The physician Luke wrote how, “Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people”, and after being interrogated by the people in the synagogue, “all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. Then said the high priest, Are these things so?”, and Stephen defended his faith by referring to, “Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph”. He spoke about “Moses” being raised in Egypt and defending his fellow countryman. After “Moses' act” of killing an Egyptian was known, “Then fled Moses at this saying” and after forty years, God revealed Himself to Moses in a burning bush. God sent Moses back to Egypt as a deliverer, and he “brought them out, after that he had showed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years. This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall you hear. This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spoke to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us. To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt, saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what is become of him”, and in chapter seven and verse forty-one of the book of Acts Luke shared how Stephen said, “they made a calf in those days” where we read:
And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol,
and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
The verse begins, “And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, ...” Luke began with the words, “and they made a calf” which means “and Aaron and the people of Israel produced, prepared and fabricated an image of a small bullock” “in those days” or “at that time period”, “and offered sacrifice unto the idol” which means “and brought forth and took up victims to worship the image of a heathen and false god”. (See Exodus 32:1-8) Luke shared how “Stephen” referred to the way the people of Israel not only “fabricated” an idol that looked like a “calf”, but they also began to worship it.
The verse goes on to say, “... and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.” Luke continued with the words, “and rejoiced in the works” which means “and made joyful merriment, delight and gladness over the undertakings, employment, industry and accomplishments” “of their own hands” or “belonging to the people of Israel's own physical hands”. Luke shared how “Stephen” said the people of Israel also began to be “merry and joyful” over the accomplishments of their own physical hands.
When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we learn through “Stephen” how easily the people of Israel turned from trusting in the Lord God Almighty to a “man-made” idol that looked like a “calf”. A god or goddess, in the lower sense of the words, becomes whatever a person gives their time, energy, effort and worship toward. In this case, the people of Israel could not “see” Moses, and they gave up on him. They desired to worship a “god” they could see, and rather than trust the Heavenly Father God and His minister “Moses”, they requested that “Aaron” form a “god” they could worship. God loves people, and His desire is to have a personal relationship with them through His Son Jesus. When they submit to Jesus, He will forgive their sins and grant them everlasting life with Him. If they do not yield to Jesus, they replace the true God with a false one, and anyone who goes down that path will find themselves forever separated from the One and Only Creator God who sent His Son Jesus to save them.
Next time Luke shares how Stephen says, “then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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