Stephen’s Sermon
1“Are these things true?” the high priest asked.
4“Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, God had him move to this land in which you are now living.7:4 Gn 11:31; 12:4–5
5He didn’t give him an inheritance in it — not even a foot of ground — but he promised to give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him,7:5 Gn 12:7; 13:15; 15:18; 17:8; Gl 3:16; Heb 8:8–9 even though he was childless.
6God spoke in this way: His descendants would be strangers in a foreign country, and they would enslave and oppress them for four hundred years.
7I will judge the nation that they will serve as slaves, God said. After this, they will come out and worship me in this place.7:6–7Gn 15:13–147:6–7 Gn 15:13–14; Ex 3:12; 12:40
The Patriarchs in Egypt
9“The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt, but God was with him7:9 Gn 37:11,28; 39:2,21; 45:4; Ps 105:17
10and rescued him out of all his troubles. He gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and over his whole household.7:10 Gn 41:37–43; 42:6; Ps 105:21
11Now a famine and great suffering came over all of Egypt and Canaan,7:11 Gn 41:54; 42:5 and our ancestors could find no food.
12When Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there the first time.
13The second time, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh.
Moses, a Rejected Savior
17“As the time was approaching to fulfill the promise that God had made to Abraham, the people flourished and multiplied in Egypt7:17 Gn 15:13; Ex 1:7; Ps 105:24
18until a different king who did not know Joseph ruled over Egypt.7:18 Other mss omit over Egypt
19He dealt deceitfully with our race and oppressed our ancestors by making them abandon their infants outside so that they wouldn’t survive.7:18–19 Ex 1:8–10,22; Ps 105:25
20At this time Moses was born, and he was beautiful in God’s sight. He was cared for in his father’s home for three months.
23“When he was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites.
24When he saw one of them being mistreated, he came to his rescue and avenged the oppressed man by striking down the Egyptian.
25He assumed his people would understand that God would give them deliverance through him, but they did not understand.
26The next day he showed up while they were fighting and tried to reconcile them peacefully, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why are you mistreating each other? ’ 7:23–26 Ex 2:11–14; Heb 11:24–26
27“But the one who was mistreating his neighbor pushed Moses aside, saying: Who appointed you a ruler and a judge over us?
29“When he heard this, Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.7:29 Ex 2:15,22; 18:3–4
30After forty years had passed, an angel7:30 Other mss add of the Lord appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush.
31When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight. As he was approaching to look at it, the voice of the Lord came:
33“The Lord said to him: Take off the sandals from your feet, because the place where you are standing is holy ground.
Israel’s Rebellion against God
37“This is the Moses who said to the Israelites: God7:37 Other mss read The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.7:37Dt 18:157:37 Dt 18:15; Ac 3:22
38He is the one who was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors.7:38 Ex 19:17; Is 63:9; Ac 7:53 He received living oracles to give to us.7:38 Dt 5:27; 32:47; Jn 1:17; Rm 3:2; Heb 4:12; 5:12; 1Pt 4:11
39Our ancestors were unwilling to obey him. Instead, they pushed him aside, and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.7:39 Ex 16:3; Nm 11:4; 14:3–4; Ezk 20:8,24
40They told Aaron: Make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what’s happened to him.7:40Ex 32:1,237:40 Ex 32:1,23
41They even made a calf in those days, offered sacrifice to the idol, and were celebrating what their hands had made.7:41 Dt 9:16; Ps 106:19–20; Rv 9:20
House of Israel, did you bring me offerings and sacrifices
for forty years in the wilderness?
43
You took up the tent of Moloch
and the star of your god Rephan,
the images that you made to worship.
So I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.
7:42–43
Am 5:25–27
7:42–43
1Kg 11:7; Am 5:25–27; Ac 7:36
God’s Real Tabernacle
44“Our ancestors had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses commanded him to make it according to the pattern he had seen.7:44 Ex 25:8–9,40; 38:21; Heb 8:5
45Our ancestors in turn received it and with Joshua brought it in when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before them,7:45 Jos 3:14; 18:1; 23:9; 24:18; Ps 44:2 until the days of David.
49
Heaven is my throne,
and the earth my footstool.
What sort of house will you build for me?
says the Lord,
or what will be my resting place?
Resisting the Holy Spirit
51“You stiff-necked7:51 Ex 32:9; Dt 10:16; Heb 3:13 people with uncircumcised hearts and ears!7:51 Lv 26:41; Jr 4:4; 6:10; 9:26 You are always resisting the Holy Spirit. As your ancestors did, you do also.
The First Christian Martyr
54When they heard these things, they were enraged7:54 Or were cut to the quick and gnashed their teeth at him.
57They yelled at the top of their voices, covered their ears, and together rushed against him.
58They dragged him out of the city and began to stone7:58 Lv 24:14–16; Dt 13:9; Heb 13:12 him. And the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.7:58 Ac 8:1; 22:20
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