Acts 7:1-22

Summary
In today’s bible passage, we read how Stephen while answering to accusations, gave an account of how God appeared to Abraham and told him to leave his native land to a place He would show him; God’s promise to Abraham on inheriting the whole land even though he had no children; how his descendants would live in a foreign land where they would be oppressed as slaves for 400 years and how eventually they will be rescued in order to worship Him.
He also gave a brief summary of the twelve patriarchs of the Israel nation, how they got jealous of their brother Joseph and sold him off to be a slave in Egypt, how he went through many challenges but God rescued him from all troubles, imparted him with wisdom and granted him favour in site of pharaoh to appoint him as Governor. Eventually, all his brothers, father and relatives depended on Joseph for survival.
He continued highlighting the sufferings of the children of Israel when a new king was appointed in Egypt, the season changed because it was time for God’s promise to be manifested; the people of God had so much increased in Egypt and were made to go through hell; they were exploited and oppressed, even their new born babies were being killed. In the midst of their suffering a child was born and successfully hidden for three months but was abandoned when he could no longer be hidden. Fortunately, pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and raised him as son, Moses was imparted with wisdom and made powerful in speech and action.

Life Application
We must understand that God’s word or promise never fails. He always comes at the right time to rescue His own. Abraham eventually had a son; Joseph eventually became a governor after being imprisoned.
Don’t give up, He will come through for you today and eventually you will testify.

Personal Declaration
I will not give up in the race of life, I shall finish well in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Reading – Acts 7:1-22

Stephen’s Speech to the Sanhedrin

7 Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?”

² To this he replied: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran. ³ ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’^[a]

⁴ “So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Harran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living. ⁵ He gave him no inheritance here, not even enough ground to set his foot on. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child. ⁶ God spoke to him in this way: ‘For four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated. ⁷ But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this place.’^{[b] 8} Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth. Later Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.

⁹ “Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him ¹⁰ and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt. So Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.

¹¹ “Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food. ¹² When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our forefathers on their first visit. ¹³ On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family. ¹⁴ After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five in all. ¹⁵ Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our ancestors died. ¹⁶ Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money.

¹⁷ “As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased. ¹⁸ Then ‘a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.’^{[c] 19} He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our ancestors by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies so that they would die.

²⁰ “At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child.^[d] For three months he was cared for by his family. ²¹ When he was placed outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. ²² Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.

Footnotes:

1. Acts 7:3 Gen. 12:1
2. Acts 7:7 Gen. 15:13,14
3. Acts 7:18 Exodus 1:8
4. Acts 7:20 Or was fair in the sight of God