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 how, “Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs. And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him, and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt”. However, later another Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph who made the people of Israel as slaves in Egypt for four hundred years in which time, “Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months. And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son. And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel”, and in chapter seven and verse twenty-four of the book of Acts Luke shared how Moses, “seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him” where we read:
And seeing one of them suffer wrong,
he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:
The verse begins, “And seeing one of them suffer wrong, ...” Luke began with the words, “and seeing one of them” which means “and beholding, observing and noticing a particular and certain one of the people of Israel” “suffer wrong” or “being treated unjustly, wickedly and damaged” performed the following act. Luke shared how “Stephen” said “Moses” observed one of the people of Israel being “treated unjustly” by one of the “Egyptians”.
The verse continues, “... he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:” Luke added the words, “he defended him” which means “Moses warded off and protected the unjustly treated person from Israel”, “and avenged him” or “and took vengeance upon the Egyptian who abused the unjustly treated person from Israel” “that was oppressed” which means “who was afflicted, treated roughly and troubled with toil”, “and smote the Egyptian” or “and struck the person from Egypt”. Luke shared how “Stephen” told the “Sanhedrin” how “Moses” “defended and avenged” the mistreated person from Israel by “striking” the “Egyptian” so that he died.
When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we see how “Stephen” referred to the way “Moses” observed one of his fellow Israelites being mistreated by an “Egyptian”. This caused “Moses” to come to the person's “defense”, and he struck the “Egyptian” to retaliate for the wrongdoing he was committing. This event will also lead to the revelation of God's Son Jesus as it is another step in God's intentional desire to “redeem” people from their sins. God loves people, and He desires to have a personal relationship with everyone who will submit themselves to His Son Jesus. Those who yield their lives to Jesus will be forgiven of their sins and granted everlasting life with God. Let all who consider “Moses' defense” of his fellow countryman understand this to be another part of God's plan to provide salvation to mankind.
Next time Luke shares how Stephen says Moses, “supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them”, 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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