We have been studying the speech of Stephen in Acts chapter 7. After being dragged before the Sanhedrin and questioned about his ‘alleged’ blasphemy against God, Moses, the law, and the temple, he defended himself through giving a careful articulation of Israel’s history. We have seen how he successfully defended against charges one and two, and this morning we will look at his defense against three and four. Take your bibles and turn with me to Acts 7:38-50.

Read Acts 7:38-50

Pray

Examine

Verse

38 This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us.

Commentary

Stephen transitions from Moses to the law quite easily here since they were tied together. He wrote that while Moses was with the congregation (the Israelites) in the wilderness, he received living oracles from the angel who spoke to him from the burning bush. Verse 53 of our chapter, Gal 3:19 and Heb 2:2 testify to angelic involvement with the giving of the oracles. The living oracles were the law, which like the rest of Scripture, is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword (Heb 4:12).

Stephen’s use of the term “living oracles” conveys both his belief in the law and his understanding of the laws origin. He knew that God was the author, that angels were the mediators, and that Moses was the recipient. Thus Stephen defended against the false witness’ claim of blasphemy. Having defended himself sufficiently, Stephen now goes on the offensive. We have seen him do this repeatedly through prior sermons. Look at verses 39-42.

Verse

39 Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt, 40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. 42 But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven,

Commentary

Stephen reminds them of how their forefathers refused to obey Moses and how they thrust him aside because they had turned their hearts back to Egypt. Exodus 16:3, Numbers 11:4-5, Numbers 14:3-4, Ezekiel 20:8 and Ezekiel 20:24 all show how the people did this. Incredibly, the Israelites would have easily exchanged their inheritance for a trip back to Egypt which was where they had been oppressed and abused. Why would they do this? I’d like to suggest 3 reasons.

1. They wanted a broader menu.

In Egypt the Israelites were given bread and pots filled with meat. They were also given fish and a variety of fruits and vegetables. In the wilderness, however, they were given manna and quail. The quality of the food in the wilderness wasn’t poor by any means. God provided for them. And for whatever reason God saw fit to restrict their menu and diet. You have to remember that God was on the verge of forming a new nation out of them, one that was unlike any other. They were not going to eat, dress, live, worship, and behave like the other nations around them. They were to become a nation of priests set apart for the service of the Lord.

And we must also remember that the wilderness was to be a transitional place; one that they would simply pass through while in route to the land of milk and honey, the Promised land. However, their grumblings and idolatry brought them a 40 year sentence in the wilderness. God kept them there until the sinful generation died off.

2. They wanted multiple gods rather than one God.

It would appear that the Egyptians believed that there was one god who had given many littler gods and goddesses as extensions of himself. These extensions or smaller gods & goddesses governed the world and nature. Ra was the god of the sun. Geb was the god of the earth.

Heket was the goddess of fertility. Tefnut was the goddess of moisture (the Oil of Olay god). Statues that depicted these littler gods were made and placed throughout the land.

Some were honored with large temples like Amun who was called “the king of the gods”. In Egypt, these gods represented the different facets of nature and life. Egypt was a bountiful and prosperous land and the people believed that these things came through their many gods. People became psychologically dependent on these gods for their daily needs and provision. After 430 years of dwelling in Egypt, many of the Israelites adopted its polytheistic beliefs. They fashioned little images and idols out of wood and stone while in the wilderness so that they could have their Egyptian gods with them. They consulted these idols when they had needs. And when their needs were met they thanked and worshipped the idols rather than the God who had delivered them.

Because of the harsh conditions of the wilderness and because of the limited menu many turned from God and His future promise to consult the idols because they believed that they could help to make things better for them as they believed had done when they were back in Egypt. Equally bad, they gave praise and thanks to the idols for what they did receive. When Moses recorded these things in the Pentateuch he referred to this group as the “Rabble” (Numb 11:4).

At one point the Israelites desire to return to Egypt climaxed and they tried to appoint a new leader to take them back (Numb 14:4).

The third reason why they wanted to return to Egypt was because:

3. They didn’t know how to function without dysfunction.

Egypt was a highly dysfunctional community. They were into things like magic, sorcery, idolatry, infanticide (population control), abortion, slavery, drunken revelry, and medication. Sexual perversion was very prevalent too.

One ancient Egyptian harpist wrote,

“Revel in pleasure while your life endures, and deck your head with myrrh. Be richly clad in white and perfumed linen; like the gods anointed be; and never weary grow in eager quest of what your head desires - Do as it prompts you.”

I’m unwilling to verbalize the different forms of sexual perversion because I want to be sensitive to the children that are present here. Let me just say that there were nearly no limits in Egypt. People that come up through a dysfunctional culture like this usually end up pretty dysfunctional.

