“Acts 7:41-60”

Thursday, December 31, 2015

“‘At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. But God turned away and delivered them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, “It was not to Me that you offered victims and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, was it, O house of Israel? You also took along the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of the god Rompha, the images which you made to worship. I also will remove you beyond Babylon.” Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the pattern which he had seen. And having received it in their turn, our fathers brought it in with Joshua upon dispossessing the nations whom God drove out before our fathers, until the time of David. David found favor in God’s sight, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built a house for Him. However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is the footstool of My feet; 3hat kind of house will you build for Me?” says the Lord, “Or what place is there for My repose? Was it not My hand which made all these things?” You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.’ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!’ Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them!’ Having said this, he fell asleep.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Stephen had been arrested and accused of incessantly speaking “against this holy place and the Law” (Acts 6:13). The false witnesses that were brought forward also claimed that Stephen was teaching that Jesus would destroy the temple and alter the customs of Moses (Acts 6:14). As Stephen brought his history lesson to a close, he showed them the hypocrisy of their accusations. He showed them from the very Scriptures that they claimed to cherish that there was not a house ever built which could possibly contain the Creator of the universe (verse 40-50). The temple in Jerusalem would eventually be destroyed, but that was only because of Israel’s refusal to accept their Messiah and obey Jehovah God (Matthew 24:1-2). Even so, they should have understood that “the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands” (Acts 7:48).

Stephen also taught the council in the conclusion of his lesson that it was not he or Jesus that had refused to obey the Law. They were actually the ones following in the footsteps of their own spiritual forefathers by disobeying Moses (verses 35-43, 51). Moses had quoted God as saying, “I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him” (Deuteronomy 18:18-19). They not only refused to listen to this Prophet, they took Him by cruel hands and had Him murdered (verse 52).

Of course the truth was much more than the psyches of these egomaniacs could endure. They stopped up their ears and rushed upon Stephen and overpowered and killed him. As this first martyr of our faith was being killed by evil people, he begged forgiveness for their ignorance just as Jesus had done before him (verse 60). To the very end, just like his Savior, he loved the people who wrongly took his life. But as we know, this was not the end for Stephen at all, but only the glorious beginning of his spiritual eternity. Jesus has opened up heaven for His disciples to follow after Him (verse 56), and He received Stephen’s spirit for safekeeping until He returns again (verse 59).

Praying you all have a safe and faithful New Year!

Please read Acts 8:1-24 for tomorrow.

- Louie Taylor

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