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God’s Plan Through Suffering — Acts 7:1-16 Daily Word
Stephen reveals how God’s redemptive plan weaves suffering and salvation together through Israel’s history, from Abraham’s calling to Joseph’s trials, showing God’s sovereignty in all circumstances.
God’s Plan Through Suffering
[Scripture]
[1] And the high priest said, “Are these things so?” [2] And Stephen said: “Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, [3] and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’ [4] Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living. [5] Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child. (Acts 7:1-5, ESV)
[6] And God spoke to this effect—that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years. [7] ‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.’ [8] And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs. [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. (Acts 7:6-10, ESV)
[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. (Acts 7:11-16, ESV)
[Daily Word]
Stephen speaks about Abraham.
The high priest asked Stephen whether the accusations brought by the false witnesses were true. Stephen responded by saying that “the God of glory appeared to Abraham while he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran.” (v. 2) Stephen places the time of Abraham’s calling in Mesopotamia, before his arrival in Haran. However, this differs from what the biblical text itself states. (Gen 11:3–12:5) This is because Abraham did not begin to act until after the death and burial of Terah. So what was Stephen trying to convey? Most likely, Stephen was convinced that God’s call to Abraham actually came even earlier than the point recorded in the scriptural narrative.
In that sense, the place where Abraham arrived after receiving his calling is described right here in verse 4 as “this land in which you are now living.” The land God pointed to was Canaan (v. 4), not the Jerusalem Temple designated by the Jewish people. What is significant is that God promised to give the land to Abraham and to his offspring. Here, “his offspring” is singular, not plural (v. 5) — meaning it refers not to the children of Israel, but to Christ.
God promised to give this land as a possession to Abraham and his offspring, even though at the time Abraham had no children. Yet the Jewish people regarded this land as a rightful inheritance that naturally belonged to them as Abraham’s descendants. They considered themselves sacred, just as they did the Temple. God had made the covenant relationship with His people clear through circumcision. This was simply God’s way of confirming His will through the sign of circumcision — it had nothing to do with the Temple or the Law.
Stephen now turns to the story of Joseph.
Joseph resembles Jesus. Just as God was with Joseph (9), He was also with Jesus (10:38). And just as Joseph suffered in Egypt at the hands of his brothers yet ultimately became prime minister, Jesus also suffered and died, yet rose again and ascended into heaven. In particular, Stephen referred to the twelve sons of Jacob as “our twelve patriarchs.” He then charges that the motive behind our ancestors selling Joseph into Egypt was envy. This is tantamount to saying that the Christians were not being accused because they had violated the law of Moses (6:14), but rather that, like Joseph, they were facing groundless envy.
However, the fact that one is rejected by people does not mean one’s life is a failure — for just as God caused Joseph to become prime minister in order to save his family, so too God caused Jesus to become our King and Savior in order to redeem all of humanity. Therefore, rather than hating those who sometimes wound us, we must believe that God will surely raise us up as light and salt and entrust us with the responsibility of saving them. Just as the Lord looked upon us as objects of His compassion, we too must regard them as objects of compassion and of salvation, and pray for them accordingly.
Therefore, we should not strive to promote ourselves, but rather live lives that bear witness to Jesus, who came as the Lord of life.
Stephen’s testimony, Abraham’s calling, God’s promise, the life of Joseph, the history of faith
Originally published in Korean at bible2u.com
