And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, (3) And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee. (4) Then came he out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Haran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell. (5) And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child. (6) And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years. (7) And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place. (8) And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs. (9) And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him, (10) And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. (11) Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance. (12) But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. (13) And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh. (14) Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls. (15) So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers, (16) And were carried over into Shechem, and laid in the sepulcher that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem.
We have reason to bless God the Holy Ghost, not only for the occasion which gave rise to this precious discourse of Stephen, but for causing it to be recorded. For, although we have the whole history before, in the word of God; yet the manner in which Stephen, under the full impressions of the Holy Ghost, (see Acts 6:5 and Acts 7:55) delivered this sermon, hath thrown a light upon some parts of it, in a most blessed and interesting manner, and which I hope the Lord will enable us to perceive, as we prosecute the subject.
Stephen begins in a respectful manner, such as became him. For, although the present Sanhedrim was composed of very different characters from those holy men of old, which, at the first institution of the order were appointed and consecrated of God; (compare Numbers 11:16-17 with Acts 4:5-7, see also the Commentary on those verses) yet the order was the same, being of the Lord's appointment. And this holds good in all ages, and upon all occasions, Romans 13:1. I admire the expression Stephen useth, when he calleth the Lord, the God of glory. And I would humbly ask, whether Stephen did not mean the same glorious Person as appeared to Moses in the bush, and which he takes notice of in his discourse, (Acts 7:30) For the appearing to Abraham at the time Stephen speaks of, and the appearing to Moses in the after age of the Church, at the bush, were both on the same covenant concern; and in both, the Lord called himself by the same name, Genesis 15:18; Exodus 3:6. And who this glorious person was, cannot be far to learn. Stephen himself hath explained, (Acts 7:38) He calls him the angel which spake to Moses in the mount. Now that angel which spake to Moses in the mount, expressly called himself Jehovah. See Exodus 3:6. And Christ is both the covenant himself, and the angel or messenger of the covenant, Isaiah 42:6; Malachi 3:1. And had this not been the case, in both these transactions, with Abraham and Moses, as well as upon numberless other occasions, when this angel is said by Stephen, (Acts 7:38) to have spake not only to Moses, but to our fathers, how could the Lord Jesus tell the Jews, as he did tell them, that they had never heard the Father's voice at any time, nor seen his shape? John 5:37. It appears to me I confess, that this decision of the Lord Jesus becomes an unanswerable argument, (in addition to the many other collateral testimonies we have), that both the manifestations and words, which were made to the old Church before the incarnation of Christ, were by Him, who in the fulness of time, was to openly tabernacle, in substance of our flesh, among his people, and intended as so many intimations, to keep alive the expectation of that glorious event, in the minds of the Lord's people.
Stephen having thus opened his subject at that part, where alone it could be opened, beginning with the God of glory; he takes up the history of the Church at the revelation of the covenant with Abraham, and refers his hearers to the well-known circumstances of the opening of that Covenant-transaction, in the call of Abraham. I need not follow Stephen through the whole of what he hath rehearsed within the compass of those few verses. The whole particulars are all upon record in the life of the patriarch. But I would rather call upon my Reader to remark with me, the several very interesting things Stephen hath stated, in respect to Abraham; and which, more or less, belong to all Abraham's seed, which are also heirs according to the promise, Galatians 3:29
The Lord called Abraham from his father's house, and from his kindred. The Lord, though promising to give the land, to which he called him for an inheritance to him, and to his seed after him; yet for a long space gave him no possession there, no not a foot's breadth. The Lord, though promising that his seed should be as the stars of the heaven for multitude, yet, for many a year, suffered him to go childless, Genesis 15:1-6. And even when Ishmael was born, the Lord taught him, that this son of the bondwoman, was not the heir, in whom the promise was to be vested, and from whose seed after the flesh the promised seed should come, Genesis 17:18-21
