Acts 7:9-16
Acts 7:9-16
June 28, 2020
Acts 7:9-16
9 “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him 10 and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. 11 Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food. 12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit. 13 And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. 14 And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all. 15 And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers, 16 and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem. 1
It’s a story that has been told and retold so many times. Whether in movies, television shows, novels, or plays. It is the story of a character who arrives upon the scene and due to any number of things (race, dress, language, background, physical looks, etc.) that make him different is rejected at first.
It’s been told many times.
Stephen, in this chapter of Acts, was not really an outsider. That’s what makes this so strange. He is an insider. He is a Jew. He has been to the religious ceremonies, to synagogue, has learned Torah and not unlike other Jewish men, did not like the Roman occupation of the nation of
1 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ac 7:9–16). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. 1
Israel, but had not abandoned his faith in God. He is standing before the religious court, the Great Sanhedrin in Jerusalem following an arrest for proclaiming that Jesus Christ is Messiah. He is on trial not for that officially, but for some trumped up charges that are nothing but lies that will garner an easy guilty verdict.
It’s a set up. It’s unfair. It’s not right. It’s not justice. Yet...it’s happening.
As this moment when Stephen is given the opportunity to defend himself, he chooses to launch into the longest sermon recorded in the book of Acts. We read the first portion last week and now we see the continuation.
This disciple of Jesus Christ is going back to the Old Testament and literally schooling the religious experts seated upon the Sanhedrin in the truth. He is opening up from memory the grand stories of faith, of God’s glory, of the people of God and their journey of faith, their walk with God, their obedient steps that would ultimately come to the fruition of the prophecy of Messiah with the coming of Jesus Christ.
In this portion, Stephen speaks of Joseph and not unlike the portion given prior that spoke of Abraham and the covenant promise, these listeners know the characters. They know the stories. They have much memorized as well, but while they know the story...they do not KNOW the story.
In speaking of Joseph, Stephen brings up a character (not a fictional character, but an historical one) who was similar to others who just didn’t really fit in with others.
1. JOSEPH WAS REJECTED
9 “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt
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You likely know this story, but in case you don’t...the patriarchs are the descendants of Abraham. They’re the ancestors of Stephen and the men on the council. These are men revered, for the most part by the Jewish people and they were not just patriarchs, but were brothers of Joseph.
This slave trade was very real. The value of an image-bearer of God was ignored primarily because this young Joseph dared to be loud, boisterous, a big mouth, and a dreamer whom was loved more by the boys’ father than any other. The patriarchs – jealous of Joseph. JEALOUS! That was the motivation. They sold him. They removed him from the family. They thought they had removed him from the story completely. They never believed they would see him again.
This is one of the most heinous stories in scripture. It’s bad enough that slavery even existed, but to be sold by your own family members is an entirely different level.
The brothers rejected Joseph. They hated him and wanted nothing to do with him. Slavery? At least they made a little change off of him and the good news was – he was gone.
“but God was with him”
2. JOSEPH WOULD BE ACCEPTED
11 Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food. 12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit. 13 And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. 14 And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all.
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Stephen makes this story seem like it all occurred over a weekend, but we know it did not. It took years. Of course, Stephen didn’t have much time to share and the listeners knew the story. Stephen was ensuring his point was clear.
In the Joseph story, he is sold to a man whose wife falsely accuses him of trying to molest her. He’s thrown in jail and while there meets two former employees of the Pharaoh. He interprets their dreams and tells the one who is to be restored to “not forget him.” Of course the guy forgot him until much later when the Pharaoh was unable to sleep due to bad dreams. Then Joseph is released and interprets the dreams by God’s hand. It’s an amazing story and the king puts Joseph as second in command of Egypt. A famine comes, and only Egypt has grain. Joseph brothers are sent to Egypt to get grain. There’s a great drama there (you should read it in Genesis 40 and afterward.) Eventually Joseph reveals who he is to his brothers and they are scared to death, but (and here’s a great line) Joseph says 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. (Gen 50:20) 2
And the brothers accepted Joseph as their brother, as their rescuer, as their redeemer.
Why would Stephen spend time on this story? Because there is a story this story is telling that these men on the council cannot see.
3. JESUS WAS REJECTED
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. (Luke 4:16)3
2 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ge 50:19–20). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. 3 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Lk 4:16). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
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28 When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff.
30 But passing through their midst, he went away. (Luke 4:28- 30) 4
Many people followed Christ when he was alive, but many more rejected him. This account is one of the first, overt rejections. In his own home. It is followed by many more. Jesus was rejected by the elite, the powerful, the doubters, the status quo lovers, the politically hungry, and the religious liberals and legalists. He too was initially rejected by his own half-brothers.
4. JESUS WILL BE ACCEPTED
After Jesus died and rose again, many continued to follow him. In fact, the number of those who became followers of Christ in the first century grew quickly. So quickly that the authorities grew worried. That’s why men like Stephen were put on trial and why all the apostles eventually were martyred. Yet, over the past two- thousand years, many more have accepted him.
Even more have and still reject Christ. But...
Romans 14:11
for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” 5
It is a statement that may seem odd considering all the atheists, agnostics, and deniers of Christ who have, do, and will live on this earth.
4 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Lk 4:28–30). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. 5 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ro 14:11). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
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Yet, it is true. The one who was rejected at first will eventually be accepted, or at least acknowledged. Perhaps that is a better term. All will acknowledge that Christ is the Son of God, God the Son, the Prince of Peace, King of kings, Lord of lords, Savior of the saints, Redeemer, Sustainer, the Way, Truth, and the Life.
CONCLUSION
Stephen paints a very clear picture. The Sanhedrin do not see it, but if they would but listen and look well, they could. It is a history lesson about Joseph who brought glory to God and God’s people throughout his life. Rejected at first. Accepted eventually. And the people were rescued from famine.
Joseph is a savior. A precursor to THE Savior. Christ, rejected at first, accepted or acknowledged eventually.
Every knee will bow. May I say, it will be better if you willingly bow the knee now so that when the day of the Lord comes, you will celebrate with him in worship rather than find yourself as the large group of humanity who would never acknowledge him nor accept him who due to his glory will be bowing the knee then.
There’s time to get this right. That was the message to the Sanhedrin by the preacher Stephen. That’s my message to you.
1 Thess 4:16-18
16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. 6
6 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (1 Th 4:16–18). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
Footnotes
