Let's catch up & do two reading since I missed yesterday.
Stephen was one of the appointed seven administrators. It seems he was also a gifted speaker. However, his testimony caused opposition from the Jews. So, they brought false charges against him. Hmmm . . . seems like we have another conspiracy. Do you ever read the Bible and think, "When will they ever learn?" Every time I think this, I hear a quiet little voice in the back of my mind reminding me that I'm pretty thick-headed too. It's easy to judge others after the fact. It's much better to slow down & start judging your own actions & thoughts. That's why these things are recorded in the Bible. Not only to teach us how things should be done, but also to warn us how things shouldn't be done. Every time you shake your head & think, "how could they be so blind, ignorant, willfully disobedient?" you need to make a mental note to NOT do the same things.
Back to Stephen. So, Stephen is brought before the council with trumped up charges. What is his response? Perhaps one of my favorite sermons of all time . . . not only does he sum up the history of the Jewish people, he emphasizes that God has a plan & keeps His Word. God spoke to Abraham, Joseph, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, these men listened & God blessed them. He also points out that the people (as a whole) repeatedly rejected God & went their own way. Then he brings it on home. The council has done the same thing. They have heard God and refused to listen. They have seen God and they killed him. They have learned nothing from the past, they have no relationship with God, their worship is empty.
Now, a sermon is meant to teach us. To open our eyes to the truth of God, to encourage us in our daily life, to strengthen our relationship with God. Unfortunately, the council has been closing their ears and hardening their hearts to the Word of God for so long that when it is laid before them, they don't even recognize it. Just like you & me, when our faults are presented to us we tend to react with anger and offense. Instead of listening to the critique and allowing it to make us better people, we throw out the one who brought us the truth. The council took it one step further, they stoned Stephen.
Notice two things in this last paragraph:
1) Stephen is focused on God. He prays, he asks forgiveness for those who are stoning him. He doesn't fight back, he doesn't hurl harsh words on his murderers. He looks to God. Where is your focus? On the men and women around you or on God?
2) Saul is introduced. Saul is his Hebrew name, Paul his Greek name. He is a young man, but he is already growing a healthy hatred of Christians at this point. We will learn more about him later.
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