Stephen’s Address: The Call of Abraham
(Genesis 12:1–9)
Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?” Jhn 18:19-21Mat 26:61-62Act 6:13-14Jhn 18:33-35Mrk 14:58-60
And Stephen declared: “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 Haran, Act 22:1Gen 11:31Psa 29:3Heb 1:3Jhn 1:14Neh 9:7Gen 15:71Co 2:8 and told him, ‘Leave your country and your kindred and go to the land I will show you.’ 1 Gen 12:1Heb 11:8Gen 15:7Jos 24:32Co 6:17Luk 14:33Mat 10:37Neh 9:8 So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God brought him out of that place and into this land where you are now living. Gen 12:4-5Gen 11:31-32Isa 41:2Isa 41:9
He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised to give possession of the land to Abraham and his descendants, even though he did not yet have a child. Gen 17:8Gen 12:7Gen 13:15Gen 15:18Gen 26:3Deu 10:11Deu 11:9Deu 2:5 God told him that his descendants would be foreigners in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. Gen 15:13Exo 12:40-41Gal 3:17Gen 15:16 ‘But I will punish the nation that enslaves them,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come forth and worship Me in this place.’ 2 Exo 3:12Psa 105:27-36Exo 7:1-14Gen 15:14-16Neh 9:9-11Psa 135:8-9Psa 136:10-15Psa 74:12-14
Then God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, and Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day. And Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs. Gen 17:9-14Gen 35:23-261Ch 1:341Ch 2:1-2Act 2:29Exo 1:1-4Gal 3:15Gal 3:17
Joseph Sold into Egypt
(Genesis 37:12–30)
Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him Gen 39:2Psa 105:17Isa 43:2Gen 45:4Isa 41:10Gen 37:18-29Gen 39:21-23Gen 39:5 and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household. 2Ti 4:18Pro 3:4Gen 48:16Pro 2:6Psa 22:24Gen 42:6Psa 34:17-19Gen 41:12-46
Then famine and great suffering swept across Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers could not find food. Gen 41:54-57Gen 42:5Gen 43:1Gen 45:11Gen 45:5-6Gen 47:13-15Psa 105:16 When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit. Gen 42:1-24Gen 43:2 On their second visit, Joseph revealed his identity to 3his brothers, and his family became known to Pharaoh. Gen 45:1-18Gen 46:31 Then Joseph sent for his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five in all. Deu 10:22Gen 46:26-27Exo 1:51Ch 2:5-6Gen 45:9-11Gen 46:12Psa 105:23
Israel Oppressed in Egypt
(Exodus 1:8–22)
So Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our fathers died. Exo 1:6Gen 49:33Gen 46:3-7Deu 10:22Deu 26:5Heb 11:21-22Jos 24:4Num 20:15 Their bones were carried back 4to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a price he paid in silver. Jos 24:32Gen 23:16Exo 13:19Gen 33:9-20Gen 34:2-31Gen 49:29-32Gen 50:13Gen 35:19
As the time drew near for God to fulfill His promise to Abraham, our people in Egypt increased greatly in number. Exo 1:7-12Act 13:17Act 7:6Gen 15:13-16Psa 105:24-252Pe 3:8-9Exo 1:20 Then another king, who knew nothing of Joseph, arose over Egypt. Exo 1:8 He exploited our people and oppressed our fathers, forcing them to abandon their infants so they would die. Psa 105:25Exo 1:9-22Psa 83:4-5Rev 12:4-5Psa 129:1-3
The Birth and Adoption of Moses
(Exodus 2:1–10; Hebrews 11:23–29)
At that time Moses was born, and he was beautiful in the sight of God. 5 For three months he was nurtured in his father’s house. Heb 11:23Exo 2:2-101Sa 16:12 When he was set outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. Heb 11:24Deu 32:26Exo 2:2-10 So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. Isa 19:112Ch 9:22Dan 1:17-20Dan 1:4Luk 24:191Ki 4:29-30
The Rejection and Flight of Moses
(Exodus 2:11–22)
When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. Exo 2:11-12Heb 11:24-26Php 2:12-13Pro 21:1Ezr 7:27Jas 1:17Rev 17:172Ch 30:12 And when he saw one of them being mistreated, Moses went to his defense and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian who was oppressing him. Jhn 18:10-11Act 7:28Jhn 18:25-27 He assumed his brothers would understand that God was using him to deliver them, but they did not. 1Co 15:102Co 6:1Luk 18:34Luk 9:451Co 3:91Sa 14:451Sa 19:52Ki 5:1
The next day he came upon two Israelites who were fighting, and he tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why are you mistreating each other?’ Exo 2:13-151Jn 3:11-151Co 6:6-8Gen 13:8Gen 45:24Jhn 15:17-18Php 2:1Php 2:3
But the man who was abusing his neighbor pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? Luk 12:14Act 7:35Pro 9:7-81Sa 25:14-15Act 3:13-15Act 4:11-12Act 4:7Act 5:33 Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 6 At this remark, Moses fled to the land of Midian, where he lived as a foreigner and had two sons. Exo 18:2-4Exo 2:14-22Exo 4:19-20
The Call of Moses
(Exodus 3:1–22)
