Moses, whom the Israelites rejected, leads them out of bondage: Jesus Christ, whom the Jewish people reject, leads us out of bondage to sin.

Acts 7:17-36

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“But when the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt till another king arose who did not know Joseph. This man dealt treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, making them expose their babies, so that they might not live.” Acts 7:17-19

Joseph governed under two Pharaohs, the first was lenient towards the Israelites, but the second was treacherous and caused the abortion [deaths] of Israelite babies. Stephen was showing from the Old Testament scriptures that the Jewish rulers, whom he is speaking to, are the treacherous rulers who caused death to the birth of the children of God. Our Lod Jesus emphasized this when He said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.” Matthew 23:15

“At this time Moses was born, and was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father’s house for three months. But when he was set out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son. And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.” Acts 7:20-22

At a time when the Pharoah was persecuting and exterminating the Israelites, Moses was born and lived under Israelite parents for three months. Instead of aborting him, as commanded by the law of the Pharoah, they placed him in a basket and put him in the Nile River. The Pharoah’s daughter saw the babe and raised Moses as her own. Moses grew up in the wisdom of the Egyptians and became mighty in words and deeds.

Stephen is showing from Scriptures that the Jewish rulers are the Pharoah that by their command sought to end Jesus Christ and the birth of Christianity. They knew that our Lord Jesus was raised early in His life by Mary and Joseph but also knew that He was brought up in the Jewish customs and by the laws of Judaism. They were even amazed at His understanding and questions about the Scriptures when He was only 12 years of age, as quoted, “And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast…Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.” Luke 2:42, 46-47

Like Moses, who grew mighty in the wisdom of the Pharaohs Jesus grew mighty in the word of God, the Old Testament Scriptures, and in His deeds, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Luke 2:52

The Jewish rulers knew Stephen was talking about Jesus Christ because they marveled and could recognize the followers of Jesus by their wisdom in the Scriptures and their boldness, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13

“Now when he was 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 and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian. For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand.” Acts 7:23-25

Moses began intervening on behalf of the Israelites when he was forty years of age. He was within the family of the Pharoah at this time, being adopted by the Pharoah’s daughter. Moses defended an Israelite who was being harmed and oppressed by an Egyptian, believing that all the Israelites would understand that he came to deliver them. But they didn’t.

Stephen was saying to the Jewish rulers that Jesus Christ came to deliver the Jewish people from the ruler’s wrong-doing and spiritual oppression. It would seem that the Jewish people would have understood that Jesus came to deliver them from the wolves in sheep clothing [the Jewish leaders]. But they didn’t. In fact, they cried for His crucifixion. “Then [Pilate] said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go.” But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed.” Luke 23:22-23

“And the next day he appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren; why do you wrong one another?’ But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?’ Then, at this saying, Moses fled and became a dweller in the land of Midian, where he had two sons.” Acts 7:26-29

After Moses defended an Israelite from suffering wrongdoing at the hands of an Egyptian, the next day he tried to reconcile two Israelites who were fighting among themselves. Moses said to them, “‘Men, you are brethren; why do you wrong one another?’” The one who did his neighbor wrong said, “‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?” Moses fled from the Israelites because they were about to deliver him into the hands of the Egyptians for killing an Egyptian.

Stephen was showing from the Old Testament to the Jewish leaders, that they were the ones who said to Jesus Christ, a Jewish “brother”, “‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?” Jesus quit walking openly among the Jewish people because they wanted Him dead, like Moses who fled the Israelites, “Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death. Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.” John 11:53-54

Jesus came simply to reconcile the Jewish people to God, like Moses when he came to the Israelites, as Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:18-19

“And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai. When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he drew near to observe, the voice of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘I am the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses trembled and dared not look. ‘Then the Lord said to him, “Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.”’ Acts 7:30-34

God appeared to Moses in a flame of fire in a bush, and God said this was Holy ground where Moses was standing. This is the same God of Abrham, Issac, and Jacob, the forefathers of the Israelites. God sent Moses to deliver the Israelites from their oppression.

Stephen was showing the Jewish leaders, through the Old Testament scriptures, that God had given Jesus His Spirit, the flaming fire of the Holy Spirit. Where Jesus stands is Holy Ground. God sent Jesus to deliver the Jewish people, and all of us, from spiritual oppression and bondage to sin. The Jewish rulers accused Jesus of blaspheme and having a demon and despised the notion that Jesus was empowered by the Spirit of God to deliver them and all the Jewish people from bondage to sin. “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?…Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”” John 8:31-33, 48

“This Moses whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush. He brought them out, after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years.” Acts 7:35-36

Stephen further quotes the Old Testament scriptures about Moses being rejected as they said, “‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’” The Jewish rulers perceived that Stephen was talking about them because all through the ministry of Jesus they were saying to Him, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’” Like Moses, who brought the Israelites out of bondage through signs and wonders, our Lord Jesus did signs and wonders so that we would know He has the authority to forgive sin. The Jewish rulers knew Stephen was speaking the truth that Jesus did many signs and wonders, yet the Jewish people were/are like the Israelites wandering in the wilderness.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11