We are currently studying the book of Acts line by line. We’ve been looking at the life of Stephen. At this point in the biblical narrative men from 3 Hellenistic synagogues and a group of false witnesses dragged Stephen before the Sanhedrin, claiming that he committed blasphemy against God, Moses, the Law, and the temple. The high priest asked Stephen if the charges were true. Stephen seized the opportunity and went on the offensive. He began to retell Israel’s history while at the same time highlighting their sinful tendencies which not only contributed to, but actually caused them to reject their own Messiah.

From the very beginning Israel had been steeped in idolatry. They worshipped the things that God gave them rather than God Himself. Things like the Law, the Ark of the Covenant, the Tabernacle, the Promised Land, and the temple. From the very beginning Israel had rejected God’s calling for her to be a priestly nation that would witness to the world. Instead they tried to keep God and the gospel to themselves. From the very beginning Israel had rejected the leaders that God had sent to bless and guide her. They rejected Joseph and Moses, and they killed their own prophets and Jesus.

Israel and its leaders were the ones guilty of blasphemy, not Stephen. In chapter 7:1-7, our study text from last week, Stephen dealt primarily with Israel’s idolatry by showing the Sanhedrin how they clung to the Promised Land and to the temple. Stephen illustrated how God is in midst of those who have faith rather than those who live in certain places. In our section today, Stephen will begin to illustrate how Israel rejected its own leaders. He will begin with the Patriarchs and Joseph. Let’s read our main text, pray, and examine it together.

Read Acts 7:8-16

Pray

Examine

Verse

8And 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.

Commentary

Here Stephen reminds his hearers of Genesis 17, 18, and 21. God made a promise to Abraham that his offspring would possess the Promised Land and that every nation would be blessed through Jesus who would come through his lineage. The sign of that promise was circumcision. When Sarah, Abraham’s wife, gave birth to Isaac, Abraham upheld the covenant by circumcising him on the eighth day. Isaac grew up and got married and became the father of Jacob. Jacob’s wives and concubines bore him 12 sons and God chose them to be Israel’s overseers. They were called the twelve heads or patriarchs of Israel. They were: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin.

The twelve patriarchs were held in high regard because they were the ancestors of most of the Jewish people. The religious leaders of Stephen’s day saw themselves as the acting heads of the nation of Israel. They believed that they were serving God and the nation in a similar way to that of the patriarchs. Look at verses 9-10 with me.

Verse

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.

Commentary

Stephen reminds the Sanhedrin of how the patriarchs turned against one of their own, Joseph. God gifted Joseph with special talents and abilities that his brothers didn’t have. God told Joseph that he would someday be a ruler. His brothers became jealous and despised him. They plotted for how to kill him but ended up selling him to the Ishmaelite’s who later sold him into slavery in Egypt. Despite his brothers’ rejection, God was with Joseph 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 his entire household.”

By illustrating the account of Joseph’s betrayal Stephen is showing how Israel’s first leaders, the patriarchs, opposed God. Opposition to God is a major theme in Stephen’s polemic. He wants to prove to them that they have consistently opposed God by opposing the men that God had sent to lead them. Later he will show how Israel opposed God by rejecting Moses and then in verses 51-53 he will show how they opposed God by rejecting Jesus.

As I mentioned earlier, the Sanhedrin was over the people at this time just as the patriarchs had been centuries before. And they erred with Jesus just as the patriarchs had erred with Joseph. Now there are many more parallels here in the text, especially between Joseph and Jesus.

This is primarily why Stephen used Joseph as an example, or more particularly, why he highlighted things like his betrayal, triumph, and exaltation. Listen to what MacArthur wrote about this text.

“Although Stephen waits until the conclusion of his sermon to openly declare that Jesus is the Messiah (v.52), even in his historical summation Stephen gives glimpses of Christ. Joseph’s life in many ways was analogous to Christ.”

I’ve come up with eleven parallels between Joseph and Jesus. I’m sure that there’s more and if you have some email them to me because I love to hear what you’ve got. Here they are.

-Joseph was a true Jew, descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Gen 30:24). Jesus is a true Jew, descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Matt 2:1-16).

-Joseph was set apart by God for special blessing (Gen 49:22-26). Jesus was set apart by God for special blessing (Matt 1:21).

-Joseph possessed special gifts and talents (Gen 37:5-9). Jesus possessed special gifts and talents (Acts 2:22).

-Joseph enjoyed special favor from his father (Gen 37:3). Jesus enjoyed special favor from His Father (Matt 3:17).

-Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him (Gen 37:11). The religious leaders were jealous of Jesus (Mark 15:10).

