The God of Glory

 Meditations on The Acts of the Apostles

February 4, 2021

The God of Glory

God spoke to him in this way: ‘For four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated.

Acts 7:6

Read: Acts 7:1-16

Stephen’s defense will take up almost all of chapter seven, and we will take three days to read it. I think Stephen’s speech is a short course in the history of Israel. The accusations against Stephen were that he was teaching things that were contrary to the Law of Moses and the Jewish customs. Stephen’s response to the accusations demonstrated he was thoroughly familiar with the history of the Jews.

We will see in a few days that Saul, who became the Apostle Paul, was in the Sanhedrin that day. I believe he is Luke’s source for the content of Stephen’s speech. Why is the entire sermon included in the Book of Acts? What does God want us to see?

Stephen’s speech was telling the story of the Jewish people in a way to reveal Jesus, the Messiah, was the fulfillment of all that God had promised. For me, Stephen’s speech is a reminder that my Christian heritage doesn’t begin at the Resurrection; God has grafted me into the tree of Abraham. (See Romans 11) The heritage Stephen described is also my heritage in Christ.

My Takeaway: God has foreknowledge of what will happen. (v.6) Nothing happening today has caught God by surprise. Joseph had great trials and tribulations while in Egypt, yet he was able to respond, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:20) I want to trust God like my ancestor, Joseph.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

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