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 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 a 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 seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian. For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not. And the next day he showed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, you are brethren; why do you wrong one to another? But he that did his neighbor wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Will you kill me, as you did the Egyptian yesterday?”, and in chapter seven and verse twenty-nine of the book of Acts Luke shared how Stephen said, “then fled Moses at this saying” where we read:
Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.
The verse begins, “Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, ...” Luke began with the words, “then fled Moses” which means “at that time Moses ran away” “at this saying” or “because of this utterance, declaration, proclamation and question”, “and was a stranger” which means “and existed like a foreigner without the right of citizenship” “in the land of Madian” or “within the territory, region and country belonging to Madian or Midian which means contention or strife”. Luke shared how “Moses” ran away because of the Israelites' question and became a “foreigner” in the country of Midian.
The verse goes on to say, “... where he begat two sons.” Luke continued with the words, “where he begat” which means “in the place that Moses engendered and produced” “two sons” or “two male children”. Luke shared how “Moses” “engendered” “two sons” while living in the land of Midian.
When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we learn through “Stephen” how “Moses” not only ran away because of the question presented by the Israelite who was fighting with his fellow countryman, but also that He went to Midian and had “two sons” there. (See Exodus 2) God's plan for sending His Son Jesus to the world was being fulfilled step by step, and when “Moses” went to “Midian” he was aligning with God's purpose and will to bring “salvation” to every person who surrenders to His Son Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord”. Let all who read these words carefully think through all God did to obtain their salvation and yield themselves to His Son Jesus so they may live forever with Him.
Next time Luke shares how Stephen says, “when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush”, 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".
No comments:
Post a Comment