-Joseph was sold into slavery for 20 shekels of silver by his own brothers (Gen 37:28). Jesus was sold unto death for 30 pieces of silver by His own apostle (Matt 27:3).

-Joseph was turned over to pagans by the patriarchs (Gen 37:28). Jesus was turned over to pagans by the Sanhedrin (Matt 27:2).

-Joseph was condemned to prison by the testimony of a false witness, Potiphar’s wife (Gen 39:1-20). Jesus was condemned to death by the testimonies of false witnesses (Mark 14:57).

-God delivered Joseph from all his afflictions and imprisonment (Acts 7:10). God delivered Jesus from all His afflictions and from the imprisonment of death through the resurrection (Acts 2:23-24).

-Pharaoh exalted Joseph by making him second in command over his kingdom and household (Acts 7:10). God exalted Jesus by seating Him at His right hand making Him the Leader and Savior (Acts 5:31).

-Joseph delivered his sinful brothers from physical death by bringing them to Egypt where there was food (Gen 45:16-20). Jesus delivers His brothers from spiritual death by bringing them to Himself (Heb 2:17).

Aren’t these parallels amazing?! As I said, I suspect that the parallels are why Stephen used Joseph as an example. He wanted his hearers to make the connection. And some of them probably did. Stephen also reminded his listeners of the terrible famine that struck after they rejected Joseph. Look at verse 11.

Verse

11 Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food.

Commentary

Josephs’ primary duty in Egypt was to amass food and supplies for the coming famine that was foretold in Pharaohs’ dream. The famine would strike the whole region, affecting multitudes of people. The places hardest hit were outside of Egypt like Canaan which was where Josephs’ family lived. The famine became so bad that all of Josephs’ family was affected and afflicted. They couldn’t find food anywhere. Interestingly, the famine stuck after Joseph was betrayed and rejected by his brothers, the patriarchs. The famine may have been an act of divine judgment against his brothers for their mistreatment of Joseph. The Bible says in several places that God uses famine to discipline the disobedient (Psalm 105:16; Ezek 5:16-17, 14:13, 21; Jer 24:10, 27:8).

The Psalm 105 example is particularly interesting because it is tied directly to the famine of Josephs’ day. Psalm 105:15 says that in the early days of Israel, God issued a warning. He said, “Do not touch or harm My anointed ones and prophets”.

Joseph definitely fit into this category. He was one of God’s anointed ones, he was prophetic, and he was touched and harmed by his brothers. In verse 16 it says that God brought a famine on the land. And then in verses 17-23 it talks about Josephs’ betrayal, slavery, imprisonment, release, exaltation, and the rescue of his family. Friends, I think it’s clear that the famine that struck Jacobs’ household in Canaan was an act of divine judgment. Listen to this parallel. Jesus said that Israel’s rejection of Him would cost her dearly, that she would be judged (Matt 23:38-39; 24:1-2).

In 66 A.D., the Jews began a rebellion against Rome. In 69 A.D. Vespasian was made emperor of Rome and gave his son Titus the honor of delivering the final death blows to the rebellious Jews and their capital city. According to The Wars of the Jews, Book 6, Josephus notes that, on the eighth day of the of the Roman month Lous, the ramps were finished and Titus ordered the battering-rams brought up and made ready for an assault on the city and Temple. As soon as the walls were breached several months later in 70 A.D., a Roman military force of about 30,000 troops under the command of Titus marched into Jerusalem and began a systematic slaughter of the Jews and the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem—exactly as Jesus foretold 40 years earlier.

The Romans brutally slaughtered an estimated 600,000 people in Jerusalem including many of the Passover visitors who had been trapped there for the 143 days during the Roman siege. Many of the people who were not killed by Roman soldiers were shipped off to the gladiatorial games, Roman mines, and otherwise exiled from Judea and scattered throughout the Roman empire and other nations. By the year 73 A.D., all traces of a self-ruling Jewish nation had completely disappeared.

The great question becomes:

Why did Stephen mention the famine that followed Josephs’ rejection? Why did he remind the Sanhedrin of what happened? He wanted them to know that judgment befell upon the patriarchs for rejecting Joseph and that judgment would befall upon them for rejecting Jesus. Stephen believed the prophetic words of Christ. He knew that judgment was coming and he sought to warn them by reminding them of what happened in the past. But he doesn’t leave them with only the negative. He doesn’t leave them without hope. Look at verse 12-14.

Verse

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.

Commentary

Here Stephen points his listeners to the place and to the person who could rescue the patriarchs. There was grain in Egypt. And you need grain to make bread and bread can sustain physical life. The person who controlled the grain was Joseph. Stephen is preaching the gospel here. First, he makes his listeners aware of their sin. Like the patriarchs with Joseph, they rejected Jesus. Then he speaks of judgment. God sent a famine upon the patriarchs and God will send judgment upon you too. And then he pointed to the one who could rescue the patriarchs, to Joseph who was the controller of the grain and more importantly, a foreshadow of the coming Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Bread of Life.

