Welcome back to Books of the
Book. When we went to our break
00:00:02.00\00:00:06.38
we were just beginning to enter
into chapter 7 of the book of
00:00:06.41\00:00:11.31
Acts and so that's where we want
to pick up. Stephen had just
00:00:11.35\00:00:16.22
been addressed by the high
priest who had been told many
00:00:16.25\00:00:20.34
false accusations and he wanted
to know how Stephen was going to
00:00:20.38\00:00:24.42
answer to this. Stephen took the
opportunity to walk through the
00:00:24.45\00:00:28.25
history of God's people, the
nation of Israel, and we're not
00:00:28.28\00:00:31.26
going to have the time to read
through all this but I want to
00:00:31.29\00:00:34.38
do a brief review of the
key points of what he shared and
00:00:34.41\00:00:37.99
then especially highlight the
end of that particular address.
00:00:38.03\00:00:42.26
In verse 2 he begins to talk
to them about first how the God
00:00:42.29\00:00:45.98
of glory appeared to our father
Abraham; he starts with the
00:00:46.02\00:00:49.64
father of the Jews, Abraham, and
how Abraham had been called out
00:00:49.68\00:00:53.67
of his country and given
promises of descendants and was
00:00:53.71\00:00:57.55
told to go to a land that God
would show him. And then as he
00:00:57.58\00:01:01.34
continues through the account
he speaks of how Abraham begot
00:01:01.38\00:01:05.53
Isaac and then Isaac Jacob and
then Jacob had the 12 patriarchs
00:01:05.57\00:01:09.69
And then of course one of
the sons of Jacob was Joseph and
00:01:09.72\00:01:13.08
was sold into slavery. He tells
the story of Joseph being sold
00:01:13.12\00:01:16.35
into slavery and how that was
for a purpose, to spare God's
00:01:16.38\00:01:19.55
people when the famine came upon
the land and Joseph was there to
00:01:19.58\00:01:23.54
provide for his brothers and his
father at just the right time.
00:01:23.57\00:01:28.55
But then of course the children
of Israel, the patriarchs, died
00:01:28.59\00:01:33.53
and the children of Israel
began to grow and as they grew
00:01:33.57\00:01:37.34
stronger and stronger in Egypt
we find that they were placed
00:01:37.37\00:01:41.61
under oppression. So God raised
up Moses and Stephen brings
00:01:41.64\00:01:46.34
Moses into the narrative. And he
begins to talk about how Moses
00:01:46.37\00:01:50.83
was raised up to be a deliverer
of God's people because of the
00:01:50.86\00:01:55.07
oppression that they were under
there in Egypt. When you get
00:01:55.11\00:02:00.68
down to verse 35 he begins
to use some language that speaks
00:02:00.71\00:02:06.22
of how the nation of Israel did
not respond all that well to the
00:02:06.25\00:02:10.06
working of God. In verse
35, it says this Moses whom they
00:02:10.09\00:02:13.64
rejected, he just adds that
in there, this Moses whom they
00:02:13.68\00:02:17.33
rejected saying who made
you ruler and a judge is the one
00:02:17.36\00:02:20.95
God sent to be a deliverer and
a ruler. So the people were not
00:02:20.98\00:02:25.82
responding in favor to what
God was doing for them. As you
00:02:25.86\00:02:29.84
continue through he talks about
how they rebelled against God
00:02:29.87\00:02:34.01
In verse 38 it says, This is he
who was in the congregation in
00:02:34.04\00:02:37.37
the wilderness with the Angel
who spoke to him on Mount Sinai
00:02:37.40\00:02:41.14
and with our fathers, the one
who received the living oracles
00:02:41.18\00:02:45.25
to give us, speaking of Moses,
whom our fathers would not obey
00:02:45.28\00:02:49.58
but rejected. So he again
points back to the fact that our
00:02:49.62\00:02:53.31
fathers were not... as many
wonderful things that we have to
00:02:53.34\00:02:57.12
say about them they did reject
the messengers that God sent
00:02:57.16\00:03:00.86
and the deliverers that God sent
Then he turns to the account of
00:03:00.90\00:03:05.26
what God instructed Moses to do,
to raise up a tabernacle and he
00:03:05.30\00:03:10.04
describes this in verses 44-50
concluding in verses 48-50. I'll
00:03:10.07\00:03:14.35
read there: However the most
high does not dwell in temples
00:03:14.39\00:03:18.44
made with hands as the prophet
says, Heaven is my throne and
00:03:18.48\00:03:22.55
earth is my footstool. What
house will you build for me says
00:03:22.58\00:03:26.29
the Lord or what is the place
of my rest? Has my hand not made
00:03:26.33\00:03:30.55
all these things. They put, the
Jews and the religious leaders,
00:03:30.58\00:03:34.44
a great emphasis on the temple
and on that which was built.
