Thoughts on the readings for April 29th (Deuteronomy 16, Ecclesiastes 8, Acts 7)

In Acts 7 we have Stephen’s defence. Stephen shows a) God is not confined to a Temple, or place; and, b) Israel’s history illustrates a pattern of rebellion against the leaders God sent them. Stephen begins by telling the Sanhedrin Council – his accusers – that the God of glory appears to Abraham, not in the Land of Israel, not in a temple but in Mesopotamia. When Abraham dies the only inheritance he has in the land is the burial plot he has recently purchased. Stephen enumerates the terrible behaviour of the 12 sons of Israel. God raises up for His people Israel in Egypt a deliverer – Moses who was raised as an Egyptian prince. Stephen says that Moses was “mighty in words and deeds”. But this self confident prince thought it would be via his might and power that the Almighty would deliver His people. But at this time they reject Moses – just as they rejected Jesus in his time among God’s people. Moses flees from Egypt a fearful and disillusioned man. Once again the glory of God is revealed to Moses outside the land in the Sinai desert by an angel at the burning bush in Sinai. Moses worships the LORD here. And for 40 years Moses leads Yahweh’s people through the Wilderness and he is supported with signs and wonders from God. And it was Moses who had declares, in Deuteronomy 18, that the LORD God would raise them up a prophet like himself. God did send them that prophet – His Son Jesus – whom they had failed to hear. Idolatry and disbelief are Israel’s characteristic pattern throughout their history. The same traits continued and caused them to be exiled in Babylon. Once again their persistent hard heartedness and their resistance to God had been evidenced in their crucifixion of God’s Holy Son. At this point the hostile audience gnash upon Stephen and drawing him outside the city and stoning him. In his dying moment Stephen is granted a vision of the Son of Man, from Daniel 7 returning to set up his kingdom. He prays for their forgiveness – but omits Jesus’ words that ‘they knew not what they were doing’. Stephen asks that the spirit of his testimony be received as a witness of his life.