v1 The high priest questions Stephen as to the validity of the false witnesses. Stephen goes into a rather lengthy diatribe on their history:
1) v2 – v5 Promise to Abraham
2) v6 – v7 Abraham’s descendants would become prisoners in a foreign land for 400 years
3) v8 The covenant of circumcision is given, and Isaac, Jacob & the 12 Patriarchs are born
4) v9 Envy enters the picture, and Joseph is sold into Egypt (the 400 years of bondage begins with sin)
5) v9 “But God was with him. “But God” is critical. It matters not what we do.
6) v10 Joseph finds favor amongst his enemies due to God
7) v11 Famine hits the land
8) v12 – v15 Jacob and the 70 (or 75) end up in Egypt (bondage) and die there. In the midst of this, they are reconciled to Joseph.
9) v17 When the time of the promise drew near, “the people grew and multiplied”
10) v18-19 another king who didnt know Joseph arose; this is Molech :: “making them expose their babies”
11) v20 – 23 Moses is born and raised.
12) v23 At 40, Moses gets a heart of compassion for his bretheren and ends up killing an Egyptian.
13) v25 KEY VERSE “For he supposed that his bretheren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand.” Often, while we walk with God, we get an idea as to what He is doing (at least what He shows us), while those around us have no clue. that can cause great strife and animosity, especially in the family
14) v29 Moses flees to Midian; he becomes a dweller; he has 2 sons
15) Moses spends 40 years in the wilderness; and Angel appears to him
16) v31-34 God speaks to Moses
17) v34 “And now come, I will send you to Egypt.” When its time to act, God answers the when and the what.
18) v35 “This Moses whom they rejected saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer” ties directly to v27. v27 was an attack by the accuser. The spirit realm already knew what was unfolding, it seems.
19) v36 God shows them miracles and then brings them out. Three regions:
Egypt
Red Sea
Wilderness
20) v37-41 – Israelites reject Moses (prophet) and worship their own god (Baal).
21) v42-43 Prophetic verse:
Did they offer any sacrifices to God those 40 years? The law had yet to be given.
They took up the tabernacle of Molech (child sacrifice)
And the star of Remphan (Saturn) as a god
“Images which you made to worship”
“And I will carry you away beyond Babylon” :: read Revelation and the fall of Babylon
22) v44-45 The “tabernacle of witnesses” comes to light along with Joshua’s quest into the promised land, which God delivers to them up to the time of David.
23) “BUT Solomon built Him a house”
24) “HOWEVER, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands” He dwells in us, made by Him.
25) v51 Stephen speaks against the Jews calling them stiff-necked and uncircumsized in heart and ears. “You always resist the HOLY SPIRIT”
26) Their fathers did the same thing against the prophets. v52 They came against the JUST ONE. Jesus!
27) Stephen’s claims “cut to the heart”. The truth penetrates.
28) To see into Heaven, we must be filled with the Holy Spirit.
29) Stephen got to see an open Heaven.
30) v57 -v58 “Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord and they cast him out of the city and stoned him.
31) Stephen models Jesus in passing forgivness to them as they stone him to death.