They take on the behaviors and patterns of their culture because of constant exposure. Dysfunction becomes the norm. When a person like this is introduced to new way of living, one that is free of dysfunction, it can be very difficult for them to make the transition. Being removed from the objects of addiction was what the Israelites needed but that doesn’t mean that their addictions immediately ceased. Many of those things carried over from one generation to the next.

There were a lot of things and patterns that had to be unlearned. And for once in their lives they were given boundaries. These boundaries or the law was put in place for their own joy and protection. And so they had to learn to live within those boundaries. That wasn’t easy because they had come from a land of nearly no boundaries. I suspect that many-many Israelites were so accustomed to and even comfortable with Egypt’s dysfunction that the pure wholesome life offered in God was unappealing to them and that’s why they wanted to go back.

So three potential reasons,

-They wanted a broader menu.

-They wanted multiple Gods.

-They didn’t know how to function without dysfunction.

These three things just happen to be three reasons why people reject the gospel.

-People reject the gospel because they do not want to limit their spiritual diet to just Jesus and the Bible. They want the “all paths form of spirituality”. The “all paths form” isn’t offensive to others. The “all paths form” lets people pick from many religions the things that they want to believe and stand by. They believe that this is most advantageous.

-People reject the gospel because they do not want to limit their worship to one God. They want to worship multiple gods like themselves, others, and celebrities. They want to worship idols like money, processions, investments, drugs, booze, sex and achievement.

-People reject the gospel because they don’t know how to function without dysfunction. For many great fear seizes them when they ponder the idea of giving up their fears, addictions, patterns, and sinful lifestyles for the sake of Christ. I myself remember being struck with that fear when I was younger. The thought of giving up partying for Jesus really scared me.

I had reached a point in my life where I believed that the only way to be happy and to have fun was to be drunk and stoned. The thought of giving up those things for Jesus brought great fear. How will I be happy, how will I have fun. I didn’t know how to function outside of dysfunction.

We’ll come back to these things a little later, let’s move on.

Stephen had reminded his listeners of how their forefathers thrust Moses aside because they wanted to return to Egypt. In verse 41 he gives them a specific example of how they did this. He points them to the golden calf. The golden calf incident was an infamous one.

Keener wrote:

“The episode of the golden calf was the incident in Israel’s history of which the rabbis were most ashamed; they felt it was the most sinful of Israel’s acts. But they grew defensive when pagans questioned them about it. Josephus, the early historian had omitted the incident, and several centuries later they argued that the pagans who accompanied Israel, not Israel, made the calf.”

Keener says that the golden calf incident was so bad that Israel’s leaders and historians tried to blot it out. They tried to erase it from their history by blaming it on pagans. This proved to be deadly because forgetting their past caused them to repeat it. After Moses and the golden calf, Israel continued to forsake their leaders and engage in various forms of idolatry.

Centuries later, Isaiah said, “Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made” (Isa 2:8).

George Santayana was right when he stated, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Wiping the golden calf from their minds helped to lead them into more idolatry. It is the same with Stephen’s listener’s centuries later. The Sanhedrin worshipped the temple. The nation’s rejection of Moses and worship of the golden calf are parallels to the Sanhedrin’s rejection of Jesus and worship of the temple. That is what Stephen is implying. Paul wrote in Romans 1:25,

“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator.”

That is what the Sanhedrin was guilty of. Stephen goes on to further illustrate Israel’s waywardness and rebellion, look at the rest of 42-43.

Verse

as it is written in the book of the prophets:

“‘Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices, during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? 43 You took up the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan, the images that you made to worship; and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’

Commentary

Israel was particularly attracted to the adoration of “the host of heaven” or astral deities. To support this statement, Stephen quoted from Amos 5:25-27. The opening question seems at first glance to suggest that Israel did not offer sacrifices to God during the wilderness wanderings. They did offer sacrifices because Exodus 24:4-5 and Numbers 7 say so. Stephen is talking about the heart behind their sacrifices, or the heart behind their worship. What they were doing was dreadful. While bringing their sacrificial offerings, they did not come with hearts filled with love and affection for the God who brought them out of Egypt. They came with their hearts and minds fixed on two astral deities, Moloch and Rephan. Moloch was the god of the Ammonites, A.K.A. the planet Venus. Rephan means Saturn in Babylonian.

These two astral deities were the objects of their worship. They would come to the place of sacrifice, lay down their offerings, and secretly give praise to their planet gods. This was a violation of the first commandment. “Thou shall have no other God’s before me.” The Sanhedrin had done the same thing with a different idol. They were bringing their sacrifices to the temple while rejoicing in the work of their hands, the temple. As their forefathers had been, they were also guilty of breaking the 1st commandment. So who was it that blasphemed the law? Was it Stephen or the Sanhedrin? It is clear that it was the Sanhedrin. Stephen then reminds them of the just punishment the nation received for its idolatry. God allowed them to be pillaged and removed from the Promised Land. The northern kingdom was exiled to Damascus and the southern kingdom to Babylon. Look at verses 44-47.

