Acts 7:36 - Printer Friendly

ESV: This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years.

NIV: He led them out of Egypt and performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the wilderness.

NASB: This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years.

CSB: This man led them out and performed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years.

NLT: And by means of many wonders and miraculous signs, he led them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and through the wilderness for forty years.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: 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.

Stephen continues to remind his audience of Moses' place in Israel's history. God sent him to rescue the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. God used him to send ten plagues on Egypt until Pharaoh agreed to let them go (Exodus 7—12). At God's direction, Moses raised his staff, and the Red Sea parted, letting the Israelites flee and the Egyptian army drown (Exodus 14). For forty years, Moses continued to do miracles through the power of God, including providing water and food in the barren desert (Exodus 15:22–27; 16; 17:1–7).

Stephen points out that this is the Moses to whom God gave the Law that defined Israel as a nation (Acts 7:38). But it is also the Moses whom the Israelites rejected the first time he tried to help them (Exodus 2:14). And they continued to reject him throughout the forty years he led them and kept them safe. In fact, while Moses was on Mount Sinai, receiving the Law, the people pushed his brother Aaron to make a golden calf to worship (Acts 7:39–41).

The narrative reveals something obliquely. When Joseph told his brothers he had a dream inferring he would rule over them, they sold him into slavery (Acts 7:9). When Moses first tried to lead his people, he had to flee to another country (Acts 7:29). When Jesus first came to the Jews, in fact, a week after they heralded Him as king, they killed Him (Acts 7:52). When Joseph's brothers met up with him again, he was able to provide for them (Acts 7:11–14). When Moses returned to Egypt, he was able to lead the Israelites into freedom. When Jesus returns, He will rescue the Jews who follow Him and deliver them into the millennial kingdom (Revelation 20:1–6).

Acts 7:35–38 reminds a Jewish audience of Moses' credentials. These words are spoken by Stephen, a Jewish follower of Jesus and leader in the church in Jerusalem. Devout Jews are accusing Stephen of blaspheming against Moses and the Mosaic law (Acts 6:11–14). Stephen is showing that his accusers' forefathers directly rebelled against Moses and many other prophets who came after him. Here, he reminds them how Moses was in direct contact with God, and how he prophesied about Jesus.

Stephen is a Greek-speaking Jewish Christian and one of the first deacons in the church in Jerusalem (Acts 6:1–7). He's also a skilled apologist and has been debating Jews from outside Judea about the proper place of the Mosaic law and the temple (Acts 6:8–15). His opponents cannot counter his arguments so they resort to lies. They tell the Sanhedrin that Stephen wants to destroy the temple and repeal the Mosaic law. Stephen counters that his accusers don't respect Moses or the Law, and the temple isn't necessary to worship God. This enrages the mob, and Stephen is stoned, becoming the first Christian martyr.

Chapter 7 is one of the pivot points of the book of Acts. Until recently, the early church has seen favor from the people and indifference from the Sanhedrin. Now, the Sanhedrin has beaten the apostles and ordered them not to preach about Jesus (Acts 5:40), and the people are starting to realize how different Christianity is. In Jerusalem, a Hellenist Jewish Jesus-follower named Stephen has been in a debate with other foreign Jews who finally accuse him of wishing to destroy the temple, like Jesus (Acts 6:8–15). This is Stephen's defense, which leads to his death and the introduction of Paul.

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.