Forgotten Ground Regained
The Martyrdom of Stephen
From Acts 6-7
The wondrous works and wisdom of Stephenmade him the mark of mean-hearted men.Though he acted and spoke by the Spirit of God,their hateful hearts hardened at his words.
To obstruct and stifle Stephen’s preachingwas the perfidious aim of the Free Men.Some of them argued with ardent Stephen,but they could not withstand Stephen’s wisdom,for the Holy Spirit spoke through the man.
So they hatched a plan to employ some personsto slander and blame the saint for blasphemy.Then they stirred up the elders and scribes,and raised a rabble of riotous men,inciting their mob to seize the saintand take him to the Sanhedrin to try him for his words.
“This fine fellow,” they falsely accused,“does not cease to attack our sacred temple,and the law by which we live. Listen, we pray.He has stated that Jesus will destroy this place,and change the customs we were charged to keepby the prophet Moses, the mouthpiece of God.”
Now onlookers staring at Stephen were stunned,for his face resembled an angel’s face.Then the high priest, who headed the hearing,asked the man on trial, “Is all this true?”
Then the saint preached a powerful sermonon the rebellion of forebears: “Brothers and fathers,the God of glory, the God of our fathers,appeared to Abraham at Ur and ordered:‘Leave your country, leave your kindred,leave and I will show you the land I promise you.’
“So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans,and finally came to this refreshing land.Not a foot of ground did God give him here,but a promise that in time, his progeny would own it.
“God said that his seed would sojourn as strangersin a strange land, living in bondageand sorely afflicted for four hundred years.‘But I will chastise the people who put them in chains.Then I will bring them out to this better placewhere they will freely serve Me,’ so said the Lord.
“And Abraham received the sign of circumcision,which stands for the righteousness that God bestowed,through the gift of faith, upon this favored father.And Abraham begat Isaac, and also circumcised himon his eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob,who was blessed to be the papa of the twelve patriarchs.
“But these patriarchs were jealous of Joseph their brother, and callously sold him to be a slave in Egypt.But God was with him and gave him wisdom,securing him favor with Pharaoh the king,who elevated Joseph to govern all of Egypt.
“When a furious famine fell on the landsof Canaan and Egypt, our honored ancestorscould find no food. Then father Jacob heardthere was good grain to be got in Egypt.When he first sent our fathers for grain,they failed to recognize the ruler facing them—their brother Joseph. On their second journey,Joseph revealed himself as their very brother.Then Pharaoh invited the family of Josephto leave their home to live by him in Goshen.So Jacob went down and dwelt in Egyptuntil the day of his death, as did our fathers.And later their bodies were brought to Shechemand placed in the tomb that Abraham had purchased.
“But when a new king came to power,life in Egypt evilly altered.For he betrayed our people and oppressed our fathers,making them abandon their babies to death.
“At this time of misery, Moses was born,a darling child, dear to his parents,who happily kept him at home for three months.When he was placed on the river, a princess rescued him;the daughter of Pharaoh adopted him and named him.She afforded Moses a fine education:the wisdom of Egypt edified her son,and he was mighty in words and mighty in works.
“At forty years he yearned for his brethrenbut failed in his efforts to ease their affliction.When he saw a slave driver smiting a brother,he slew the offender and hid him in the sand.He aimed to be seen as savior to his kindred,but they saw him neither as savior nor friend.When he questioned a couple of quarreling kinsmen,a bellicose bully rebuffed Moses:‘Who made you ruler, who made you judge over us?Would you kill me as you killed that master?’In fear that his felony would be found out,Moses immediately escaped to Midian.There he settled and married, and sons were born to him.
“When Moses was eighty, he met with a marvel.From a flaming bush that was burning brightly,never lessening, not in the least,the Angel of the Lord lifted His voice:‘I am the God of your fathers—the God of Abrahamand Isaac and Jacob—each your ancestor.’Now Moses trembled in terror at these tidings,unable to look into the awesome light.‘Take off your sandals, for this is sacred ground.I have seen how My people are oppressed in Egypt.I have heard their cries and come to rescue them.’Then God commanded Moses to return,to deliver His beloved languishing people—so they were brought out of bondage in Egypt.And the prophet showed the power of Godin miracles performed in mighty Egypt,and in wondrous signs in the sere wasteland.
“This is the Moses who warned the Israelites who wavered:‘God will raise up from your own peoplea prophet like myself, a prophet you must hear.’
“At Mount Sinai, Moses receivedliving oracles to light our path.But our forefathers refused to follow him.Instead, they hankered in their hearts for Egypt.They demanded of Aaron in Moses’ absence,‘Grave for us gods to go ahead of us.’Then they melted their gold and molded a calfand worshiped and celebrated the works of their hands.So God abandoned them to abase themselves,to stupidly sacrifice to the silent stars.And they were punished by exile, as the prophets presaged.
“As they were led along by the Lord their God,our fathers took the tent of testimony,which was begun by the plan and pattern of God.They brought it to the land the Lord was giving them.In time it was replaced by the golden temple,built by Solomon, the son of David.
“But the Most High, who made the heavens,does not inhabit houses made by hands.Hear the prophet: ‘Heaven is My throneand earth is My footstool. I have created all;all things belong to Me,’ the Lord avows.
“You stiff-necked ones, you stubborn people,so sure of yourselves; uncircumcisedin hearts and ears; unhearing, unbelieving,acting like your ancestors, always resistingthe Holy Ghost, who gives you the gospel!What prophet did they not persecute and punish?And they killed the prophets who proclaimed the comingof the Just One, whom you unjustly killed.So you betrayed the law you live to serve.”
They were cut to the heart when they heard these things,and gnashed their teeth at him with terrible rage.But stalwart Stephen, stirred by the Spirit,gazed into heaven at God’s glory,and stared at Jesus standing on highat God’s right hand. “Behold, I seethe Son of Man, the Son of God,standing on high in heavenly glory,”so the saint confessed, sealing his fate.Then the council members covered their earsand roared at Stephen and rushed at him as one.Outraged, they dragged him out of the cityand started to stone innocent Stephen.
As stones struck him, Stephen was praying,“Lord Jesus, receive and accept my soul.Do not condemn them for their evildoing.”So the saint prayed as his Savior prayedand fell asleep in the saving faith.Then reverent men mourned the martyras they somberly bore his body to his grave.
Copyright © 2024 Kathryn Ann Hill.