Atos 7

Atos 7

Ironside - They rejected him and he had to leave Egypt and go to the far side of the desert, where he remained for forty years. In the meantime his people were enduring greater and greater suffering, all because they had rejected their redeemer. What a picture of Israel down through the centuries! (ED: THE GREAT SUFFERING OF THE HOLOCAUST, POGROMS, ETC). And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance through him, but they did not understand - Supposed is nomizo in the imperfect tense indicating that Moses was supposing (again and again). Moses in his mind supposed that his act would depict national deliverance for Israel. This fact was not mentioned in the Old Testament account but is new revelation. Understood is suniemi which means in essence to "put the pieces together" so that one now comprehends that Moses' killing of the Egyptian was a piece of the puzzle entitled national deliverance for Israel. But the Israelites did not "put the pieces together." Note that Stephen's repetition of suniemi is surely meant to put in his listener's minds the thought that just as the ancient Israelites did not understand Moses was to be their deliverer, Stephen's hearers are just like them in not understanding that God had granted a Deliverer! And remember he is accused of blaspheming Moses (Acts 6:11+) but in this section he clearly demonstrates that is doing essentially just the opposite. NET Note explains they did not understand comments that here is the theme of Stephen's speech - The people (THE SANHEDRIN HEARERS IN THIS CASE) did not understand what God was doing through those He chose. They made the same mistake with Joseph at first. See Acts 3:17; Acts 13:27. There is good precedent for this kind of challenging review of history in the ancient scriptures: Ps 106:6–46; Ezek 20:1-49; and Neh 9:6–38. Gilbrant comments "Moses not only must have had faith in God's promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but he was sensitive to those promises, and probably remembered the way God had prepared Joseph to bring a great deliverance from the famine. He saw that God's hand had been guiding and preparing him to deliver his people. But though Moses understood this and thought his people would see it too, they did not. Stephen's emphasis here shows he was making a clear parallel to the way the Jewish leaders failed to understand what God had done through Jesus to provide salvation." (Complete Biblical Library – Acts) God granting - This is a great phrase for it clearly demonstrates Stephen's appreciation for God's grace. Israel did not deserve deliverance but Moses was correct that God would grant deliverance to them. His timing was just off by 40 years! Through him - This is more literally "by or through his hand." It emphasizes that Moses was the human instrument by which God would accomplish deliverance of His people from Egypt. Deliverance (4991)(soteria from soter = Savior in turn from sozo = save, rescue, deliver) describes the rescue or deliverance from danger, destruction and peril. It is notable that Caiaphas, Annas and the rest of the Sanhedrin had heard this same word from the lips of Peter when he told them plainly "“And there is salvation (soteria) in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12+). Soteria is the very word Paul used in his description of the Good News For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Ro 1:16+, cf uses in Ro 10:1, Ro 10:10) Acts 7:26 "On the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting together, and he tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, 'Men, you are brethren, why do you injure one another?' (NASB: Lockman) KJV Acts 7:26 And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another? you are brethren Ge 13:8; 45:24; Ps 133:1; Pr 18:19; John 15:17,18; 1 Cor 6:6-8; Php 2:1,3; 1 John 3:11-15 Acts 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries MOSES THE RECONCILER On the following day He appeared to them as they were fighting together - Now it is not Egyptians mistreating Israelites but both are Israelites. The idea of appeared in this context is that Moses came on the scene suddenly or unexpectedly. Fighting is machomai in the present tense describing them as continually quarreling, disputing or fighting. It was a serious conflict, and the verb can mean either physical or non-physical, but clearly it indicates the contention is intensive and bitter. Machomai in secular Greek is used to describe a wind of such high intensity that it leveled everything in its path, much like a hurricane. Moses records "He went out the next day, and behold, two Hebrews were fighting with each other; and he said to the offender, “Why are you striking your companion?” (Ex 2:13) And he tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, 'Men, you are brethren, why do you injure one another - Stephen in not quoting literally from Exodus but the account is similar. Reconcile them in peace in the imperfect tense and you can picture the scene -- Moses is trying again and again to change