Verse

44 “Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen. 45 Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David, 46 who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. 47 But it was Solomon who built a house for him.

Commentary

In response to the accusation of that he spoke against the temple, Stephen begins to trace the history of the temple to show his respect for it because it was ordained by God.

Stephen draws their attention to the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle was a kind of mobile worship center if you will. It was a tent that housed the Ark of the Covenant, the law tablets, and other fixtures. God Himself commanded that it be built and he gave Moses its dimensions and Moses had it built by skilled Israelites. The Tabernacle became the place where the Jews would bring their sacrifices and come to worship God.

From the time of the conquest to the time of David, Israel had the tabernacle which served as a constant symbol of God’s holy presence. When King David reigned, he became burdened and desired to retire the Tabernacle and build God a temple. Building the temple was David’s idea. God did not come to Him and say build me a temple and make it this big. That is what God did with Moses and the Tabernacle. So, the Tabernacle was God’s idea and the temple was David’s. But when David asked God if he could build the temple, he was refused and God allowed his son Solomon to build it later. Now Stephen in no way denies that God blessed and approved the building of the temple because God did bless and approve it, even though it was David’s idea. He does however deny that God meant it to be the idol that his hearers made it to be. He did this by pointing the Sanhedrin to an incredible prophesy in Isaiah 66:1-2. Look at 48-50:

Verse

48 Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says, 49 “‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? 50 Did not my hand make all these things?’

Commentary

It is believed that this prophesy was made in reference to the temple that Herod the Great was going to build about 20 years before Jesus was born. This was the temple that Stephen was standing in when he gave his speech. When Herod came on the scene, there were nothing but ruins on the temple mount because the former temples, Solomon’s and Zerubbabel’s, had been destroyed.

Now long before Herod was ever born and committed to building a new temple, God saw in advance Israel’s self-confidence and pride in thinking that they could construct a house worthy of Him, and He rebuked them through Isaiah. God declared,

”Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things?”

Heaven is the place where God holds His court; from where He dispenses His commands; and from where He surveys all his works. The idea here is that as God dwelt in the vast and distant heavens, no house that could be built on earth could be magnificent enough to be his abode. A footstool is that which is placed under the feet when we sit.

The idea here is that God was so glorious that even the earth itself could be regarded only as his footstool. What house can you build that will be an appropriate dwelling for Him who fills heaven and earth? God saw Israel’s pride and how they would try to contain Him way in advance. 800 or 900 years before Stephen was dragged before the Sanhedrin, God rebuked His people. And now Stephen is applying this prophecy to the Sanhedrin. By implication, Stephen cries, Isaiah was speaking about you.

So Stephen was not guilty of blaspheming the temple. They were, for thinking that it was glorious enough for God and for trying confine Him to it. MacArthur wrote something really cool about this, he wrote,

“The temple was the symbol of God’s presence, not the prison of His essence.”

That was what the Sanhedrin made the temple into, the prison of God’s essence. And yet, God, by His sovereign will, allowed the religious leaders to continue to play their game for about another 40 years. And then He marched the Romans in like little chess pieces and decimated Jerusalem and the temple. Game over.

In the old days, the Israelites rejected Joseph, Moses, the law, and the Tabernacle. They reveled in idolatry worshipping a golden calf and planet gods. In Stephen’s day they rejected Jesus, the apostles, the law, and the temple. They reveled in idolatry worshipping the land, the law, and the golden temple. The only thing left for Stephen to do at this point is to drive it all home. We’ll have to wait to see how he does that. I do have a few ending thoughts before we close this teaching.

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-The Israelites wanted a broader menu.

Are we satisfied with what God has given us? Are we content with his provision? Do we know and understand that we are all in transition? For those of us that are in Christ, do we know and understand that God is taking us to a better place in the future? That we have an inheritance?

-The Israelites wanted multiple Gods.

What sort of idols are we bowing to?  What has our attention and affection?  Do we come into the house of God with hearts filled with love and gratitude for Him?  Or do we come with our hearts fixed on other things, people, or whatever and just go through the motions?  That's what the Israelites did.  Are we like them?

-The Israelites didn’t know how to function without dysfunction.

Maybe you came up in a dysfunctional home and now you’ve got all of these unhealthy dysfunctional patters and habits. Maybe you’re an addict. I’ll say this is plainly and as sensitively as I can. Friend, the gospel is your only hope. Only Jesus can deliver and heal you. Psychiatry, psychology, and therapy might help to improve your life.  But at the end of the day you're still you.  Only Jesus can make you completely new.  Repent of your sin, believe in His person and work and you will be made new.  Begin to live in the power of His resurrection.  The dysfunction of the past does not have to steer or direct your future.  Believe in the promises of God and continue on the journey with God at the lead.  Your inheritance is coming and it is far better than Egypt.