After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. Exo 3:1-2Act 7:35Isa 43:2Act 7:32Exo 3:6Isa 63:9Act 7:17Dan 3:27 When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight. As he approached to look more closely, the voice of the Lord came to him: Exo 3:3-4 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ 7 Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look. Exo 3:6Mat 22:321Ki 19:13Act 3:13Act 9:4-6Dan 10:7-8Exo 3:15Exo 33:20
Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. Exo 3:5Jos 5:152Pe 1:18Ecc 5:1 I have indeed seen the oppression of My people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’ 8 Exo 3:7-10Exo 4:31Neh 9:9Psa 106:44Exo 2:23-25Exo 3:14Jhn 6:38Hos 12:13
This Moses, whom they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ 9 is the one whom God sent to be their ruler and redeemer through the angel 10who appeared to him in the bush. Luk 19:14Psa 118:22-23Num 20:16Psa 113:7-8Psa 75:7Exo 14:191Sa 10:271Sa 12:8 He led them out and performed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and for forty years in the wilderness. Exo 12:41Exo 14:21Exo 33:1Exo 14:27-29Exo 16:35Exo 7:1-14Psa 78:12-33Act 13:18
This is the same Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’ 11 Deu 18:15-19Act 3:22-23Jhn 18:37Act 7:38Mat 17:3-5Luk 9:30-31Luk 9:35Mrk 9:7 He was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. And he received living words to pass on to us. 12 Rom 3:2Heb 5:121Pe 4:11Act 7:53Deu 33:4Jhn 1:17Deu 32:46-47Deu 5:27-31
The Rebellion of Israel
(Exodus 32:1–35; Deuteronomy 9:7–29; Amos 5:16–27)
But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. Num 14:3-4Num 11:5Neh 9:16-17Act 7:51-52Exo 16:3Ezk 20:6-141Ki 2:27Exo 14:11-12 They said to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us! As for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’ 13 Exo 32:1Exo 32:23
At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands. Psa 106:19-21Neh 9:18Hab 2:18-20Hos 9:1Hos 9:10Rev 9:20Deu 9:12-18Exo 32:17-20 But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: Amo 5:25-26Ezk 20:39Jer 19:13Psa 81:11-12Deu 4:19Heb 3:15-17Isa 63:10Job 31:26-28
‘Did you bring Me sacrifices and offerings
forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
You have taken along the tabernacle of Molech Amo 5:26-27Exo 20:4-5Deu 5:8-9Lev 20:2-52Ki 17:16-182Ki 18:112Ki 21:6Deu 4:16-18
and the star of your god Rephan,
the idols you made to worship.
Therefore I will send you into exile
beyond Babylon.’ 14
The Tabernacle of the Testimony
(Exodus 40:1–33; Hebrews 9:1–10)
Our fathers had the tabernacle of the Testimony with them in the wilderness. It was constructed exactly as God had directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen. Exo 25:40Exo 38:21Heb 8:51Ch 28:111Ch 28:192Ch 24:6Exo 25:8-9Exo 26:30 And our fathers who received it brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations God drove out before them. It remained until the time of David, Psa 44:2Jos 18:1Jos 23:9Jos 24:181Ch 15:1-171Ch 16:391Ch 21:291Ki 8:4 who found favor in the sight of God and asked to provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. 15 Psa 132:1-5Act 13:222Sa 7:1-51Ch 17:1-41Ch 22:7-81Sa 16:11Sa 16:11-132Sa 6:21 But it was Solomon who built the house for Him. 1Ki 8:201Ki 6:37-382Sa 7:131Ch 17:11Ki 5:11Ki 7:13-512Ch 2:1-42Ch 3:1
However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says: Act 17:24-25Isa 66:1-21Ki 8:272Ch 2:5-62Ch 6:18Psa 91:9Psa 91:1Dan 4:17
‘Heaven is My throne Isa 66:1Psa 11:4Jhn 4:21Jer 23:24Rev 3:211Ki 22:19Mat 23:22Mat 5:34-35
and the earth is My footstool.
What kind of house will you build for Me, says the Lord,
or where will My place of repose be?
Has not My hand made all these things?’ 16 Jer 32:17Isa 66:2Psa 33:6-9Act 14:15Exo 20:11Isa 40:28Isa 45:12Isa 45:7-8
You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did. Deu 10:16Eph 4:30Isa 63:10Jer 4:4Lev 26:41Php 3:3Exo 33:5Exo 32:9 Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers— Mat 5:121Ki 19:102Ch 36:161Th 2:15Act 3:14-15Jer 2:30Luk 11:47-51Mat 23:31-37 you who received the law ordained by angels, yet have not kept it.” Heb 2:2Gal 3:19Act 7:38Deu 33:2Jhn 7:19Gal 6:13Ezk 20:18-21Rom 2:23-25
The Stoning of Stephen
On hearing this, the members of the Sanhedrin were enraged, 17 and they gnashed their teeth at him. Act 5:33Psa 35:16Job 16:9Luk 13:28Mat 13:50Mat 25:30Act 22:22-23Lam 2:16 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Mrk 16:19Heb 1:32Co 4:6Act 6:10Act 6:5Act 6:8Heb 8:1Psa 109:31 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” Mat 26:64-65Act 10:11Rev 11:19Mat 3:16Rev 19:11Act 10:16Dan 7:13-14Rev 4:1
At this they covered their ears, cried out in a loud voice, and rushed together at him. Zec 7:11Act 23:27Psa 58:4Act 21:27-31Act 7:54Pro 21:13 They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. Act 22:20Act 8:1Act 6:13Lev 24:14-161Ki 21:13Act 22:4Deu 13:9-10Deu 17:7
While they were stoning him, Stephen appealed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Luk 23:46Psa 31:5Act 22:161Co 1:2Act 2:21Act 9:14Jol 2:32Act 9:21 Falling on his knees, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Mat 5:44Luk 23:341Co 15:201Th 4:13-14Rom 12:14-21Act 20:36Act 9:40Luk 6:28