Instead of taking care of daily distribution among Greek-speaking widows in the Christian community, Stephen stepped out of his boundary, preaching the resurrection of Jesus and debating with the Jews (Acts 6:10). He was able to do this because the Holy Spirit had empowered him to perform miracles (Acts 6:8). Unable to defeat Stephen in speech, the Jews accused him of blasphemy against Moses as well as the Holy Temple and brought him before the Jewish Council (Acts 6:11-13). This set the stage for Luke to expound the Christian understanding of the history of Israel.
Beginning with God's promise to Abraham, Stephen traced how the Israelites ended up living in Egypt. Of the 12 sons of Israel, Joseph alone was named and Stephen explained how the other patriarchs sold him to Egypt out of jealousy, but God was with Joseph (Acts 7:9). In the end, it was Joseph who was able to save the whole household from starvation in a severe famine. Obviously, Christians saw Joseph the prototype of Jesus who was betrayed and yet, became the Saviour of all. Enter Moses, yet another prototype of Jesus.
At this time Moses was born, and was beautiful before God. And he was brought up for three months in his father's house (Acts 7:20)
Could Stephen be blasphemous against Moses?
Moses killed an Egyptian to defend a Hebrew slave. Yet, he was betrayed by ungrateful fellow Hebrews.
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 7:27-28)
In the end, Moses delivered the Israelites from Egypt, the land of bondage. Stephen had established two prototype of Jesus in the Old Testament. Before Moses left the stage, he foretold that God would raise a prophet like him and the Israelites should listen to him.
This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, 'God will raise up for you a prophet from your brethren as he raised me up.' (Acts 7:37)
Meanwhile, the Israelites demanded Aaron to make a golden calf to go before them in the wilderness. In so doing, Stephen highlighted the rebelliousness of the Israelites.
Turning to the Temple, Stephen reminded them that God had all along dwelled in the tent of witness and he quoted Isaiah to prove that God had no need of a Temple (Acts 7:44-46). As if it was not enough, Stephen accused the Jews of persecuting prophets, Joseph, Moses and down the line to Jesus.
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 not your fathers 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).
It is interesting to note that according to Stephen (and Paul in the Epistle to the Galatians), the law was delivered by angels (Acts 7:53, Galatians 3:19). This concept is worth investigating and we will leave it for another occasion.
History is never a collection of historical 'facts'. It is always subject to interpretations. From Stephen's point of view, the Israelite history was a history of rebellions against God. And from this rebellion came salvation from God. Isn't it paradoxical?
Dear Lord, praise and glory be Yours forever. You always choose the outcasts to be Your instrument of grace. Have mercy on us and grant us salvation. Amen.
Appendix:
Depart from your land and from your kindred and go into the land which I will show you.ἔξελθε ἐκ τῆς γῆς σου καὶ [ἐκ] τῆς συγγενείας σου, καὶ δεῦρο εἰς τὴν γῆν ἣν ἄν σοι δείξω (Acts 7:3b).
Ἔξελθε ἐκ τῆς γῆς σου καὶ ἐκ τῆς συγγενείας σου καὶ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός σου εἰς τὴν γῆν, ἣν ἄν σοι δείξω (Genesis 12:1).
that his posterity would be aliens in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and ill-treat them four hundred years.
'But I will judge the nation which they serve,' said God, 'and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.' ἔσται τὸ σπέρμα αὐτοῦ πάροικον ἐν γῇ ἀλλοτρίᾳ καὶ δουλώσουσιν αὐτὸ καὶ κακώσουσιν ἔτη τετρακόσια·
καὶ τὸ ἔθνος ᾧ ἐὰν δουλεύσουσιν κρινῶ ἐγώ, ὁ θεὸς εἶπεν, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐξελεύσονται καὶ λατρεύσουσίν μοι ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ. (Acts 7:6-7)
ὅτι πάροικον ἔσται τὸ σπέρμα σου ἐν γῇ οὐκ ἰδίᾳ, καὶ δουλώσουσιν αὐτοὺς καὶ κακώσουσιν αὐτοὺς καὶ ταπεινώσουσιν αὐτοὺς τετρακόσια ἔτη.
τὸ δὲ ἔθνος, ὧ ἐὰν δουλεύσωσιν, κρινῶ ἐγώ, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ἐξελεύσονται ὧδε μετὰ ἀποσκευῆς πολλῆς. (Genesis 15:13-14).
arose over Egypt another king who had not known Joseph.
ἀνέστη βασιλεὺς ἕτερος [ἐπ' Αἴγυπτον] ὃς οὐκ ᾔδει τὸν Ἰωσήφ. (Acts 7:18, Exodus 1:8)
At this time Moses was born, and was beautiful before God. And he was brought up for three months in his father's house;
Ἐν ᾧ καιρῷ ἐγεννήθη Μωϋσῆς καὶ ἦν ἀστεῖος τῷ θεῷ· ὃς ἀνετράφη μῆνας τρεῖς ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ πατρός (Acts 7:20)
καὶ ἐν γαστρὶ ἔλαβεν καὶ ἔτεκεν ἄρσεν, ἰδόντες δὲ αὐτὸ ἀστεῖον ἐσκέπασαν αὐτὸ μῆνας τρεῖς. (Exodus 2:2)
Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?
Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?τίς σε κατέστησεν ἄρχοντα καὶ δικαστὴν ἐφ' ἡμῶν;
μὴ ἀνελεῖν με σὺ θέλεις ὃν τρόπον ἀνεῖλες ἐχθὲς τὸν Αἰγύπτιον; (Acts 7:27b-28, Exodus 2:14a)
I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.
ἐγὼ ὁ θεὸς τῶν πατέρων σου, ὁ θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακώβ (Acts 7:32a).
Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ θεὸς τοῦ πατρός σου, θεὸς Αβρααμ καὶ θεὸς Ισαακ καὶ θεὸς Ιακωβ (Exodus 3:6).
Take off the shoes from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.
λῦσον τὸ ὑπόδημα τῶν ποδῶν σου, ὁ γὰρ τόπος ἐφ' ᾧ ἕστηκας γῆ ἁγία ἐστίν. (Acts 7:33b)
λῦσαι τὸ ὑπόδημα ἐκ τῶν ποδῶν σου, ὁ γὰρ τόπος, ἐν ὧ σὺ ἕστηκας, γῆ ἁγία ἐστίν. (Exodus 3:5b).
I have surely seen the ill-treatment of my people that are in Egypt and heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egyptἰδὼν εἶδον τὴν κάκωσιν τοῦ λαοῦ μου τοῦ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ τοῦ στεναγμοῦ αὐτῶν ἤκουσα, καὶ κατέβην ἐξελέσθαι αὐτούς· καὶ νῦν δεῦρο ἀποστείλω σε εἰς Αἴγυπτον. (Acts 7:34)
Ἰδὼν εἶδον τὴν κάκωσιν τοῦ λαοῦ μου τοῦ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ τῆς κραυγῆς αὐτῶν ἀκήκοα ἀπὸ τῶν ἐργοδιωκτῶν, οἶδα γὰρ τὴν ὀδύνην αὐτῶν,
καὶ κατέβην ἐξελέσθαι αὐτοὺς ἐκ χειρὸς Αἰγυπτίων (Exodus 3:7-8a).
God will raise up for you a prophet from your brethren as he raised me up.προφήτην ὑμῖν ἀναστήσει ὁ θεὸς ἐκ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ὑμῶν ὡς ἐμέ (Acts 7:37b).
προφήτην ἐκ τῶν ἀδελφῶν σου ὡς ἐμὲ ἀναστήσει σοι κύριος ὁ θεός σου, αὐτοῦ ἀκούσεσθε (Deuteronomy 18:15).
Make for us gods to 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.ποίησον ἡμῖν θεοὺς οἳ προπορεύσονται ἡμῶν· ὁ γὰρ Μωϋσῆς οὗτος, ὃς ἐξήγαγεν ἡμᾶς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου, οὐκ οἴδαμεν τί ἐγένετο αὐτῷ. (Acts 7:40)
ποίησον ἡμῖν θεούς, οἳ προπορεύσονται ἡμῶν, ὁ γὰρ Μωυσῆς οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ὃς ἐξήγαγεν ἡμᾶς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου, οὐκ οἴδαμεν, τί γέγονεν αὐτῷ (Exodus 32:1b).
Did you offer to me slain beasts and sacrifices, forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
And you took up the tent of Moloch, and the star of the god Rephan, the figures which you made to worship; and I will remove you beyond Babylon.μὴ σφάγια καὶ θυσίας προσηνέγκατέ μοι ἔτη τεσσεράκοντα ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, οἶκος Ἰσραήλ;
καὶ ἀνελάβετε τὴν σκηνὴν τοῦ Μόλοχ καὶ τὸ ἄστρον τοῦ θεοῦ [ὑμῶν] Ῥαιφάν,τοὺς τύπους οὓς ἐποιήσατε προσκυνεῖν αὐτοῖς, καὶ μετοικιῶ ὑμᾶς ἐπέκεινα Βαβυλῶνος (Acts 7:42b-43).
μὴ σφάγια καὶ θυσίας προσηνέγκατέ μοι ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τεσσαράκοντα ἔτη, οἶκος Ισραηλ;
καὶ ἀνελάβετε τὴν σκηνὴν τοῦ Μολοχ καὶ τὸ ἄστρον τοῦ θεοῦ ὑμῶν Ραιφαν, τοὺς τύπους αὐτῶν, οὓς ἐποιήσατε ἑαυτοῖς.
καὶ μετοικιῶ ὑμᾶς ἐπέκεινα Δαμασκοῦ (Amos 5:25-27).
Heaven is my throne, and earth my footstool. What 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?ὁ οὐρανός μοι θρόνος, ἡ δὲ γῆ ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν μου· ποῖον οἶκον οἰκοδομήσετέ μοι, λέγει κύριος, ἢ τίς τόπος τῆς καταπαύσεώς μου;
οὐχὶ ἡ χείρ μου ἐποίησεν ταῦτα πάντα; (Acts 7:49-50)
Ὁ οὐρανός μοι θρόνος, ἡ δὲ γῆ ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν μου, ποῖον οἶκον οἰκοδομήσετέ μοι; ἢ ποῖος τόπος τῆς καταπαύσεώς μου;
πάντα γὰρ ταῦτα ἐποίησεν ἡ χείρ μου, καὶ ἔστιν ἐμὰ πάντα ταῦτα, λέγει κύριος, (Isaiah 66:1-2).
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