Stephen’s Story: Remembering God’s Faithfulness Through History (Acts 7:1–29)
In Acts 7, we find a powerful speech by a man named Stephen, one of the early followers of Jesus. Stephen was being questioned by religious leaders who were angry with him because he spoke about Jesus being the Son of God. Instead of defending himself right away, Stephen began telling a story—a story about God’s faithfulness to His people.
Let’s look at the first part of his speech (Acts 7:1–29) and see what we can learn.
Abraham: Trusting God Without Knowing the Full Plan
Stephen begins with Abraham, the father of the Jewish people. God told Abraham to leave his home and go to a new land. Even though Abraham didn’t know exactly where he was going, he trusted God and obeyed. God promised to give the land to Abraham’s descendants, even though Abraham didn’t have any children yet.
Stephen reminded his listeners that God is a God of promises—He sees the big picture, even when we don’t. Abraham’s story shows us what it means to walk by faith, even when the path ahead isn’t clear.
Joseph: God’s Plan in Hard Times
Next, Stephen talked about Joseph, one of Abraham’s great-grandchildren. Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him and sold him as a slave to Egypt. It seemed like everything was going wrong. But God was with Joseph, and over time, Joseph rose to a powerful position in Egypt. When a famine came, Joseph was able to help his family and many others survive.
Joseph’s story teaches us that God can bring good even out of bad situations. Even when people treat us unfairly, God is still working behind the scenes for a greater purpose.
Moses: Chosen by God to Set His People Free
Then Stephen moved on to Moses, the man God used to rescue the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Moses grew up in Pharaoh’s palace but knew he was an Israelite. One day, when he saw an Egyptian hurting an Israelite, Moses stepped in and killed the Egyptian. Because of this, he had to run away to the desert, where he lived for 40 years.
At this point, Moses didn’t seem like a hero. But God was preparing him for something big.
Stephen’s point? God uses people who may not seem ready or perfect. Moses made mistakes, but God still chose him to do something amazing.
Why Does Stephen Tell This History?
Stephen wasn’t just giving a history lesson. He was showing that God had always been working through people and situations, even when it didn’t make sense at the time. He wanted the religious leaders to see that they were part of a long story—and that Jesus was the fulfillment of that story.
What Can We Learn?
-
God has a plan—even when we can’t see it. Just like Abraham, Joseph, and Moses, we may not understand everything that’s happening, but we can trust God.
-
God works through broken people. None of these heroes were perfect. Yet God used them in powerful ways. He can use us too.
-
God is always faithful. Through every twist and turn in history, God kept His promises. He still does today.
When we feel confused, discouraged, or unsure about the future, we can remember what Stephen shared: God has been faithful before, and He will be faithful again.
Acts 7:1-29 (WEB)
7:1 The high priest said, “Are these things so?”2 He said, “Brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘Get out of your land and away from your relatives, and come into a land which I will show you.’ 4 Then he came out of the land of the Chaldaeans and lived in Haran. From there, when his father was dead, God moved him into this land where you are now living. 5 He gave him no inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on. He promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his offspring after him, when he still had no child. 6 God spoke in this way: that his offspring would live as aliens in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years. 7 ‘I will judge the nation to which they will be in bondage,’ said God, ‘and after that they will come out and serve me in this place.’ 8 He gave him the covenant of circumcision. So Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day. Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.9 “The patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt. God was with him 10 and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He made him governor over Egypt and all his house. 11 Now a famine came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction. Our fathers found no food. 12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers the first time. 13 On the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family was revealed to Pharaoh. 14 Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his relatives, seventy-five souls. 15 Jacob went down into Egypt and he died, himself and our fathers; 16 and they were brought back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in silver from the children of Hamor of Shechem.17 “But as the time of the promise came close which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, 18 until there arose a different king who didn’t know Joseph. 19 The same took advantage of our race and mistreated our fathers, and forced them to abandon their babies, so that they wouldn’t stay alive. 20 At that time Moses was born, and was exceedingly handsome to God. He was nourished three months in his father’s house. 21 When he was abandoned, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up and reared him as her own son. 22 Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He was mighty in his words and works. 23 But when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. 24 Seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him and avenged him who was oppressed, striking the Egyptian. 25 He supposed that his brothers understood that God, by his hand, was giving them deliverance; but they didn’t understand.26 “The day following, he appeared to them as they fought, and urged them to be at peace again, saying, ‘Sirs, you are brothers. Why do you wrong one another?’ 27 But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? 28 Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 Moses fled at this saying, and became a stranger in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.