Luke the physician 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” seeing God in a burning bush and how God sent him, “into Egypt. This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made you a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush. 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, ...”, and in chapter seven and verse forty of the book of Acts Luke shared how Stephen referred to the people of Israel, “saying unto Aaron, make us gods to go before us” where we read:
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.
The verse begins, “Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us:” Luke began with the words, “saying unto Aaron” which means “uttering, declaring and proclaiming to Aaron whose name means light-bringer and was the brother of Moses, the first high priest of Israel and head of the whole priestly order”, “make us gods” or “make ready, produce and prepare for us, the people of Israel, whatever can in any respect be likened unto a god, or resemble him in any way as a representative or idol” “to go before us” which means “to precede, advance and of us, the people of Israel, as a guide or herald”. Luke shared how “Stephen” recalled how the people of Israel requested that “Moses' brother”, “Aaron”, produce a “god” who would precede them in their travels as a “guide and herald”.
The verse continues, “for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what is become of him.” Luke added the words, “for as for this Moses” which means “because, since and on account that the man Moses whose name means drawing out and was the legislator of the Jewish people and in a certain sense the founder of the Jewish religion”, “which brought us out of the land of Egypt” or “who lead us, the people of Israel, apart from the ground, territory and region belonging to Egypt which means double straits and was a country occupying the northeast angle of Africa ”, “we do not know” which means “we, the people of Israel, are without perception, observation, attention, understanding and knowledge about” “what is become of him” or “that which has happened to him, Moses”. (See Exodus 32) Luke shared how “Stephen” said the people of Israel declared their lack of knowledge concerning the whereabouts of “Moses” even through they knew he lead them out of “Egypt”.
When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we learn how “Stephen” reminded the “Sanhedrin” how the people of Israel begin to doubt what happened to “Moses”, so they decided that “Moses' brother Aaron” should form them a “god” who would be a representative leader and guide for their travels. Oh how easy the people of Israel forgot what God Almighty did for them. God loves people, and He knows they need a “Savior” to rescue them from the death penalty of sin. He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross and be raised from the dead three days later to provide a way for people to be forgiven of their sins and granted everlasting life with God. Because “Moses” delayed in returning to them, the people of Israel desired a “god” to be made, and anyone who does not submit to Jesus essentially desires to have another “god” instead of the Almighty God of the Universe. Let all who read these words take heed.
Next time Luke shares how Stephen says, “they made a calf in those days”, 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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