them both into peace, because in the final analysis are brethren but it made no difference for each attempt by Moses was unsuccessful. Injure (91) see adikeo Acts 7:27 "But the one who was injuring his neighbor pushed him away, saying, 'WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND JUDGE OVER US? (NASB: Lockman) KJV Acts 7:27 But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? the one who was injuring his neighbor Acts 7:54; 5:33; Ge 19:19; 1 Samuel 25:14,15; Pr 9:7,8 Who Acts 7:35,39; 3:13-15; 4:7,11,12; Mt 21:23; Luke 12:14; John 18:36,37; John 19:12-15 Acts 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries MOSES THE REJECTED DELIVERER But the one who was injuring his neighbor pushed him away, saying, 'WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND JUDGE OVER US? - The attacker had no desire for Moses "ministry of reconciliation." (Cf Christ's gift to all believers of the ministry of reconciliation - 2 Cor 5:18+). Later (Acts 7:35+) Stephen describes this episode as Israel disowning Moses, where disowned is the verb arneomai (used by Peter to describe the Jews denial of Jesus - Acts 3:13+) which means they denied and renounced him as deliverer at this time. Stephen quotes words from Exodus that sound eerily like those the Jews uttered against Jesus, John recording... So they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate *said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” (Jn 19:15) Moses records "But he (ONE OF THE JEWISH MEN INJURING HIS NEIGHBOR) said, “Who made you a prince or a judge over us? Are you intending to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and said, “Surely the matter has become known.” 15 When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well. (Ex 2:14-15) This rejection also recalls a very similar rejection of Joseph by the patriarchs (his brothers) - "Then his brothers said to him, “Are you actually going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. (Ge 37:5) Injuring (91) see adikeo Pushed away (683)(apotheo/apotheomai from apó = from + othéo = push away, thrust, drive) means literally to push aside, thrust way (from) or push off. Figuratively as used here it means to reject, repudiate, refuse to listen to, to cast away or to put away (from). Used from Homer onward meaning “to repel,” “to reject,” Stephen uses this rare verb apotheomai (6 NT uses) a second time a few verses later describing a second rejection of Moses... “Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but repudiated him (Moses) and in their hearts turned back to Egypt" (Acts 7:39+) Paul uses apotheomai in a context filled with divine mercy, the antithesis of Stephen's uses describing Israel's rejection of Moses... I say then, God has not rejected (apotheomai ) His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected (apotheomai) His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? (Ro 11:1-2+) Stephen is carefully building his case, one stone upon another, preparing for his crushing culminating indictment of the Sanhedrin and Jewish nation's rejection of their "Corner stone" This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone,” and, “A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. (1 Peter 2:7-8+) Ruler (official) (758)(archon) describes one who is first in rank or power. Uses two more times of Moses in Acts 7:35. The rare word (also Acts 7:35) for judge (dikastes from dike = justice) one who presides over a court session and pronounces judgment. The offending party is saying who gave you the right to declare a verdict in this personal conflict. Acts 7:28 'YOU DO NOT MEAN TO KILL ME AS YOU KILLED THE EGYPTIAN YESTERDAY, DO YOU?' (NASB: Lockman) MOSES THE MURDERER Stephen quotes from Exodus 2:14 - "Are you intending to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Clearly the Israelite did not accept Moses desire to reconcile and bring peace. So just as the Jews did not receive Jesus on His first coming, here the Jews did not receive Moses at his first coming. You can just imagine the proud Jewish religious leaders beginning to squirm in their seats. It is interesting that the verb To kill is anaireo which is the same verb used when Moses was saved as a baby in Acts 7:21 (see note there). Acts 7:29 "At this remark, MOSES FLED AND BECAME AN ALIEN IN THE LAND OF MIDIAN, where he became the father of two sons. (NASB: Lockman) KJV Acts 7:29 Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons. Ex 2:14-22; 4:19,20 Acts 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries MOSES THE ALIEN At this remark - Greek "At this word," which could be translated either "when the man said this" or "when Moses heard this." Since logos refers to the remark made by the Israelite, this translation has followed the first option. MOSES FLED AND BECAME AN ALIEN IN THE LAND OF MIDIAN - Here is map showing the probable location of Midian. As an alien (see note on paroikos) Moses was a non-citizen of Midian, a stranger in this foreign land. Believers are to live as aliens in this passing world (1 