Click here for the Acts 7:17-22 PODCAST
17 But when the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt 18 till another king arose who did not know Joseph. 19 This man dealt treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, making them expose their babies, so that they might not live. 20 At this time Moses was born, and was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father’s house for three months. 21 But when he was set out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son. 22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds. ~ Acts 7:17-22
Today, we return to our study of Acts 7 where Stephen continues to provide for the religious leaders of first century Israel a history lesson of how God brought the Messiah to them. For 53 verses Stephen rehearsed the history of Israel from Abraham's call, to the giving of the law, to the patriarchal period, to Israel's deliverance from Egypt, and to the building of the temple. Many believe this was his attempt to provide a defense for the accusation of blasphemy that had been falsely brought against him. And, although that may be true, we cannot deny the fact that the Lord used Stephen to provide yet another opportunity for the hard-hearted religious leaders to be convicted of their sin and to repent and to turn to Him for salvation.
I find it amazing that the religious leaders of Israel could be so close to heaven and yet be so very far from it. They missed it because they had so long been defined by their flesh or the evil desires within them. Their selfish pride obstructed their view from the true identity of the Lord Jesus as God's promised Messiah. I am so very glad that there is no night dark enough to hide us from God's pursuit. I am so grateful that there is no flight swift enough to carry us away from His love. It is God's love that causes Him to relentlessly pursue us. It is His love that causes Him to wait for us as the father of the prodigal waited for his wayward son to return home.
In v.17-18 of today's passage we read, "17 But when the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt 18 till another king arose who did not know Joseph."
God made a promise to Abraham that his descendants would dwell in Egypt as slaves but that He would grow them while there and that He would deliver them to return to the Promised Land. The exponential growth of the people of Israel in Egypt underscores the mighty power of the God of the Bible. Even more, God was all the while working in the life and heart of Joseph who had been sold into slavery and sent to Egypt. Had Joseph sulked and fed his flesh he would not have been used of God as he was. Since Joseph walked with God he was positioned to deliver His people from the bonds of Egypt. Like Joseph, we have the decision to turn from our way to that of God. The man who yields to God discovers how big He truly is. It was William Booth who once said, "The greatness of the man's power is the measure of his surrender."
In v.19 of today's passage we read, "This man dealt treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, making them expose their babies, so that they might not live."
Stephen reminded his hearers that the next Pharaoh made life hard on their people. And then, he connected it with the fact that this Pharaoh did not know Joseph. If he had known Joseph, he would have not been alarmed as he was. He was alarmed by their size of up to 3 million. Then, the Pharaoh arranged to have Israel's babies killed in an attempt to control their growth. This action from the Pharaoh was strategic in the exodus of the people from Egypt. Interestingly, the second book of the Bible, the book of Exodus is about the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob becoming a nation. And not just any nation, but a people whom God called into a personal relationship with Himself. He called them into privilege and forgiveness and intimacy with Himself. Intimacy is far greater when we view it through the lens of our pain. Through suffering God grows us, including our hearts' ability to see Him.
In v.20-22 of today's passage we read, "20 At this time Moses was born, and was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father’s house for three months. 21 But when he was set out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son. 22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds."
The word translated "time" here describes "an opportune moment." Stephen spoke this way in order to reveal that God, in His permissive will, allowed these events to play out as they did so that at the most opportune moment the Exodus would happen. It, along with all the other history mentioned by Stephen, happened according to God's promise to Abraham hundreds of years earlier. It was at that fitting moment that Moses was born. Interestingly, Moses literally means "drawn out." His name draws a picture of being drawn out of the Nile River where the Pharaoh required the Jewish women to put their babies so that they would die there. Through his unique story, Moses was a type of the coming Messiah who would save all willing enough to be delivered from the penalty, the power and eventually, the presence of sin.
For the people of Israel there was a tremendous amount of good that God brought into their lives. And, there was a lot of bad. This is life in a place with people who have rejected God's definitions of things. We are often disappointed in life. There are times when it seems that God is so far away. We often feel as if He hides His face from us when we face our deepest hurts and needs. As we look back over our lives we often find that those times when we experienced disappointments, we were really being trained by the truth and by wisdom and mercy of God. I find that the lyrics of a Phil Keaggy song resonate in these moments. "Disappointment, His appointment, change one letter, then I see that the thwarting of my purpose is God’s better choice for me. His appointment must be blessing though it may come in disguise. For the end from the beginning, open to His wisdom lies."
