Acts - Week 21

Week 21 Acts 7 

Day 1 

READ 

Acts 7:11-13 

11 “But a famine came upon Egypt and Canaan. There was great misery, and our ancestors ran out of food. 12 Jacob heard that there was still grain in Egypt, so he sent his sons—our ancestors—to buy some. 13 The second time they went, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, and they were introduced to Pharaoh.” 

Stephen continues telling about Joseph serving in the highest office under the Pharaoh of Egypt. The famine brought misery—not only to Egypt but also to Jacob and his descendants in the land of Canaan. Stephen moves quickly through the story. He says on the second trip they went down to Egypt, Joseph introduced himself to them. Stephen skips over the shock this was to the brothers and moves on to say they were introduced to the pharaoh. 

REFLECT 

As you think of God being sovereign over everything, can you see how He was moving behind the scenes to keep the descendants of Jacob alive? 

RESPOND 

Urge your disciple to read the Genesis passage Stephen covered so quickly. In the three verses of his comments (Acts 7:11-13), Stephen was covering Genesis 42:1-45:8. This is an intriguing story. 

Day 2 

READ 

Acts 7:14-16 

14 “Then Joseph sent for his father, Jacob, and all his relatives to come to Egypt, seventy-five persons in all. 15 So Jacob went to Egypt. He died there, as did our ancestors. 16 Their bodies were taken to Shechem and buried in the tomb Abraham had bought for a certain price from Hamor’s sons in Shechem.” 

Stephen focused on what happened to Jacob, the ancestor of the 12 tribes of Israel. Jacob would be of special interest to the high council Stephen was addressing. Stephen was showing the religious leaders of his time that Israel had rejected Joseph as their leader just as they are now rejecting the Messiah. Stephen was doing this by using the Scriptures with which the high council should have been familiar. 

REFLECT 

Make it your goal to be knowledgeable of the Scriptures so you can use them to refute unbelief. 

RESPOND 

Talk with your disciple about the fondness Joseph had for his father and relatives. Discuss having the same kind of love for others in your family. 

Day 3 

READ 

Acts 7:17-19 

17 “As the time drew near when God would fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt greatly increased. 18 But then a new king came to the throne of Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph. 19 This king exploited our people and oppressed them, forcing parents to abandon their newborn babies so they would die.” 

Stephen now comes to another example of a human savior God sent and who had been rejected by Israel. He gives the background here by saying another pharaoh came to power who knew nothing about Joseph. The new king took advantage of the people and made a decree for parents to abandon their newborn. This will introduce the next human savior God was sending to Israel. Stephen continues to build his case against the unbelieving Israelites of his time about their Savior.. 

REFLECT 

Think of the times God has used human instruments to help you. God uses people in His program toaccomplish His will. 

RESPOND 

Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 that tells what Paul writes about the Church, the body of Christ. It is designed to help each other. How are you and your disciple helping other believers? 

Day 4 

READ 

Acts 7:20-22 

20 “At that time Moses was born—a beautiful child in God’s eyes. His parents cared for him at home for three months. 21 When they had to abandon him, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and raised him as her own son. 22 Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in both speech and action.” 

Now the next human savior for Israel is introduced. Moses was protected by his mother and God sovereignly arranged for the daughter of the pharaoh to find and raise him as her own. Some believe the pharaoh at the time had no children and this put Moses in line to inherit the throne of Egypt. This country was highly knowledgeable of the scientific knowledge of the time and Moses was taught all of these matters. He was known as a powerful person. 

REFLECT 

Notice how God was preparing Moses for future use. Your background can also be used to help you more effectively serve the Lord.  

RESPOND 

Read this story of Moses from Exodus 1:22-2:10. These 11 verses reveal how sovereignly God was caring for the next leader of Israel. 

Day 5 

READ 

Acts 7:23-25 

23 “One day when Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his relatives, the people of Israel. 24 He saw an Egyptian mistreating an Israelite. So Moses came to the man’s defense and avenged him, killing the Egyptian. 25 Moses assumed his fellow Israelites would realize that God had sent him to rescue them, but they didn’t.” 

Stephen now skips from Moses’ youth to his adulthood. Moses had been 40 years in the household of the pharaoh. God had appeared to Moses at the burning bush and said he was to deliver the Israelites (see Exodus 3:10). Now Moses saw an Egyptian mistreating an Israelite. He thought God’s instructions included killing the Egyptian abusing an Israelite. This was not what God had planned. Moses believed God’s message but he was using the wrong method. 

REFLECT 

Do you sometimes run ahead of God by trying something to solve a problem that does not work? Give an example. 

RESPOND 

Read Psalm 27:13-14 and talk to your disciple how difficult it is sometimes to wait on the Lord.