Through his narration of the story of Joseph, Stephen showed the Sanhedrin their sin, warned them against pending judgment, and pointed them to the Rescuer. Stephens’ approach was very subversive but he left nothing to chance. He put in a safeguard just in case his hearers could not make the connections between the patriarchs, Joseph, themselves, and Jesus. In verses 51-53 he declared to them, plainly, that they had betrayed and murdered the Righteous One, Jesus. Now Stephens’ desire was for his countryman to respond to Jesus as the patriarchs and Jacob had responded to Joseph. Look at verses 15-16.

Verse

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.

Commentary

Jacob and his sons knew that their survival depended upon Joseph in Egypt. They knew that without him they would perish. And so they received his gracious offer and packed up their belongings and families and went to him in Egypt. In a really cool physical way, the rejected one became their savior. It is similar with Jesus but far more profound. Jesus came as the Savior. And yet He was rejected and despised by men. His people turned against Him. He was sold out. He was tried at night by the Sanhedrin, He was found guilty, and handed over to evil men, and they put Him to death on a cross.

But as Peter said, “He was the stone that the builders rejected but God made Him the chief cornerstone.” Joseph and Jesus are alike in many ways but they are also extraordinarily different.

Joseph gave his brethren food to satisfy their physical needs, Jesus gives Himself as the Bread of Life and He satisfies our deepest needs! Joseph saved his brethren from starvation, Jesus saves His brethren from their sins, judgment, and from damnation!

Joseph saved his brethren from the pangs of hunger, Jesus saves His brethren from the pangs of death!

Joseph’ deliverance lasted until either the food ran out or until he died. Jesus’ deliverance is everlasting because He incorruptible and indestructible!

Let me ask you this: Do you know that your survival depends on Jesus? Do you know that without Him you will perish? Do you know that without Him you will spend eternity apart from God?

Lastly, when Jacob and the patriarchs died they were given honorable burials.

Their bodies were taken to Shechem where they were buried in the tomb that had been bought by their great-great grandpa Abraham (v16). Some say that Stephen made an error here because other texts seem to say something different. There are many good explanations that shed light on the situation. I’m not gonna get into them right now.

What I do want you to notice is this. In Ecclesiastes 6:3 Solomon wrote.

Ecclesiastes 6:3

3 If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life's good things, and he also has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.

Solomon tells us that a dishonorable burial is one of the worst possible things in his culture. Proverbs 2:22 says that the wicked are cut off from the land. Being cut off would result in a dishonorable burial. The unrepentant were not buried with their families and kinsmen and that was an unimaginable disgrace. Stephen tells us that the patriarchs received honorable burials. They were placed in their family tombs. And yet, their rejection and betrayal of Joseph was, without a doubt, a grievous sin and a breach of God’s covenant. The patriarchs were under the judgment of God and they were headed for not only burial, but everlasting disgrace.

But by grace of God shown through their brother, they were reconciled to him and brought back under the covenant. God removed their disgrace and restored to them to honor. I believe Stephen was being strategic here.

I believe he wanted his hearers to know that rejecting Jesus meant disgrace but reconciliation to Him through repentance and faith could bring not only salvation, but honor. Jesus honors those who honor Him.

Where are you at today my friend? Are you like the religious leaders of the Sanhedrin? Have you rejected Jesus while clinging to your sin and idolatry? Are you like the patriarchs before they were reconciled to their brother under the wrath and judgment of God? Are you still in Canaan? Are you still steeped in the Canaanite practices of faithlessness, greed, consumerism, fornication, homosexuality, pornography, adultery, drugs, and drunkenness?

Why are you still entombed in Canaan when Jesus cries aloud, “Rise and come out!” Why haven’t you made Jacobs’ journey? What are you waiting for? Do you say to yourself, “Someday I’ll make that journey!” What if the famine takes your life? What if judgment comes as swiftly as it did in 70 A.D.? What then? I beg you friend, do not tarry. Pack your things, gather your family, and come to the Savior. Be like Jacob and the patriarchs. Humble yourself and leave your old life behind, leave Canaan, turn your back on it, and come to the Savior who sits not in Egypt but upon His throne of grace in heaven.

Come to His throne and tell Him what you’ve done. Tell Him your sins and ask Him to blot them out. Let Jesus remove your disgrace by the power of His blood through His wondrous grace. Ask Him to be your Lord and Savior and pledge yourself to His service. Live in His resurrection power.