Peter 2:11). Where he became the father of two sons - In Exodus we read of his first son " Then she gave birth to a son, and he named him Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.” (Ex 2:22) Gershom's name means "a sojourner there (See Ex 18:3)." In Ex 18:4 we read of the second son "The other was named Eliezer, for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.” Holman New Testament Commentary - We cannot bypass the comparison between Moses and Jesus in this segment, both rejected by their own people. The incarnation and life of Jesus cannot be compared with Moses' bumbling attempts to start a slave deliverance campaign, but the reaction was essentially the same. In both cases we see a God-appointed leader driven away from the people he came to help. (Holman New Testament Commentary – Acts) Acts 7:30 "After forty years had passed, AN ANGEL APPEARED TO HIM IN THE WILDERNESS OF MOUNT Sinai, IN THE FLAME OF A BURNING THORN BUSH. (NASB: Lockman) KJV Acts 7:30 And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush. after 17; Ex 7:7 an Angel Ex 3:1; 19:1,2; 1 Kings 19:8; Gal 4:25 Mount Sinai Acts 7:32,35; Ge 16:7-13; 22:15-18; 32:24-30; 48:15,16; Ex 3:2,6; Isa 63:9; Hos 12:3-5; Mal 3:1 in the flame Dt 4:20; Ps 66:12; Isa 43:2; Da 3:27 burning thorn bush Acts 7:35; Dt 33:16; Mark 12:26; Luke 20:37 Acts 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries MOSES' CLOSE ENCOUNTER OF THE GOD KIND After forty years had passed - This marks the end of the second stage of Moses' preparation and the beginning of his third and final stage, the last 40 year climatic chapter of his life! There is no record that Moses had communion with God during these forty years until the time of the event Stephen quotes. So Moses has been in the desert for 40 years herding sheep. Perhaps you are in the desert now wondering why God has not used you for some significant ministry. Be faithful will He is preparing your character, for the role for which He has been preparing you may soon become evident. Exodus 3:1-10 gives us the background for Stephen's quotation. Notice that Exodus 3:2 links the Angel of the Lord with the LORD speaking in verse 4, so the Angel of the LORD is in fact the LORD (YHWH, Jehovah). 1 Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. 3 So Moses said, “I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.” 4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then He said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 He said also, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. 7 The LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. 8 “So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 9 “Now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 “Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” AN ANGEL (KJV adds "of the Lord") APPEARED TO HIM IN THE WILDERNESS OF MOUNT Sinai, IN THE FLAME OF A BURNING THORN BUSH - this is not a created angel but is the Angel of the Lord, who most conservative commentators interpret as a pre-incarnate "Christophany" or visible appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ. Angel (32)(aggelos/angelos) messenger, one who speaks and acts in place of one who has sent him, in this case presumably the pre-incarnate Christ sent by His Father to deliver the covenant people. Wilderness (2048)(eremos) when used as an adjective, normally describes places which are abandoned, desolate, or unpopulated. Eremos "is an adjectival form used primarily in the nominal sense of "wilderness," "desert"' (Renn) A desolate place. Eremos is a "key word" in this section on Moses found in 5 verses - Acts 7:30, 36, 38, 42, 44. Eremos is the word used when Philip was directed by an angel that he might lead the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ (Acts 8:26). Mt Sinai - (wikipedia) (Holman Bible Dictionary with map at bottom) Also called Mount Horeb (17x - Exod. 3:1; Exod. 17:6; Exod. 33:6; Deut. 1:2; Deut. 1:6; Deut. 1:19; Deut. 4:10; Deut. 4:15; Deut. 5:2; Deut. 9:8; Deut. 18:16; Deut. 29:1; 1 Ki. 8:9; 1 Ki. 19:8; 2 Chr. 5:10; Ps. 106:19; Mal. 4:4). Sinai - 39x in 38v in Bible - Exod. 16:1; Exod. 19:1; Exod. 19:2; Exod. 19:11; Exod. 19:18; Exod. 19:20; Exod. 19:23; Exod. 24:16; Exod. 31:18; Exod. 34:2; Exod. 34:4; Exod. 34:29; Exod. 34:32; Lev. 7:38; Lev. 25:1; Lev. 26:46; Lev. 27:34; Num. 1:1; Num. 1:19; Num. 3:1; Num. 3:4; Num. 3:14; Num. 9:1; Num. 9:5; Num. 10:12; Num. 26:64; Num. 28:6; Num. 33:15; Num. 33:16; Deut. 33:2; Jdg. 5:5; Neh. 9:13; Ps. 68:8; Ps. 68:17; Acts 7:30; Acts 7:38; Gal. 4:24; Gal. 4:25 Related Resource: Angel of the LORD Why did God speak to Moses out of the burning bush? What is the location of the real Mount Sinai? Acts 7:31 "When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he approached to look more closely, there came the voice of the Lord: (NASB: Lockman) KJV Acts 7:31 When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him, and as Ex 3:3,4 Acts 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE VOICE OF THE LORD When Moses saw it - This was not a figment of his