The Life of Moses Acts 7:17-36
Why is Stephen bringing up Moses? Moses is just as revered as Abraham
Acts 7:17 But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, What are the 4 things God promised Abraham?
Abrahamic Covenant Land Descendants Great Name Blessing
Acts 7:18 Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph. Turn back to Exodus 1
Acts 7:19 The same dealt subtilly [treacherously] with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.
Acts 7:20 In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father s house three months:
Acts 7:21 And when he was cast out, Pharaoh s daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.
Exodus 2:9-11 And Pharaoh s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it. And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.
Moses Life is Saved in Egypt Christ s life is saved in Egypt
Moses was saved by being drawn out of water Moses will save his people by means of water
Acts 7:22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. That Sounds Like Jesus
Acts 7:23 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. Remember Moses has been living in Pharaoh s House
Acts 7:24 And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:
Acts 7:25 For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not. What is Stephen saying here?
Could Israel have been delivered 40 years earlier? Before you say no consider this idea what if all 12 spies would have said yes, we can take the land.
Let s look at how the writer of Hebrews Describes this transition in Moses Life
Hebrews 11:24-25 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Hebrews 11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. For he was looking to the reward
Hebrews 11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. Moses gave up the life of the rich and famous and BTW he never got it back.
Acts 7:26 And the next day he showed himself unto them as they strove [fought], and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another?
Notice Israel Rejects Moses Setting the pattern
Acts 7:27 But he that did his neighbor wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday?
Acts 7:29 Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian [Midian], where he begat two sons. Through Zipporah
Zipporah Like Joseph s Wife Is a Gentile Bride
Gentile Brides Adam & Eve Abraham & Sarah Isaac & Rebekah Joseph & Aseneth Moses & Zipporah Salmon & Rahab Boaz & Ruth
Acts 7:30 And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sinai an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush. Is this the same One who will appear in the fire with the three Hebrews?
Acts 7:31 When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him, God talks. Do you listen?
Acts 7:32 Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst [dared] not behold.
Acts 7:33 Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground.
This ground Is Holy ground because God is there and He first and foremost is Holy!
BTW Since He is Holy, He expects His people to be Holy.
Acts 7:34a I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and [I] am come down to deliver them. Exodus 3:7-10
Exodus 3:7-8 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; 8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey;
Can you take comfort in knowing that the Sovereign Lord of the Universe Hears & Sees
The Sovereign Lord Sees affliction Hears the cry of His people Knows their sorrow But there is more.
Acts 7:34a and [I] am come down to deliver them. He came down Why?
Acts 7:34b And now come, I will send thee into Egypt. The sending of Moses becomes a beautiful type of God sending his only begotten Son
And Moses Is An Amazing Type of Christ
John 17:18 As thou [the Father] hast sent me [Jesus] into the world, Why? even so have I also sent them into the world. Why?
Acts 7:35 This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush.
Stephen Reminds the Jews That they are rejecting Jesus in the same way that the Jews initially rejected Moses
Luke 19:14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
Nothing has Changed The world still rejects Jesus as Ruler and Judge
Jesus is Ok If He is a great moral teacher He is a god of love and tolerance He is slightly effeminate He had an affair with Mary Magdalene He is gay or at least friendly to the LGBT community He is charismatic leader with followers who misunderstood his message
Think about Modern Evangelism Methods In most cases there isn t any mention of the Lordship of Christ
Acts 7:35 This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? Is Jesus a ruler and judge?
Every single reference to Jesus being Lord Is a reference to Jesus being a Ruler
Acts 10:42 And he [Jesus] commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick [living] and dead.
Acts 17:30-31 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Why? Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Acts 7:36 He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years.
How the Red Sea really parted? Moses used knowledge of tides to ensure a safe crossing for the Israelites - instead of waiting for a miracle, expert claims Dr. Bruce Parker, former chief scientist of the NOAA s National Ocean Service believes Moses understood the moon and tides Knowledge helped him predict when the Israelites could cross the Red Sea during low tide, when the sea bed was dry Perfect timing meant waters rushed back when the soldiers were crossing A rival explanation of the 'miracle' which will appear in the film, 'Exodus: Gods and Kings' is that a tsunami caused the sea to part
Stephen s Point If God validated Moses as his man with signs and wonders, why are you rejecting Jesus who was also a man of signs and wonders?
John 3:1-2 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
Jesus Miracles Turns water to wine Heals the blind, lame, deaf, mute, withered, lepers, sick, and paralyzed Walks on water and stops a storm Raises the dead
Jesus Miracles Casts out demons Kills a fig tree Directs individual and schools of fish Feeds 1000s with almost nothing
And then He does what Moses couldn t do He comes back from the Dead