Acts 7:35-43
Acts 7:35-43
July 19, 2020
Acts 7:35-43
35 “This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler
and a judge?’—this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. 37 This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’ 38 This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us. 39 Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt, 40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. 42 But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets:
“ ‘Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices,
during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
43 You took up the tent of Moloch
and the star of your god Rephan,
the images that you made to worship;
and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’
Family trees and genealogy searches have long been of interest for people. In America, the tracing back to the Mayflower or perhaps the name of a famous explorer, person of influence, Native American, or even a slave can result in some wonderful and interesting stories. The Mormon church has become known for much, but one such thing is their
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vast genealogical database. Their reasonings resonate with their teachings and what orthodox Christians would categorize false teachings related to baptism and post-death salvation through proxy baptisms...but that would be a study for another day. Nevertheless, they have many records on file, compiled for decades.
More recently, with the growth of internet searches, sites like ancestry.com and DNA testing from “23 and Me” people are discovering things about their past, their ancestors, their cultural heritage, and more.
But...not every reveal becomes a fairy tale ending where families are reunited and good answers are discovered.
In some cases, cold case crimes have been solved. In others, some not- so-good reveals have been discovered regarding things in the past that were better left undiscovered.
When you begin digging into the past, there are times when stories are revealed that are less glamorous than desired.
In some cases, these family secrets are known by a few, but just have remained left unsaid – the subjects avoided at Thanksgiving or other family gatherings.
In this account from the book of Acts, God uses Stephen to address some historic and generational sins among his people that were being replicated in the day, and sadly remain for many today.
Moses is greatly revered as one of God’s prophets, a rescuer of the people of God and a leader to hope and promise.
Yet, even Moses faced great opposition – not only from the Egyptians whom he was facing but the ones he was rescuing.
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With this account, Stephen unveils the sins of the his and the group in the room putting him on trial. It’s an exposé they know, but would not like to address, likely. Not so much because it reveals that their great- great-great-great-grandparents really blew it, but the realization that what was done years ago...is still being done today.
Stephen uncovers the truth that their ancestors, the former slaves in the Egypt who were crying out to God for help, after their rescue...
1. THEY REJECTED THE REDEEMER
35 “This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
This Moses – the one called by God through the event in Midian at the burning bush was sent back into Egypt to face the enemy head- on, standing before the Pharaoh, calling for the release of his people, only to be rejected by the Egyptians was initially and eventually rejected by the Israelites as well.
The one who came with full intention to help, was rejected. The redeemer was not welcomed.
This is Stephen’s short-version account of the Moses story and yet here, he reminds the listeners that in the story of Moses – their great and revered prophet – that even their ancestors first rejected him. They rejected him forty years prior to the burning bush. Then, after the bush encounter, they will still look to him in fear.
2. THEY REFUSED THE RESCUER
39 Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt,
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“They turned to Egypt” – this is one of the most troubling and yet, repeated realities in humanity. The redeemed, rescued, and now former slaves say... “We’d rather be slaves.”
We’d rather go back to Egypt – where taskmasters beat our men, where our women are abused, where our rights are void, where our God is ignored, and where our value as human beings is belittled.
“We’d rather have the consistency of known enslavement than risk a step into the unknown by faith, trusting the God we say we have worshiped our entire lives.”
So, here Stephen reminds the room that their beloved ancestors looked to the one who had rescued them and refused to move forward with him. They’re desire was to go back to the home they had known. The familiar.
The enemy’s lie was loudly stated, and they listened and believed it. They apparently forgot their decades of crying out to God. They refused to see the rescue they were experiencing because they believed more in their self-sufficiency than in the God who was not only in the process of rescuing them but was literally answering their prayers before them.
3. THEY REVERED THE UNRIGHTEOUS
40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands.
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob provided the very rescue and redemption required. The sovereign God, Lord of lords, King of kings, Ruler of all rulers, made a way.
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Yet, when the people’s rescuer, Moses moved from their presence to go up the mountain to meet with God, the people rebelled. They rebelled and gathered the gold from the people, melted it down, and formed a calf. They began to worship the image of the calf, thanking this god for their rescue and redemption.