00:03:34.48\00:03:38.31
That was their national
pride. But he brings into this
00:03:38.34\00:03:41.19
scripture to say, You know, as
important as that was truthfully
00:03:41.22\00:03:46.91
God cannot be housed in a
temple and he's bringing little
00:03:46.94\00:03:51.97
statements in that lead to
conviction in the hearts of
00:03:52.00\00:03:56.95
those who were listening, these
religious leaders. And I can
00:03:56.99\00:04:01.64
only imagine that while he is
looking in the eyes of the high
00:04:01.67\00:04:06.29
priest and these religious
leaders that he begins to
00:04:06.32\00:04:08.40
recognize this is not going
anywhere. They're beginning to
00:04:08.44\00:04:12.38
get uncomfortable. They are
not responding favorably. He can
00:04:12.42\00:04:16.58
sense that it's not going to do
any good to continue down this
00:04:16.62\00:04:20.75
narrative and so suddenly...
You know, Jim, as preachers
00:04:20.78\00:04:24.36
we've both had the
opportunity when you preach to a
00:04:24.39\00:04:27.21
congregation and maybe this
is giving something away to our
00:04:27.25\00:04:30.90
viewers, but preachers can tell
when a person starts to get less
00:04:30.93\00:04:34.70
receptive. Body language starts
to shift a little bit and they
00:04:34.74\00:04:37.78
cross their arms and things
like this and you see that the
00:04:37.81\00:04:40.78
reception is now shutting down
and so there were evidences that
00:04:40.82\00:04:42.51
the reception is now shutting
down and so there were evidences
00:04:42.55\00:04:44.86
that Stephen could pick up on
in his hearers to see whether or
00:04:44.89\00:04:47.16
not they were receptive.
That's right and I think in this
00:04:47.20\00:04:51.11
moment it almost seems out
of place but Stephen recognizes
00:04:51.15\00:04:54.71
that it's not going to be of
any benefit to go down this same
00:04:54.74\00:04:58.27
path, to go down this same
narrative and he stops and he
00:04:58.30\00:05:02.84
comes right to the point and
he speaks with great fervor and
00:05:02.88\00:05:07.41
directness and honesty as has
characterized the teaching and
00:05:07.44\00:05:12.17
preaching in the book of Acts.
He gets into verse 51 and he
00:05:12.20\00:05:17.21
says some things that I would
not feel comfortable or would
00:05:17.25\00:05:22.23
not be able to say from
my pulpit without some major
00:05:22.26\00:05:26.57
ramifications. Mark, why
don't you take us through this
00:05:26.61\00:05:30.19
incredible turn of events
in the address of Stephen.
00:05:30.22\00:05:33.73
Well as you said in verse 51
when you're reading through this
00:05:33.77\00:05:38.34
you get a clear shift in his
delivery and he says in verse 51
00:05:38.37\00:05:42.91
You stiff-necked and
uncircumcised in heart and ears.
