv. 51-53) - Stephen has prepared his audience to make the following analogies: 1) Joseph was divinely chosen to be the Savior of his brethren, they sold him into bondage. 2) Moses was divinely selected to deliver Israel from bondage but was rejected by his brethren again and again, 3) All of the prophets received similar treatment at the hands of their brethren. 4) Jesus, the final opportunity for salvation, the Savior, deliverer, and prophet is rejected in the same manner.
v.51 Stiff-necked- stubborn, uncircumcised in heart and ears- they would not submit to God by believing, obeying or hearing His will. Resist the Holy Spirit- Num. 27:14. They fought against the Holy Spirit as they would an enemy.
v.52,53 Stephen implies that the Jews had persecuted all of the prophets as well as the disciples of Jesus. These Jews were just as guilty as their fathers, because they imitated their sins.
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In his dissertation Stephen has brought out four main points: 1) God's dealings with his people have been in a state of
change from the beginning. |
D. Stephen is stoned, and the church dispersed (7:54-8:4)
The Jews had not been able to withstand Stephen in open debate, now their charges against him could not be upheld, leaving only one recourse: violence.
v.54 "These things" refers to Stephen's defense, especially vs. 51-53. "Cut to the heart" means sawn through. "Gnashed on him" means gritted their teeth, snarled, growled. They had been worked into a frenzy.
v.55 Contrast the appearance of Stephen with that of the Jews. The Holy Spirit was guiding Stephen. The vision of Jesus was of course miraculous. Note: this is the only place in the Bible where Jesus is said to be standing on the right hand of God. How is He usually pictured?
v.56 Stephen describes his vision. Stephen is the only N.T. character except Christ himself to refer to Jesus as "the son of Man."
v.57,58 They stopped their ears because they did not want to hear anymore of Stephen's "blasphemy." They took Stephen out to stone him and though they maintained the letter of the law in the stoning procedure (Lev. 24: 10-16, Num. 15: 35,36, 1 Kings 21: 13) is was not legal under Roman law. The witnesses must cast the first stone. Deut. 17: 7, Jn. 8: 7. Here we have the first mention of Saul.
v.59 Stephen knew these murderers could not quench his inner being.
v.60 Compare Stephen's prayer to the Lord's prayer in Lu. 23:34. Sleep is a common synonym for death in the N.T. The enemies of the church had tried threatenings, imprisonment, and stripes to silence the teaching of Christ's words. When all of these failed, the final resort was murder. This extreme violence causing the disciples to fear for their lives, led to the dispersion of the church.
v.1 We know from Acts 22:20 and Rom. 1:32 that Saul was a willing participant in the death of Stephen. He was probably between the ages of 30 and 40 years old.
v.2 The great lamentations made over Stephen's body was a formal burial ceremony, which included a physical beating or pounding of the breast.
v.3 Saul is characterized as the "hatchet man" for the Jews. Notice the rough treatment of the Christians included physically being dragged through the streets on the way to prison.
v.4 The calamity of scattering and persecuting the church is turned into an advantage. How? The word is spread throughout the surrounding countries. Acts11:19