The created created a creation and worshiped it as the creator. They did what they had seen the Egyptians doing.
They justified their worship of an idol by stating, “As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”
Stephen unpacks this bit of history, reminding the Sanhedrin and the ruling council who have put him on trial that their common ancestors were face-to-face with the great Moses, the one God used to rescue his people, and they rebelled, rejected, refused, and provided a model of sin for generations to come that would continue to their present day.
The history lesson continued with this response from God to his dearly loved, but rebellious people during the days of Moses and the days of the prophets.
42 But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets:
“ ‘Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices,
during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
43 You took up the tent of Moloch
and the star of your god Rephan,
the images that you made to worship;
and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’
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God turned away and said, “You can worship whom or what you choose.” They bowed to the host of heaven, as it states, but don’t confuse that for a good thing. The host of heaven refers to the stars in the sky – kind of an ancient version of checking your horoscope. They worshiped Moloch, the Canaanite sun god whom was honored by the pagans through child sacrifices. They worship Rephan, likely the Egyptian god of Saturn. The list was longer. The point was made. From Stephen to his accusers.
Not unlike our shared ancestors, God has offered redemption and rescue. He has provided a way. He has spoken truth. He has gifted us with life.
Stephen is revealing that human nature remains as it has been since Eden. The lies of the enemy continue.
“Did God really say?”
“Surely, God is holding out on you.” “There’s a better way.”
While the great Moses was a redeemer, a rescuer, even a ruler as stated, he was an imperfect man, sent by God to God’s people as a very real and immediate answer to prayer, but also as a prophetic reminder that another would come.
37 This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’
God has done so. God has raised up another – a prophet, a priest, a king. This Jesus whom threatened the status quo of the day has come into this world on an incredible rescue mission.
And sadly, many remain just like the court trying Stephen, just like the Israelites to rebelled against Moses, just like those today who refuse.
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Yet, the offer still stands.
Redemption and salvation is through Jesus Christ alone.
That is the glorious, blessed, hope-filled message of the gospel. God loves you and has provided you a way.
But...at some point, if Christ seems to be little more than a religious good luck charm, a tool for cultural achievement, a morality badge, or even worse, simply a teacher, a historic figure, or just someone we talk about and say we believe, but there is no evidence of such, God will turn away and leave us to our own desires.
It is a warning. It is tragic.
It is clear.
Galatians 6:7
7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.1
The invitation must be offered. The opportunity must be understood. The Christ we worship is not simply a good guy who did good things and just wants us to love each other. He is all that, but so much more. He is the Son of God, God the Son, the Redeemer and Rescuer of former sinners, now saints, he is the hope of all humanity. He is the sacrifice paid – the Lamb of God. He will not be mocked and we must not treat him as anything less than he is.
He is to be worshiped. He is to be honored. He is to be revered. He is to be the one whom we seek and share. He is the only way, truth, and life.
1 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ga 6:7). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. 7
And if we leave our gathering this morning with anything less than a life that is totally surrendered to Christ as Lord, we are no better than the Israelites in Moses’s day who made a golden calf and sought to live as they chose, or perhaps the Sanhedrin and religious leaders of Stephen’s day who seen by those in the community as the righteous ones, only to be so far into their own self-worship that they not only rejected Christ, but saw to and celebrated his crucifixion and then worked to eradicate his church and erase all who would claim him as Lord.
To claim Christ as Lord, but to live as though he isn’t is to mock him. To claim Jesus as Savior, but to choose your own way, is to mock him.
To wear the name Christian, but to look, live, and react as others who do not know him, is to mock him.
To say you love Jesus, but to have allegiances that take your time, money, and talents while the mission of His church, for which he died, is optional and unimportant, is to mock him.
To be baptized publicly, enter into a covenant relationship with other believers as a member of a gospel-centric church, but to have more in common with unregenerate, is to mock him.
The great commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength AND to love your neighbor as self. But, as a child of God, a true Christian, a redeemed saint, loving one’s neighbor will never be full and true apart from loving God first will all that you have.
For some today, repentance is the required response. What is your response?
Footnotes