00:05:42.94\00:05:46.38
You always resist the Holy
Spirit as your fathers did so do
00:05:46.41\00:05:50.32
you. There's so much that
could be said here. The idea of
00:05:50.36\00:05:54.85
circumcision. It was an outward
right for them and Stephen
00:05:54.89\00:05:59.35
points out here that
circumcision was not meant to be
00:05:59.38\00:06:02.23
merely outward and their whole
religion has been merely outward
00:06:02.27\00:06:06.05
and he basically says, but you
are resisting the Holy Spirit
00:06:06.08\00:06:10.08
and when I talked about that
lack of receptiveness that you
00:06:10.11\00:06:13.44
can see when you preach
sometimes the reality is we need
00:06:13.47\00:06:16.39
to realize that when we feel
unreceptive and sometimes we
00:06:16.42\00:06:19.27
feel very justified, we may be
resisting the Holy Spirit. They
00:06:19.31\00:06:22.34
were resisting the Holy Spirit
and what he says here next is
00:06:22.37\00:06:26.68
powerful. He says, As your
fathers did, so do you. Which of
00:06:26.72\00:06:31.29
the prophets did your fathers
not persecute and they killed
00:06:31.33\00:06:35.54
those who foretold the coming
of the Just One of whom you now
00:06:35.57\00:06:39.68
have become the betrayers and
murderers who have received the
00:06:39.71\00:06:43.83
law by the direction of angels
and have not kept it. Now our
00:06:43.86\00:06:47.76
viewers may not pick this
up right away but there are two
00:06:47.80\00:06:51.62
things that Stephen brings out
here and that is the Law and the
00:06:51.66\00:06:54.61
prophets, in reverse order, the
prophets and the law and they
00:06:54.64\00:06:57.56
have rejected both of them.
And this is not a first time
00:06:57.59\00:07:01.02
occurrence. It's interesting and
I think he's making reference
00:07:01.06\00:07:05.49
this in Nehemiah chapter 9.
If we go to Nehemiah chapter 9,
00:07:05.53\00:07:09.62
we're going to see something
interesting in verse 26, back
00:07:09.65\00:07:13.60
before the Psalms, back before
the book of Job. Go back to the
00:07:13.64\00:07:17.63
book of Nehemiah and chapter
9 verse 26. This is an address
00:07:17.66\00:07:21.78
that Nehemiah gives the people
of God in the days after the
00:07:21.82\00:07:26.28
Babylonian captivity. In
other words, this is a time when
00:07:26.32\00:07:30.71
Israel has been unfaithful to
God. God allowed them to go into
00:07:30.75\00:07:34.23
captivity and after them coming
out of captivity, Nehemiah is
00:07:34.26\00:07:38.01
describing what led them into
that captivity and he says in
00:07:38.05\00:07:41.73
verse 26: Nevertheless they were
disobedient and rebelled against
00:07:41.76\00:07:46.61
you, speaking to God; they cast
your law behind their backs and
00:07:46.64\00:07:51.45
killed your prophets who
testified against them to turn
00:07:51.48\00:07:56.45
them to yourself. So the
prophets the whole reason for
00:07:56.48\00:08:00.50
their testifying against
the people, just like Stephen
00:08:00.54\00:08:04.49
testifying against the people,
was to turn them to God and they
00:08:04.53\00:08:07.46
worked great provocations.
Therefore you delivered them
00:08:07.50\00:08:10.11
into the hand of their enemies
who oppressed them. And in the
00:08:10.14\00:08:12.69
time of their trouble when they
cried to you, you heard from
00:08:12.72\00:08:15.15
heaven and according to your
abundant mercies you gave them
00:08:15.19\00:08:17.48
deliverers who saved them
from the hand of their enemies.
