WWUTT 2583 Stephen Testifies of Abraham (Acts 7:2-8)

Stephen said to the people who were falsely accusing him that he's not the one who's disobeying God's word. It's they who are disobeying God's word and they are just like their fathers who resisted the prophets when we understand the text.

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Here once again is pastor gabe. Thank you becky. In our study of the book of acts We come back to the speech of stephen in chapter 7 where stephen is responding to his accusers. Giving them a history lesson to show them that they are just like their fathers in the old testament.

Who resisted the prophets and the very word of god? Let me read once again act 7 verses 2 through 8 here the word of the lord. And stephen said Hear me brothers and fathers the god of glory appeared to our father abraham when he was in mesopotamia before he lived in haran.

And said to him leave your country and your relatives and come into the land that I will show you. Then he left the land of the chaldeans and settled in haran from there after his father died God had him moved to this country in which you are now living.

But he gave him no inheritance in it not even a foot of ground. And he promised that he would give it to him as a possession and to his seed after him even when he had no child. But god spoke in this way that his seed would be sojourners in a foreign land.

And that they would be enslaved and mistreated. For 400 years and I myself will judge the nation to which they will be enslaved said god. And after that they will come out and serve me in this place. And he gave him the covenant of circumcision.

And so abraham was the father of isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day. And isaac was the father of jacob and jacob of the 12 patriarchs. Now here we have a bookend on Stephen's speech. I can't remember if I mentioned this yesterday or not.

But here at the very beginning as he starts this history lesson to take his accusers through the old testament narrative to show them all these occasions the major occasions at least when the people of abraham rebelled against Those to whom god had given his word prophets in particular.

So when god had spoken to his prophets to speak to the people. There were so many who were descended from abraham that would resist that word. And so what stephen is showing to them is that they are just like all of their fathers.

Who resisted the prophets that's what they're acting like even though they have accused stephen. Of going against moses and the law of god stephen is pointing out to them. That's actually you that's what you're doing.

You're the one opposing moses and the very word of god. Because the law and the prophets have been fulfilled in christ. What the apostles and prophets now are proclaiming the gospel of jesus christ. This is the word of god and when they resist this message.

They're just like those who resisted the prophets before remember that jesus said in matthew chapter 5 that blessed are you when they Falsely accuse you utter all kinds of evil against you. On my account rejoice and be glad.

For great is your reward in heaven for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. So those who hate you because of the gospel? Well, they're just like those Who resisted the prophets in the old testament whenever god would speak to his men to speak to the people and the people wouldn't listen to it.

These people who are resisting the gospel are just like them. And so again, as I mentioned we have some bookends here. We we have a mention of the covenant of circumcision. That was given to abraham verse 8.

He gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so abraham was the father of isaac. Now circumcision is mentioned again at the end of the speech. When stephen says to his accusers you men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised.

In heart and ears you are always resisting the holy spirit as your fathers did. So do you so circumcision mentioned at the beginning of this history lesson and at the end? Because the covenant of circumcision was meant to point to a greater spiritual reality.

You are circumcised in body in your flesh. But even this is supposed to point to a deeper circumcision that we're supposed to have. And that is the circumcision of the heart cut off from the world united to christ.

And if we are not united to christ, then we will be cut off from him. So we are to be circumcised of heart as the apostle paul says in philippians chapter 3. We are of the circumcision and he's talking to christians there.

Specifically he's talking to Greek christians there in philippi so they would not have even been circumcised in their flesh anyway. We are the circumcision who worship in the spirit of god. And boast in christ jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.

Not in anything that we have done in our bodies that does not save us. And of course the people that stephen is talking to. They believe they were saved because of who they were in the flesh. We're descendants of abraham.

Jesus had already confronted them in john chapter 8 and had said. You are of your father the devil and your will is to do your father's desires. They put jesus to death. They want to put the apostles to death stephen to death and so they're like their fathers.

Who hated the prophets before them? We are supposed to be circumcised of heart. And everyone who is circumcised of heart. They are the true people of god. And so I just point that out that we have these bookends here.

With the mention of circumcision in verse 8 and then stephen comes back to that again in verse 51 showing to them. That they are not of the circumcision because they are not circumcised. In their in their hearts in their ears.

They continue to resist the word of god. Now speaking of the word of god. We have a number of old testament references in this speech if you're reading from the legacy standard, which is what I just read from.

Or the new american standard then old testament quotes are put in all caps. And right here. I think we've got four references to the old testament in these eight verses. That's in verse three in verse five.

And in verse six and in verse seven, I think that's two different references in verses six and seven, I believe. But anyway, let's let's come back up so we'll see how stephen with such an incredible grasp.

Of the old testament scriptures. We'll see how he uses this to show The people who are listening to him that they are not on god's side. They actually stand opposed to god now, even though they put him to death at the end of this speech his desire would be.

That they would be cut to heart and repent so he's using the word of god. To bring them to a knowledge and an awareness of their wrongness. And that when we share the gospel with others, that's what we need to do.

