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ACTS - In the Triumphal Procession of Christ
Studies in the Acts of the Apostles
PART 1 - The Foundation of the Church of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and Syria - Under the Patronage of the Apostle Peter, Guided by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1 - 12)
A - The Growth and Development of the Early Church in Jerusalem (Acts 1 - 7)
21. Stephen’s Defense (Acts 7:1-53)

a) A Description of the Days of the Patriarchs (Acts 7:1-19)


ACTS 7:9-16
9 The patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt. God was with him, 10 and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He made him governor over Egypt and all his house. 11 Now a famine came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction. Our fathers found no food. 12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers the first time. 13 On the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s race was revealed to Pharaoh. 14 Joseph sent, and summoned Jacob, his father, and all his relatives, seventy-five souls. 15 Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, himself and our fathers, 16 and they were brought back to Shechem, and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in silver from the children of Hamor of Shechem.

Stephen did not defend his godliness with a theological lecture, nor did he speak with resounding eloquence. Instead, he testified before the inquirers of the high council to Biblical faith, known by heart in all the nation´s children. He did not recite all the details of his people’s historical accounts, but chose what appeared important for the purpose of confirming the meaning of the New Covenant, and to clarify the person of Jesus Christ.

Stephen focused on God´s choosing Abraham by grace and by the covenant of circumcision, in order to refer to the new covenant, fulfilled in Christ and based on grace, and not on works. He then further clarified this from Joseph’s life, showing that he was a symbol of Christ.

His brothers envied him, for his father had treated him with favor and partiality, though he was still young, while they were experienced. Likewise, Christ was disliked and envied by His experienced brothers among the people. His Father in heaven had given him extraordinary power over diseases, demons, and the dead, such that the multitudes raced to the country teacher of Nazareth. They honored him more than the chief priests and scribes in the capital city of Jerusalem.

Just as ten brothers bound Joseph, cast him into a pit, and sold him to a Bedouin caravan for a very low price, so the fathers of the nation delivered Christ into the hands of the Romans to kill him, cast Him into the pit of the tomb, and have him completely destroyed. And as the brothers’ hatred towards Joseph reached its highest point, so did the Jews’ hatred towards Jesus reach even to crucifixion.

Yet God was with Joseph in the strange land. He was also with Christ in death, for God raised him from the dead and gave Him life again. As Pharaoh exalted Joseph after his temptation, making him the second man in the kingdom and the governor over all his house, so God exalted Jesus, seated Him at His right hand, and gave Him all authority in heaven and on earth. Even our daily bread comes from His hand, for He to whom be all glory said: “Without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

The children of the promise sat far away from their respected brother and did not know him. But Joseph knew them, and helped them at their first encounter, yet without making himself known to them. At the second meeting he revealed himself to them, along with his glory. The brothers grew fearful when they saw that both the provider of wheat and the governor over Egypt was also their brother, whom they had sold to get rid of! Stephen wished for Jesus to manifest Himself once again to the elders of his hard-hearted nation. He hoped that they might fall down in fear and trembling to worship Him, the one they had rejected and tormented.

As the fearful brothers penitently went back to their father, so Stephen hoped that the seventy elders of the high council would go back to tell their nation that her Son is living, and that our brother has been established in glory. “We killed him, but God chose to raise Him up and highly exalt Him. We are all reprobates, but come, and let us all repent, completely and willingly!” As Jacob and his family of seventy five persons came together to Joseph, so Stephen hoped that all the Jewish people would come to Jesus, bow down before Him, and worship Him. As Joseph, the glorious governor, bowed down before his father, kissed him, and introduced him to Pharaoh, so too, in an exalted way, Christ bows down before His corrupt nation, purifies, and sanctifies it, and then introduces it to His heavenly Father.

Stephen, however, preached to deaf ears. The judges’ hearts were hardened. They did not hear the merciful voice of the Holy Spirit, but smilingly noted the error in the speaker’s words, saying that Jacob was buried in Abraham’s tomb. In fact, Abraham was interred at Hebron in his purchased possession, whereas Jacob was buried in Shechem, near Nablus. There might have been different narratives and interpretations of these texts at the time of Stephen. We note how the judges did not interfere in Stephen’s testimony, nor did they regard his error to be essential or worthy of research (Genesis 23:16-17; 23:18; 50:13; Joshua 24:32).

PRAYER: O heavenly Father, we thank You for sending us Your only Son and proclaiming Your glory in Him. Forgive us for our hardheartedness, and fill us with Your Holy Spirit, so that we may experience that You dwell in us, and work through us, even in the midst of a strange land.

QUESTION:

  1. How was Joseph a type of Jesus Christ?

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