The physician Luke wrote, “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 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, and said unto him, Get you out of your country, and from your kindred, and come into the land which I shall show you. Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelled in Charran: and from there, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein you now dwell”, and in chapter seven and verse five of the book of Acts Luke shared how “Stephen” continued by saying God, “gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on” where we read:
And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.
The verse begins, “And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on:” Luke began with the words, “and he gave him” which means “and God bestowed, granted, furnished and supplied Abraham” “none inheritance in it” or “not any property, possession or share within the land of Israel”, “no, not so much as to set his foot on” which means “no and not at all to even place, fix or establish Abraham's physical foot upon it”. Luke shared how God did not provide “Abraham” with any possession or place to put his foot within the land to which He lead him.
The verse goes on to say, “yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.” Luke continued with the words, “yet he promised” which means “even so and also God professed and announced” “that he would give it to him” or “that he, God, would grant, bestow, furnish and supply the land of Israel” “for a possession” which means “toward an occupancy”, “and to his seed after him” or “and toward his, Abraham's, offspring and posterity who would arrive behind Abraham”, “when as yet he had no child” which means “at the time and moment in advance of Abraham having any offspring or progeny”. Luke shared how God “promised” He would give “Abraham” and his posterity the land as a “possession” even before “Abraham” produced any children.
When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we see how “Stephen” knew God promised to provide an “inheritance” of the land of Israel to “Abraham” and his offspring well before Abraham had any children. In other words, God kept His promise to “Abraham” because the members of the “Sanhedrin” were a fulfillment of God's promise. God loves people, and even when they are attempting to “stop” His “gospel” from being spread, He is willing to offer salvation and forgiveness to anyone who yields to His Son Jesus. “Stephen's” defense merits careful study for anyone who doubts the power and omniscience of God, and when they discover this was God's plan for the “salvation” of mankind, the wise will submit themselves to Jesus who arrived through the lineage of “Abraham”.
Next time Luke shares how Stephen continues his speech by referring to how God said, “That his seed should sojourn in a strange land”, 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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