We need to show people how they've sinned according to what the bible has said. Sin is so they will be cut to the heart. And desire the solution to their sin problem. Which is only christ. It's only faith in christ.

This is how you prepare the heart for the gospel and stephen's doing a lot of that here. So he begins in verse two by saying hear me brothers and fathers. The god of glory appeared to our father abraham when he was in mesopotamia before he lived in haran.

And said to him leave your country and your relatives and come into the land that I will show you. Okay, and there we have our first quote now that quote comes from genesis 12. But listen to what we have here in genesis 12.

This is genesis 12 verses one through four, okay. Yahweh said to abram. This is when abraham was called abraham before he was called abraham. Go forth from your land and from your kin and from your father's house.

To the land, which I will show you. And I will make you a great nation and I will bless you and make your name great. So that you shall be a blessing and I will bless those who bless you. And the one who curses you I will curse and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.

Now before continuing on as I was talking there a moment ago about how. Those who are circumcised of heart are truly the people of god. We're the ones who receive this particular promise. So we who are in christ jesus cut off from the world united to god in christ.

We have received this promise that those who bless you. I will bless those who curse you. I will curse. That's the church. Now that's not to say that we should be going around cursing israel because they're not really the people of god.

No, remember what paul says in romans 11 do not be arrogant. Toward those branches that were cut off because you can be cut off as well. So we need to have a respectful attitude toward those who are called Israel by ethnicity or by their nationality.

We need to have a respect toward them to them. We're given the oracles of god as talked about in romans chapter 3. They receive these things first we should desire we should long. That they would come to hear the gospel and be saved because remember that romans 116 says I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of god for salvation to everyone who believes to the jew first.

And also to the greek it was given to them first, so we should desire their salvation. But the true people of god are those who are in christ. And when somebody blesses the church. They will be blessed when somebody curses the church.

They will be cursed so that that promise there in genesis 12 Translates to us who are in christ. Jesus. Okay, but anyway, I come back to God telling abram to leave what he's got. Depart from your father's house.

Go where I send you. Verse 4 says so abram went forth as yahweh had spoken to him and lot went with him. Now abram was 75 years old when he departed from haran. Now what did? Stephen say stephen said in his speech that god spoke to him Before he departed from before he even came to haran.

This in genesis 12 looks like that. God is speaking to him in haran. Let's go back to genesis 11. And the reason why I point all this out is because i've heard some people use this. The discrepancy between act 7 and genesis 12.

To show that there are errors in the bible. So this this is the way that they would contest against the doctrine of inerrancy. So i'm just showing you this so that you can see it's consistent. Don't let somebody throw this argue this this argument at you and then you'd be confused and you're like I didn't even know that.

Was there? Okay, so Here you have the generations of tara which leads to abraham. This is genesis 11 verses 27 to 32. In verse 29 It says abram and nahor took wives for themselves. The name of abram's wife was sarai and the name of nahor's wife was milka the daughter of haran the father of milka and the father of iska.

And sarai was barren. She had no child. And tara took abram his son and lot the son of haran his grandson or haran. And sarai his daughter-in-law. His son abram's wife and they went out together from ur of the chaldeans.

In order to go the land of canaan and that would have been in the region of messopotamia. Ur of the chaldeans in the region of messopotamia in order to go to the land of canaan and they came as far as haran.

And settled there. Okay now they're settling in haran and the days of of tara.

Were.

205 years. And tara died in haran, okay. And then you have this being said in genesis 12. Which appears as if god is saying to him. Go forth from your land and from your kin and from your father's house to the land.

Which I will show you and I will make you a great nation and I will bless you. It looks like god is saying that to abram in haran but according to steven God said this to abraham when he was in messopotamia before he lived in haran.

Why do we have this discrepancy what is with this difference? Well, there's no conflict here. It's that god told abram twice. That he was to leave all of his possessions or or leave his family rather leave his father.

And go to the place where god sends him to go at first god told him in ur of the chaldeans. That he was supposed to go. But he didn't he didn't depart from his father he stayed with his father and they remained there in haran.

Until his father died. And then god says to him again. He repeats this command. To go forth from your land and from your kin and from your father's house. To the land which I will show you and I will make you a great nation and I will bless you.

And make your name great and so you shall be a blessing. So it's it's really just given to him twice. First abraham up and left settled in haran. God told him again to get up and go to canaan because Abraham didn't go far enough.

So finally comes to the land of canaan in this place where as stephen points out. This is the land where you are now living verse 4. He left the land of the chaldeans. Settled in haran from there after his father died.

Now, that's absolutely consistent with what we just read. That's genesis 11 into chapter 12. And then god had him move to this country in which you are now living. So stephen's even pointing out here.

This was given to him twice. He was told at first when he was in ur of the chaldeans. And this is consistent with the old testament. It's mentioned in nehemiah 9 7. You are the lord god who chose abram and brought him out of ur of the chaldeans.

So that's where abraham was Originally and came out from there settled in haran then from haran to the land of canaan. So even stephen gives it in two stages. He left the land of the chaldeans settled in haran from there.