00:08:17.51\00:08:19.73
And so God did with Israel. Even
in the Babylonian captivity, he
00:08:19.77\00:08:25.11
allowed them to go into
the captivity because of their
00:08:25.15\00:08:27.18
rejection of the Law and the
prophets and when they came out
00:08:27.21\00:08:30.31
of that captivity Nehemiah
gives this address and there's a
00:08:30.35\00:08:33.12
reason for this because it's
a special period in time for
00:08:33.16\00:08:35.90
Israel. That's
right. And you know right
00:08:35.93\00:08:38.45
after the Babylonian captivity
the Lord gave a probationary
00:08:38.48\00:08:42.59
opportunity to Israel and at the
risk of going through a pretty
00:08:42.62\00:08:46.70
in depth study here I just want
our viewers to recognize that
00:08:46.74\00:08:50.78
there is some prophetic
significance to what we're
00:08:50.82\00:08:53.01
seeing here in this address of
Stephen. Back in Daniel chapter
00:08:53.04\00:08:59.18
9 we find a vision that is given
that points from the period
00:08:59.21\00:09:03.44
right after the Babylonian
captivity beginning during the
00:09:03.47\00:09:07.45
days of Persia and points
all the way to this time of
00:09:07.49\00:09:11.40
Stephen's address. There's a
prophecy that begins in verse 24
00:09:11.43\00:09:15.91
of Daniel 9 and it begins,
70 weeks are determined for your
00:09:15.94\00:09:20.38
people. Now this is Gabriel
speaking to Daniel so your
00:09:20.41\00:09:24.95
people would be the
Jewish nation. Seventy weeks are
00:09:24.98\00:09:29.45
determined for your people and
for your holy city. Now this is
00:09:29.48\00:09:34.75
an appeal being given to the
Jewish nation and Jerusalem and
00:09:34.78\00:09:39.41
it continues to say this is
what you have 70 weeks to do.
00:09:39.45\00:09:44.05
It's a probationary
time. That's right, 70 weeks of
00:09:44.08\00:09:46.99
probationary period, to finish
the transgression, to make an
00:09:47.02\00:09:50.81
end of sins, to make
reconciliation for iniquity, to
00:09:50.85\00:09:54.42
bring in everlasting
righteousness, to seal up vision
00:09:54.45\00:09:57.99
and prophecy and to
anoint the most holy.
00:09:58.02\00:09:59.70
So this was the last chance for
Israel to stop rejecting the law
00:09:59.73\00:10:03.43
and the prophets.
That's right. You see that
00:10:03.47\00:10:05.77
during this period where
the law and the prophets were
00:10:05.81\00:10:08.66
continually being rejected that
led to the Babylonian captivity
00:10:08.70\00:10:11.78
and now right after the
Babylonian captivity God says,
00:10:11.82\00:10:16.11
Okay, I'm going to give you
a period of time to make amends
00:10:16.15\00:10:19.37
for your rejection of the
law and the prophets. And that
00:10:19.41\00:10:22.56
period of time is 70 weeks. Now
70 weeks, there's seven days in
00:10:22.60\00:10:27.19
a week, so 70 x 7 would be 490.
And commentators are agreed that
00:10:27.22\00:10:31.78
what we're looking at here
are days that are prophetic days
00:10:31.81\00:10:35.95
that equal literal years. So
this is 490 years for the nation
00:10:35.98\00:10:39.73
of Israel to get things right
and it begins with the command
00:10:39.76\00:10:43.22
to restore and build Jerusalem,
which happened during the days
00:10:43.26\00:10:47.15
of Artaxerxes, king of Persia.
So you're going from Persia, all
00:10:47.18\00:10:51.11
the way 490 years and those
that have studied this prophecy
00:10:51.14\00:10:54.94
recognize that that takes you
past the life and ministry of
00:10:54.98\00:10:59.02
Christ to his baptism, his
crucifixion and that 70 weeks
00:10:59.06\00:11:03.07
or 490-year period... It
doesn't just get past but
00:11:03.10\00:11:05.19
through because it points out
and gives the time of Christ's
00:11:05.23\00:11:09.71
baptism, his crucifixion and
the concludes, believe it or not
00:11:09.74\00:11:14.18
right here three and a
half years later after the
00:11:14.22\00:11:17.20
crucifixion we see the stoning
of Stephen and his fervent
00:11:17.23\00:11:23.22
appeal as the last proclamation
of this probationary period.
