“Acts 7:20-40”

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

“It was at this time that Moses was born; and he was lovely in the sight of God, and he was nurtured three months in his father’s home. And after he had been set outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and nurtured him as her own son. Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds. But when he was approaching the age of forty, it entered his mind to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel. And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended him and took vengeance for the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian. And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance through him, but they did not understand. On the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting together, and he tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren, why do you injure one another?’ But the one who was injuring his neighbor pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us? You do not mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?’ At this remark, Moses fled and became an alien in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons. After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning thorn bush. When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he approached to look more closely, there came the voice of the Lord: ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses shook with fear and would not venture to look. But the Lord said to him, ‘Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. I have certainly seen the oppression of My people in Egypt and have heard their groans, and I have come down to rescue them; come now, and I will send you to Egypt.’ This Moses whom they disowned, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush. This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren.’ This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to you. Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt, saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us; for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt—we do not know what happened to him.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

Moses had plenty of excuses to be arrogant, selfish and ungodly. He was wealthy, well educated and raised with all the entrapments of pagan royalty (verses 21-22). Hebrews 11:24-25 tells us, “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.” Unlike the men who stood in opposition to Stephen, Moses didn’t allow power and privilege to go to his head. While Moses chose to endure ill-treatment with God’s people, the Sanhedrin chose to mistreat a righteous servant of God who was, “of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” (Acts 6:3). The same group that plotted the execution of Jesus would now murder one of His disciples, but they would bypass the appropriate Roman channels of authority this time around (John 18:31).

I pray none of us will ever be subjected to the type of abuse that Stephen endured. But let’s remember the words of the apostle Paul: “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). If we are living our lives to please Jesus, the world will hate us because it first hated Him (John 15:18-19).

For tomorrow please read Acts 7:41-60.

Have a great day!

- Louie Taylor

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