His father died god had him move to this country where we all are now because all of this is happening in jerusalem. Verse 5 but he gave him no inheritance in it. Not even a foot of ground. And he promised that he would give it to him as a possession and to his seed after him.

Even when he had no child and that's another direct old testament quote. He would give it to him as a possession and to his seed after him. And this is to speak of the incredible promise of god. God was promising this to abraham even when he was up there in age over 75 years old.

Had no child of his own sarai was barren his wife. Sarah could not have a child and yet god is promising Your seed after you is going to possess this land. And god promising this even when he had no child so that The trust would be entirely in god.

He would he would have to Trust god's word what god has said. I will trust and I will do it. And again Stephen is bringing this out because he's pointing out how the people who are listening here who have been falsely accusing stephen.

They don't listen to god's word. They do not trust what god has said. Because they don't know that jesus is the christ. Who fulfilled all of this? If god was able to bring a child out of barren sarah.

Then god can bring a child out of a virgin mary. So in verse 6 but god spoke in this way. That his seed would be sojourners in a foreign land and they would be enslaved and mistreated for 400 years. Remember that god said to abraham that the The sins of the canaanites have not yet come up to this place where they deserve to be wiped out.

So he was going to let these sins Continue in this land for several more centuries. Until finally god would have enough and he would use the israelites to come into the land and strike them who had done So wickedly.

Now god did show his wrath upon the wicked when he destroyed sodom. So there was there was always a demonstration of what god could do. But he would wait here in this case for the entire land to reach like the full culmination of their sins.

Before he brought israel in to punish them and in the book of deuteronomy God says to israel don't think that you've done anything great to earn this land. The reason why you're getting this land which belonged to god Is because the people who lived there were so wicked and israel was going to be used by god to punish them.

And inherit everything That had formerly belonged to them. So verse 7 I myself will judge the nation to which they will be enslaved. So this is god promising hundreds of years before it happens that when The descendants of abraham would be enslaved in egypt God would punish the land that had enslaved them and after that they will come out and serve me in this place God says and he gave him the covenant of circumcision.

And so abraham was the father of isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day. And isaac was the father of jacob and jacob of the 12 Patriarchs. And so we're going to get just that far today and we'll pick up the rest of the speech next week when we come back.

To.

Acts chapter 7. But my friends we need to be circumcised in heart. We need to be cut off from the world not tempted by the world. Not uh, not ensnared by our own flesh or satan's devices going after the sins that we love so much.

Enticed by the things that the world promises to us if we would just go along with what they tell us to do. There was uh just this week as a matter of fact, there was that that basketball player jayden ivy from the bulls.

Refused to bow down to the lgbtq sex gods that the the nba honors. So much, I think it's every single team every team in the nba has a pride night. And jayden ivy won't go along with it. He said that it's an abomination.

It's wickedness. It's sin and he got cut from the bulls. And there was another basketball player. I can't remember who this was. I don't watch the nba exactly for for stuff like this I like basketball.

I don't watch the nba. And haven't since 2020 when they were doing the whole critical race theory stuff. Anyway, so there was this other basketball player who was asked about the t-shirt He was wearing because he had faith mentioned on his shirt.

And he kind of laughed and he said he didn't want to go into it because of all the stuff that was going on with jayden Ivy, so now there are players that are afraid to speak up about their faith. Because ivy got cut for sharing What the bible says?

That homosexuality is an abomination god's judgment will come down upon those Who value these things has said in romans 1 32 though. They know that those who do such things deserve to die. They not only do them but give hearty approval to those who practice them.

That's the nba and every player that goes along with it and ivy wouldn't go along with it. And so he called it out and he got cut from the team as a result of that. There are. There there are other ways that the world is going to say to us.

You need to put up or we're going to put you out. And we cannot go along with the world. We have to do as the apostles said previously in acts chapter 5. We must obey god rather than men. And we cannot go along with the world or be enticed by the world or be afraid of men.

We must cling to christ be cut off from the world united to christ circumcised of heart. And all of us who are of the circumcision who are in christ Jesus who who do not worship according to the flesh but in the spirit of god and boast in christ Jesus, we put no confidence in the flesh no confidence in the world.

We know that our inheritance Is not in a land that we're going to possess here on earth. But our inheritance is christ and his.

Kingdom.

And so As jesus said in matthew 6 31 seek first the kingdom of god and his righteousness and all that you need Will be added to you as well. Heavenly father. We thank you for what we have read here. And I pray that it does convict our hearts and draw us to you And your truth and your kingdom And all that has been promised to us in christ.

We believe in jesus who died on the cross for our sins who rose again from the dead. All who believe will not perish but have everlasting life. Bring us into your kingdom keep us unstained from the ways of this world And teach us to walk in the way everlasting.

It's in jesus name. We pray. Amen.

You've been listening to when we understand the text with pastor gabe hughes. Monday Tuesday and wednesday gabe will be going through a new testament study then on thursday We look at an old testament book on friday.

We take questions from the listeners and viewers. Tomorrow we'll pick up on an old testament study when we understand the text.