Who Understands Faith?
Stephen's Martyrdom
Acts 7:39-43
The Message
35-39 “This
is the same Moses whom they earlier rejected, saying, ‘Who put you in
charge of us?’ This is the Moses that God, using the angel flaming in
the burning bush, sent back as ruler and redeemer. He led them out of
their slavery. He did wonderful things, setting up God-signs all through
Egypt, down at the Red Sea, and out in the wilderness for forty years.
This is the Moses who said to his congregation, ‘God will raise up a
prophet just like me from your descendants.’ This is the Moses who stood
between the angel speaking at Sinai and your fathers assembled in the
wilderness and took the life-giving words given to him and handed them
over to us, words our fathers would have nothing to do with.
39-41 “They craved the old Egyptian ways, whining to Aaron, ‘Make us gods we can see and follow. This Moses who got us out here miles from nowhere—who knows what’s happened to him!’ That was the time when they made a calf-idol, brought sacrifices to it, and congratulated each other on the wonderful religious program they had put together.
42-43 “God wasn’t at all pleased; but he let them do it their way, worship every new god that came down the pike—and live with the consequences, consequences described by the prophet Amos:
39-41 “They craved the old Egyptian ways, whining to Aaron, ‘Make us gods we can see and follow. This Moses who got us out here miles from nowhere—who knows what’s happened to him!’ That was the time when they made a calf-idol, brought sacrifices to it, and congratulated each other on the wonderful religious program they had put together.
42-43 “God wasn’t at all pleased; but he let them do it their way, worship every new god that came down the pike—and live with the consequences, consequences described by the prophet Amos:
Did you bring me offerings of animals and grains
those forty wilderness years, O Israel?
Hardly. You were too busy building shrines
to war gods, to sex goddesses,
Worshiping them with all your might.
That’s why I put you in exile in Babylon.
those forty wilderness years, O Israel?
Hardly. You were too busy building shrines
to war gods, to sex goddesses,
Worshiping them with all your might.
That’s why I put you in exile in Babylon.
For Reflection
People!
What is your problem? Stephen speaks of the Moses who prophesied the
coming of Christ! This is the Moses who when he was away from the
people they turned from God and wallowed in self-righteousness! The law
was insufficient to ensure commitment, confidence and trust in the
Lord.
This is the God who let his people try it their way only to suffer the consequences of their own making. God does not approve!
What gives you confidence? What gives you the reason to trust? What holds you closely to the Lord?
This is the God who let his people try it their way only to suffer the consequences of their own making. God does not approve!
What gives you confidence? What gives you the reason to trust? What holds you closely to the Lord?
Pray
for
those who lose their trust in the promise of God. Pray that you will
patiently sustain your trust in God even though you may lose sight of
the promise.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please post comments here.