You Stiff-Necked People!

 Meditations on The Acts of the Apostles

February 8, 2021

You Stiff-Necked People!

Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him.

Acts 7:52

Read: Acts 7:35-53

Stephen concludes his speech by hurling charges at the religious leaders. He says they are children of Abraham, but unlike Abraham they have not obeyed God. He says they are heirs of Moses, yet “you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.” (v.53) Stephen alleges that they are complicit with the those who rejected God and built with their own hands an idol to worship. For Stephen, their worship in the Temple is a form of idolatry because they rejected and murdered the Righteous One their own prophets had predicted would come and redeem Israel.

As I noted before, Stephen’s speech had the effect of the word of God which “is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) The religious leaders had two choices: they could receive Stephen’s word as a message from God and repent, or they could kill the messenger. They chose the latter.

My Takeaway: My membership vows when I first joined the UMC included my affirmation that the Word of God, as contained in the Old and New Testaments, is a sufficient rule for faith and practice. Today’s passage gives me pause to examine my life for anything that is more important to me than obedience to God’s Word.

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

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.