Acts 7:1-16, Jesus Christ as a descendant of Abraham

Acts 71-16, Jesus Christ as a descendant of Abraham


Today's Scripture Summary


Stephen answers the high priest's interrogation. God promised Abraham the land of Canaan and gave him a covenant that his descendants would be servants in other lands for 400 years. God was with Joseph, one of Jacob's twelve sons, and sent him to Egypt to be a ruler and deliver Israel from tribulation.


1. Abraham (7:1-8)

Stephen begins his sermon before the council. Rather than trying to prove his innocence, he uses this opportunity to teach that Jesus Christ is the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament. He gives a redemptive account of the tabernacle and temple, along with key figures Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, and Solomon (7:2-50). At the beginning of his sermon, he addresses his audience, including the council members, by calling them "fathers and brothers" to let them know that he holds no ill will toward them. He also refers to Abraham as "our father" (v. 2), recognizing that Hebrew Jews and the Hellenistic Jews to whom he belongs are the same people. Stephen mentions Abraham because God sent Jesus Christ through Abraham's lineage.

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Why did Stephen mention Abraham, the patriarch of Israel? How much do I think of Jesus Christ when I read the Old Testament?


2. Joseph (7:9-16)

After Abraham, Stephen mentions Joseph. Joseph was sold from Canaan to Egypt, but God was with him and delivered him from all his afflictions, and he was favored by Pharaoh and made prime minister of Egypt, which shows that God was not only in Canaan, but also in Egypt. When there was a severe famine in Canaan, all of Jacob's descendants migrated to Egypt to live. God preserved the Israelites through Joseph. Joseph foresaw the Exodus and willed that his bones should be taken and buried in Shechem in Canaan. In this way, God preserved the Israelites with amazing providence to fulfill the redemptive history of mankind.

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How did God preserve the Israelites during the famine in Israel? How does God preserve and sustain my life?



Prayer for the day


God, how wonderful is your providence, which you first promise and then fulfill to redeem your chosen people. Help me to praise you daily for your hand in preserving my insignificant life and continuing your work. Help me to discover and live to tell of your faithfulness, Almighty God.


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