Stephen’S Speech On Israel’S History
STEPHEN’S SPEECH ON ISRAEL’S HISTORY
ACTS 7:30-53
Even in a hostile and threatening situation, Stephen didn’t move from what he knew to be the truth.
Stephen’s recital of Israel’s history continues. The purpose of the long paragraph on Moses’ call by God and his unique place as both deliverer (7:30-36) and lawgiver (7:37-38) is simply to show that Moses, of all Israel’s national figures, enjoyed divine appointment and authority. But, in spite of these clear signs of attestation from God, he met with opposition and disbelief. Notice the asides which Stephen cleverly inserts (7:25,35,39).
A further indication of the failure of the Jewish nation, even when blessed with such an outstanding man of God as Moses, is given in the positive act of idolatry and apostasy which they committed (7:40-41,53). It was bad enough that they rebelled against Moses; it was far worse that they lapsed into flagrant idol worship and astrology (7:42).
At the same time as they practiced a heathen worship, they imagined that God could be localized in a man-made shrine (built by Solomon, 7:47), and, further, they contrived to placate God by a multitude of sacrifices. Both these errors indicate bad religion, as the eighth-century prophets in Israel were quick to expose. But this prophetic protest went unheeded.
Stephen found the same hard core of resistance in his hearers; and his impassioned peroration (7:51-53) drove home the personal application in the light of the ample evidence. What precise points in his speech made them so angry (7:54)?
Notes 7:34: with God’s summons to send him to Pharaoh, Moses is thus uniquely qualified (7:35) and his later exploits demonstrated his authority from God (7:36). 7:37: see 3:22. 7:39: Stephen indicts the motive which inspired the worship of the golden calf. 7:42: cf. Romans 1:24,26,28 for this fearful sentence. 7:42-43 are quoted from a Greek translation of Amos 5:25ff. This explains the difference in wording from our English version. 7:44: God’s intention is expressed in the making of a mobile tent (suitable for a pilgrim people); the permanent structure of Solomon’s temple was a second-best, for reasons given in Isaiah 66:1f. 7:51: as the unfaithful Jews did, according to Isaiah 63:10. 7:52: cf. Matthew 23:29-37. “The Righteous One” is a name for the Messiah (3:14).