Day 122 - Acts 7

From: Chapter-A-Day: Volume 1 By: Norman W. Berry

• 1 min. read • grade level: 6

One of the most remarkable summaries of Israel’s history in the Bible. And what a sinful history it was! Joseph, Moses and David, the first time they presented themselves they were rejected by the Jew, but the second time, they were received. It was so when the Lord Jesus came. Stephen shows that it was but a rebelling, disobedient spirit which had always been seen. And when God sent His beloved Son, the same resistance continued.

V.43-53 From this resistance they went on to idolatry. They were guilty of four offenses. (1) The fathers (Old Testament men) had not kept the law. (2) They had persecuted and slain the prophets. (3) They had betrayed and murdered the Just One the Lord Jesus and (4) had resisted the Holy Ghost. So we see man’s guilt and ruin in the most favored and privileged nation in the world.

V.54-60 This speech brought out the full fury against Stephen. They drag him out of the city (see Lev. 24:11-16¹¹And the Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the name of the Lord, and cursed. And they brought him unto Moses: (and his mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan:) ¹²And they put him in ward, that the mind of the Lord might be showed them. ¹³And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, ¹⁴Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him. ¹⁵And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin. ¹⁶And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death. (Leviticus 24:11‑16)). They murder him. Like the Lord on the cross, Stephen prays for his murderers. Notice who was a witness to all this! No doubt it made a lasting impression on him, but he hated the name of Jesus.

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