00:11:23.26\00:11:27.35
That's right. In fact, he's
announcing the close. It's an
00:11:27.38\00:11:31.40
indictment and so his mentioning
the rejection of the law and the
00:11:31.44\00:11:34.74
prophets was a fulfillment
of their rejection of their last
00:11:34.77\00:11:38.84
probationary period.
That's right. They did not make
00:11:38.88\00:11:42.58
amends for their violation
of the law and the prophets.
00:11:42.62\00:11:46.26
And so the Bible says that they
were cut to the heart when they
00:11:46.29\00:11:49.25
heard it. It's interesting, the
same language is used in Acts
00:11:49.29\00:11:52.11
2 only when they were cut to the
heart in Acts 2 they said men
00:11:52.14\00:11:54.98
and brethren what shall we do.
But here it says when they were
00:11:55.02\00:11:57.97
cut to the heart, in verse 54,
they gnashed at him with their
00:11:58.00\00:12:04.10
teeth and it goes on to say that
he sees the Son of God standing
00:12:04.13\00:12:10.05
at the right hand of God and
he says that in his address and
00:12:10.08\00:12:14.22
then it says in verse 57, they
cried out with a loud voice and
00:12:14.26\00:12:17.60
they stopped their ears. So
when they were cut to the heart,
00:12:17.63\00:12:20.94
convicted by the Holy
Spirit, instead of turning for
00:12:20.97\00:12:26.01
repentance they stopped their
ears, they didn't want to hear
00:12:26.04\00:12:28.26
anymore and they
sealed their rejection.
00:12:28.30\00:12:30.84
That's right, they did. And
they went and stoned Stephen
00:12:30.87\00:12:33.85
to death. When
I think about this
00:12:33.88\00:12:35.68
rejection, I'm taken back to
Stephen's specific words because
00:12:35.72\00:12:41.43
he says in verse 51: You stiff
necked and uncircumcised in
00:12:41.46\00:12:45.83
heart and ears. You always
resist the Holy Spirit as your
00:12:45.86\00:12:50.16
fathers did so do you. You can't
help but hear in that this sense
00:12:50.20\00:12:56.63
of safety that they felt just
doing what their fathers had
00:12:56.66\00:13:02.08
done, doing what the
masses around them were doing.
00:13:02.12\00:13:04.83
Well you know there's that
famous gospel song, Give Me That
00:13:04.87\00:13:08.24
Old Time Religion, it was good
enough for mother, it was good
00:13:08.27\00:13:11.61
enough for father, it's
good enough for me. There's an
00:13:11.65\00:13:16.03
element of that that's positive
but there's an element of that
00:13:16.07\00:13:18.74
that says I'm not going to
investigate and think that I'm
00:13:18.77\00:13:21.41
going to ever
learn any more truth.
00:13:21.45\00:13:22.81
That's right. If I go to 1
Corinthians 10 just to make
00:13:22.84\00:13:26.53
reference. This is the apostle
Paul speaking about the children
00:13:26.57\00:13:29.52
of Israel and it says: They were
all under the cloud, all passed
00:13:29.56\00:13:32.48
through the sea, all were
baptized unto Moses in the
00:13:32.51\00:13:34.91
cloud and in the sea
00:13:34.95\00:13:35.98
but with most of them God
was not well pleased for their
00:13:36.01\00:13:40.74
bodies were scattered in the
wilderness. So just because the
00:13:40.77\00:13:44.78
majority are going in a certain
direction we cannot resist the
00:13:44.81\00:13:48.84
voice of the Holy Spirit. When
the truth is coming into our
00:13:48.88\00:13:52.75
heart we cannot look at those
around us to determine whether
00:13:52.79\00:13:56.33
or not it's true or we're going
to find ourselves in a very
00:13:56.37\00:14:00.46
unsafe place and potentially
find ourselves resisting the
00:14:00.49\00:14:04.48
truth as the children of Israel
did. Well we're out of time.
00:14:04.51\00:14:08.46
So we'll look forward
to seeing you next time on
00:14:08.50\00:14:11.27
Books of the Book.
00:14:11.31\00:14:12.70