The physician Luke wrote, “Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke. Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, and set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceases not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us. And 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 in chapter seven and verse two of the book of Acts Luke shared how Stephen began to answer the high priest and the people in the synagogue by saying, “Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken” where we read:
And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelled in Charran,
The verse begins, “And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken;” Luke began with the words, “and he said” which means “and Stephen uttered, declared and proclaimed”, “Men, brethren, and fathers” or “male human beings, brothers or fellow countrymen and male generators or ancestors” “hearken” which means “be endowed with the faculty of hearing, consider, attend to and perceive”. Luke shared how “Stephen” addressed the “men, brothers and male ancestors” who were part of the “Sanhedrin”.
The verse continues, “The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, ...”. Luke added the words, “the God of glory” which means “the Heavenly Father God who possesses honor, praise, splendor and brightness” “appeared unto our father Abraham” or “allowed Himself to be seen by the people of Israel's forefather named Abraham which means father of a multitude and was the son of Terah and the founder of the Jewish nation”, “when he was in Mesopotamia” which means “at the time and moment Abraham was in Mesopotamia which means between tow rivers and was the entire country between the two rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates” “before he dwelled in Charran” or “in advance and prior to when Abraham lived, settled and resided in Charron or Haran which means a mountaineer and was a city in Mesopotamia of great antiquity and made famous by the defeat of Crassus”. Luke shared how “Stephen” told the “Sanhedrin” how “God” revealed Himself to “Abraham” while he was living in “Mesopotamia” prior to the time he lived in “Herod”.
When we mediate upon Luke's words in this verse, we learn how “Stephen” began to defend himself before the “high priest” and the “Sanhedrin”. He began to recite their history starting with “the Heavenly Father God” revealing Himself to their forefather “Abraham”. We shall see how “Stephen” refers to the lineage of Israel to share how Jesus was destined to be the “Messiah and Christ of God”. Those who examine these words of “Stephen” will find a beautiful review of the plan and purpose of God to save mankind, and when they discover His love and care for everyone, let them yield themselves to Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord”.
Next time Luke shares how Stephen continues his speech by saying God told Abraham, “Get you out of your country, and from your kindred, and come into the land which I shall show you”, 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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