Tag: Stephen the deacon
“I see heaven open!”
Scripture reading for May 14th: Acts 7
One of the new ‘deacons’ was Stephen, a man “full of God’s grace and power.” (Acts 6:8) Stephen served the widows but also used the anointing he received to do great wonders and miraculous signs! This caused controversy among the Jews and Stephen began to fall under persecution and false accusations. Finally, they seized him and brought him before the Sanhedrin on false charges of blasphemy against Moses and God. (Acts 6:11-14)
As Stephen stood before this hostile group of Jewish leaders, they noticed that “his face was like the face of an angel.” (Acts 6:15) They asked him if the charges against him were true and as he opened his mouth to speak, he presented an anointed teaching about God’s grace to the Israelites to lead them and speak to them through the Patriarchs and Moses. He told how the Israelites had rejected Moses the first time questioning his authority! They also rejected him again when they refused to obey him at Mt. Sinai. Stephen told how God had judged them for their idolatry and eventually sent them to Babylon. (Acts 7:39-43)
Stephen’s final point from his explanation concerned those present to accuse him falsely: “You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? The even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered Him–. . .” (Acts 7:51-52) This speaking of truth made the crowd furious and they gnashed their teeth at him. “But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. . .” (Acts 7:55) As they rushed him and began to stone him, Stephen gave his spirit to the Lord and prayed for their forgiveness!
Moses and Christ!
Scripture reading for June 9th: Acts 7:1-29
Luke next records the story of one of the first deacons. Stephen was full of faith and the Holy Spirit and used in miraculous signs and wonders. You would think that this would make him a popular preacher, but there were those religious Jews that did not appreciate his message or miracles. They stirred up some people to testify falsely that he was speaking blasphemy against Moses and God. (Acts 6:11-14) They brought him before the Sanhedrin for questioning. As they looked at him, Stephen’s face took on the characteristics of an angel.
When asked if he were guilty of the charges, Stephen began to speak under the anointing of the Holy Spirit to the elders and leaders he was standing before. He spoke about the Holy Scriptures that Moses had written, showing his knowledge and respect for that written record. He began in Genesis with Abraham and God’s call and quickly took them through the history of the Jewish people up to the time of Moses.
As Stephen mentioned the story of Joseph, he emphasized how the patriarchs were jealous of him and sold him into slavery. Stephen was trying to get these religious leaders to see that their own jealousy of God’s plan and vision through Christ was a problem. (Acts 7:9-10) God raised Joseph up to be ruler over Egypt and the one who would save Israel and the world from a great famine, but he was rejected by his people.
Moses was also raised up by the hand of God and raised in Pharaoh’s household. He was a Jew but given all the wisdom of the Egyptians. At forty years of age, he saw an Israelite being mistreated by an Egyptian and killed him. Moses was surprised to learn that his act was not appreciated by the Israelites! He fled to Midian for forty years and tended sheep while the vision to deliver God’s people went dormant. (Acts 7:20-29)
God was trying to speak to these Jews who were jealous of the power of this follower of Jesus. He was showing them that the Jews had a history of missing what God was doing. He wanted them to listen and learn from the past. These Old Testament stories showed truth. Are you open to learn today? Are you reading God’s word with a teachable heart? God is speaking today!