imagination but a true to life vision. He marveled at the sight - Marveled is thaumazo which Luke has used in Acts 2:7, 3:12, 4:13 and is in the imperfect tense which speaks of repeated action, astonished over and over. The word describes the response of men when confronted by divine revelation in some form (cf Mt 9:33). Sight (3705)(horama from horáō = to see, behold; English - panorama) describes literally that which is seen, as opposed to a figment of one's imagination (Mt 17:9; Ac 7:31; 10:3, 17, 19; 18:9). It is something that is viewed with one’s eye. It describes a supernatural vision used to give divine communication and is distinct from a dream. In Matthew's use Jesus refers to His transfiguration commanding Peter, John and James “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.” (Mt 17:9) Uses of Jesus appearing to Ananias in a vision and told to go to Saul who had seen Ananias in a vision (Acts 9:10, 12). Of the vision of Cornelius at God begins to open the Gentiles to the Gospel (Acts 10:3) by showing Peter a vision (Acts 10:17, 11:5). Horama is the word used by Luke to describe the Gospel going from Asia to the European continent A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. (Acts 16:9-10+) Gilbrant - Classical writers understood horama to mean “that which is seen, visible,” “a sight.” It did not usually refer to a supernatural vision, although it could. A “dream” could also be called horama (Liddell-Scott). In the Septuagint the word is used for (1) a “vision” by which God revealed himself to Abraham (Genesis 15:1); (2) a “great sight” of a bush which burned with fire and was not consumed (Exodus 3:3); and (3) “night visions” through which God revealed to Daniel things in the future (Daniel 7:13,15). (Complete Biblical Library Greek-English Dictionary) Horama - 12x in 12v - sight(1), vision(11). Matt. 17:9; Acts 7:31; Acts 9:10; Acts 9:12; Acts 10:3; Acts 10:17; Acts 10:19; Acts 11:5; Acts 12:9; Acts 16:9; Acts 16:10; Acts 18:9 Horama - 37v in the Septuagint Gen. 15:1 = "the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision"; Gen. 46:2; Exod. 3:3 = "this marvelous sight'; Nu. 12:6 = "shall make Myself known to him in a vision"; Deut. 4:34; Deut. 26:8; Deut. 28:34; Deut. 28:67; Job 7:14; Eccl. 6:9; Isa. 21:1; Isa. 21:2; Isa. 21:11; Isa. 23:1; Isa. 30:10; Jer. 32:21; Dan. 1:17; Dan. 2:1; Dan. 2:7; Dan. 2:19; Dan. 2:23; Dan. 2:26; Dan. 2:28; Dan. 2:36; Dan. 2:45; Dan. 4:13; Dan. 4:28; Dan. 7:1 = "Daniel saw a dream and visions in his mind"; Dan. 7:2; Dan. 7:7; Dan. 7:13; Dan. 7:15; Dan. 8:2; Dan. 8:13; Dan. 8:15; Dan. 8:17; Dan. 8:26; Dan. 8:27; Dan. 9:24; Dan. 10:1; And as he approached to look more closely - This is amazing. He was astonished at the vision of the non-burning bush and yet bold and curious enough to approach it. There came the voice of the Lord - This is the Angel of the LORD described in Acts 7:30, so that this "Angel" is clearly God. Notice that here Stephen subtly refutes the belief of the Sanhedrin that God's presence and communication was restricted to the Temple in Jerusalem. Here God reveals Himself in Midian , Ex 3:1 recording specifically on "the west side of the wilderness...Horeb (ANOTHER NAME FOR MT SINAI), the mountain of God. Lord (master, owner)(2962) (kurios from kuros = might or power) primarily means the possessor, owner, master, the supreme one, one who is sovereign (used this way of Roman emperors - Act 25:26) and possesses absolute authority, absolute ownership and uncontested power. Kurios is used of the one to whom a person or thing belonged, over which he has the power of deciding, the one who is the master or disposer of a thing (Mk 7:28) Kurios is used over 9000 times in the Septuagint (LXX) and over 700 times in the NT. Acts 7:31 is the first use of Kurios in Acts 7 by Stephen but is found 4 more times in the last section (Acts 7:33, 49, 59, 60). Acts 7:32 'I AM THE GOD OF YOUR FATHERS, THE GOD OF ABRAHAM AND ISAAC AND JACOB.' Moses shook with fear and would not venture to look. (NASB: Lockman) KJV Acts 7:32 Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold. I am Acts 3:13; Ge 50:24; Ex 3:6,15; 4:5; Mt 22:32; Heb 11:16 Then Acts 9:4-6; Ge 28:13-17; Ex 33:20; 1 Kings 19:13; Job 4:14; 37:1,2; 42:5,6; Ps 89:7; Isa 6:1-5; Da 10:7,8; Mt 17:6; Luke 5:8; Rev 1:17 Acts 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries GOD IDENTIFIES HIMSELF BY HIS FULL COVENANT NAME I AM THE GOD OF YOUR FATHERS, THE GOD OF ABRAHAM AND ISAAC AND JACOB - Stephen is quoting from the Septuagint of Exodus "He said also, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. (Ex 3:6) The mention of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob clearly links God with the Abrahamic covenant God had cut with the founding fathers (cf Acts 7:8+). Presumably Moses would have been aware of God's full covenant name used here (having been taught by his mother). The point is that this appearance is in clearly related to the great covenant with Abraham. NET Note says "The phrase suggests the God of promise, the God of the nation."