Act 7:2 | KingComments | STEP | With the expression “brethren and fathers”, Stephen speaks to them as one who still belongs to the same people. He begins his speech with “the God of glory” and ends it with seeing “the glory of God” ( ). The whole time he gives his speech, his face shines with that same glory ( ). He begins with Abraham, the ancestor on whom they boast so much that they are his offspring. Their pride is completely misplaced, for they must remember that Abraham was originally an idolater in Mesopotamia ( ). It was in that country, and not in the land they now live in, that the God of glory appeared to him. There God also spoke to him and commanded him to leave his country and his family and invited him to come to the land that He would point out to him ( ). He had to go out of his country , to a new land that God had chosen for him. He had to leave his family to form a new family. He even had to leave his father’s house , of which he was still a part, to become a father to many nations. God’s calling is always personal. God’s way is always with the individual. God has called Abraham when he was but one ( ). At first Abraham obeyed, but his obedience was not total. The reason was that not he, but his father Terah took the initiative to leave ( ). Because of this, at first he did not get any further than Haran, where he settled. Only after his father died, he moved on to “this country”. Here it already becomes clear what Stephen will focus on in his speech. This part of history shows that every change has always evoked resistance. It already started with Abraham. He didn’t go all the way that God had told him to go. He went as far as Haran and stayed there until his father died who shouldn’t have been with him at all. The resistance with Abraham was rooted in his family connections. They outweighed God’s command. Only when God has put an end to that connection by the death of his father, he is free to move on. But that too seems to be more a matter of God than of Abraham. Stephen says that God had Abraham move to this country in which they now live. So it is pure grace that they live there and everything is God’s work. God had Abraham move into that country, but He didn’t give him an inheritance in it, not even the smallest piece of which he could say was his property. Instead, he was promised that one day, in the future, he would own it as well as his offspring after him. God gave him that promise even when he did not even have a child. However, that did not change anything about his faith. It did change his stay in the country. It made the land of promise for him a foreign land and it made him a stranger in that land ( ). So he did not claim for himself what God had determined for the future. His descendants possessed it now, but he himself is still waiting for the fulfillment of the promise. Stephen wants to make it clear that they have nothing to claim. And it was not only Abraham who did not immediately get hold of the promise. Also his offspring would have to wait and even experience the necessary things before they could enter the promised land. God announced to Abraham that his offspring would be enslaved instead of being blessed. They would live in a foreign land and be enslaved and mistreated. This would continue for four hundred years ( ). At the same time God also speaks words of hope. He promises that He will judge the people who hold them in bondage. Then they will be able to go out to serve God “in this place” ( ; ), by which Stephen means the land of Canaan. Everything Stephen said about Abraham is meant to highlight the low and even humiliating origins of the people because his audience so boasts about their origins (cf. ). Incidentally, he mentions the circumcision of Abraham as a sign of the covenant God made with him and with his offspring ( ). This too is a matter on which the Israelites are very proud. They, and they alone, are the people of the covenant ( ). They boast of that status. He also mentions that Abraham was circumcised when he became the father of Isaac who he also circumcised on the eighth day. From Isaac Jacob was born and from Jacob the twelve patriarchs, from whom the covenant people would be further built. But how did that covenant people behave at the beginning of their existence?

‏ Acts 7:2

God’s Way With Abraham

With the expression “brethren and fathers”, Stephen speaks to them as one who still belongs to the same people. He begins his speech with “the God of glory” and ends it with seeing “the glory of God” (Acts 7:55). The whole time he gives his speech, his face shines with that same glory (Acts 6:15).

He begins with Abraham, the ancestor on whom they boast so much that they are his offspring. Their pride is completely misplaced, for they must remember that Abraham was originally an idolater in Mesopotamia (Jos 24:2). It was in that country, and not in the land they now live in, that the God of glory appeared to him.

There God also spoke to him and commanded him to leave his country and his family and invited him to come to the land that He would point out to him (Gen 12:1). He had to go out of his country, to a new land that God had chosen for him. He had to leave his family to form a new family. He even had to leave his father’s house, of which he was still a part, to become a father to many nations. God’s calling is always personal. God’s way is always with the individual. God has called Abraham when he was but one (Isa 51:2).

At first Abraham obeyed, but his obedience was not total. The reason was that not he, but his father Terah took the initiative to leave (Gen 11:31). Because of this, at first he did not get any further than Haran, where he settled. Only after his father died, he moved on to “this country”.

Here it already becomes clear what Stephen will focus on in his speech. This part of history shows that every change has always evoked resistance. It already started with Abraham. He didn’t go all the way that God had told him to go. He went as far as Haran and stayed there until his father died who shouldn’t have been with him at all. The resistance with Abraham was rooted in his family connections. They outweighed God’s command. Only when God has put an end to that connection by the death of his father, he is free to move on.

But that too seems to be more a matter of God than of Abraham. Stephen says that God had Abraham move to this country in which they now live. So it is pure grace that they live there and everything is God’s work. God had Abraham move into that country, but He didn’t give him an inheritance in it, not even the smallest piece of which he could say was his property. Instead, he was promised that one day, in the future, he would own it as well as his offspring after him. God gave him that promise even when he did not even have a child.

However, that did not change anything about his faith. It did change his stay in the country. It made the land of promise for him a foreign land and it made him a stranger in that land (Heb 11:9). So he did not claim for himself what God had determined for the future. His descendants possessed it now, but he himself is still waiting for the fulfillment of the promise. Stephen wants to make it clear that they have nothing to claim.

And it was not only Abraham who did not immediately get hold of the promise. Also his offspring would have to wait and even experience the necessary things before they could enter the promised land. God announced to Abraham that his offspring would be enslaved instead of being blessed. They would live in a foreign land and be enslaved and mistreated. This would continue for four hundred years (Gen 15:13-14). At the same time God also speaks words of hope. He promises that He will judge the people who hold them in bondage. Then they will be able to go out to serve God “in this place” (Acts 7:7; Exo 3:12), by which Stephen means the land of Canaan.

Everything Stephen said about Abraham is meant to highlight the low and even humiliating origins of the people because his audience so boasts about their origins (cf. Deu 7:7). Incidentally, he mentions the circumcision of Abraham as a sign of the covenant God made with him and with his offspring (Gen 17:10-14). This too is a matter on which the Israelites are very proud. They, and they alone, are the people of the covenant (Rom 9:4). They boast of that status.

He also mentions that Abraham was circumcised when he became the father of Isaac who he also circumcised on the eighth day. From Isaac Jacob was born and from Jacob the twelve patriarchs, from whom the covenant people would be further built. But how did that covenant people behave at the beginning of their existence?