Pause, Reader, and contemplate the subject spiritually as it is with all the Lord's people; and then say, are not Abraham's children, after the faith, more or less, exercised the same? The call of Abraham was a pattern how the Lord, in after ages, would call the spiritual offspring of his dear Son, Isaiah 44:3-5. They are also called, from their father's house, and from their kindred, in the Adam-nature of a fallen state; and are commanded to forget their own people, and their father's house, when sovereign grace hath opened their eyes to a sense of sin, and a desire of salvation, Psalms 45:10. And as Abraham, at the call of God, went out not knowing whither he went: so Abraham's seed are exercised the same way. By faith like him they are going forth in the strength of Christ, looking for a city which hath foundations whose builder and Maker is God, Hebrews 11:8-10. And how sweet are discovered, in the after fruits of faith, the many exercises of the Lord's tried ones? There can be no real trust in the Lord without faith, Hebrews 11:6. Untried faith is in reality no faith. While the Lord acts only as a promising God; our knowledge of Him, and our dependance upon Him, can only be by faith. But when this promising God becomes a performing God, faith then is lost in enjoyment. So that in fact, during the time of waiting, is the only time for the exercise of this precious gift of a Covenant God in Christ. And, Reader! let me detain you one moment longer to observe, that it is on this account faith is so highly spoken of by God the Holy Ghost, in his blessed word. We read of the precious blood of Christ, 1 Peter 1:19. Of the exceeding great and precious promises, 2 Peter 1:4. And with these (wonderful to tell) is named, precious faith also, more precious than gold, 1 Peter 1:7. And what can be more precious, as a fruit, and effect, of the Lord's grace in the heart of his redeemed, than when a child of God, like Abraham, the great father of the faithful, against hope is enabled to believe in hope, Romans 4:8. Oh! for grace to be so wholly emptied of self, as to be always living upon Christ, walking with Christ, and trusting in Christ! Sweet faith! Lord increase our faith! See 1 Peter 1:7 and Commentary.
In prosecuting Stephen's sermon, I would beg the Reader to observe with me, how this faithful servant of the Lord takes notice of the Lord's grace, in giving Abraham the outlines of the Covenant, which was to run on so many hundred years before the promised seed should come, to whom the promise was made, and in whom the whole was to be fulfilled. There is somewhat very blessed in this; and merits our concern. Abraham himself was not to live to see the accomplishment. Neither Isaac, nor Jacob, the heirs with him of the promise. Neither the patriarchs which followed. But what of that? Though so long an interval was to take place, the thing was the same: and the promise itself certain and sure. The Covenant of circumcision was appointed as an outward sign, or seal, to carry on the assurance of it from father to son. Hence, with this scriptural rite, the Patriarchs handed down in successive generations, this great promise of God, as more precious, yea, infinitely more precious, as the blessed Charter of grace, than rich men transmit to their heirs the titles of their estates, and all their perishing treasures.
And these things induced in the hearts of the Patriarchs, through divine teaching, an holy familiarity and acquaintance with the person, work, and glory of Christ the promised seed. Abraham saw the day of Christ afar off, rejoiced, and was glad, John 8:56. Isaac lived and died, in the full assurance, not only of his own personal interest in the same, but that in him the promised seed should be called: and by faith, blessed Jacob and Esau, concerning things to come, Hebrews 11:18-20. (See Commentary there.) And no less Jacob, when He was a dying, by faith, in the same glorious expectation, blessed both the sons of Joseph, and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff, Hebrews 11:21. In short, so did all the fathers in succession. They all lived, and they all died, as they had lived, in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them. They cherished the blessed hope; carried it about with them wherever they went, as in their arms, and wore it close to their heart. And thus, the father to the children made known the Lord's truth! Isaiah 38:19. See also Genesis 50:24-25; Genesis 50:24-25
Reader! do not dismiss this part of Stephen's sermon, in the view of the patriarchs, and their faith in Christ, without first enquiring whether you are among the followers of them, who now through faith and patience inherit the promises. Remember, that the promise to which these holy men of old looked, and which they died in the full assurance of, hath been for many hundred years since fulfilled, in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And now in the possession of those blessed truths, which their faith had in view, but which we have seen accomplished; our faith is now exercised, in looking forward to the sure expectation of all these blessings, resulting from the whole, in grace here, and glory hereafter. Reader! it is precious faith, when we rejoice in hope of the glory of God, Romans 5:2
I pass over the several records of the Patriarchs, in what Stephen hath just glanced at in those verses, of their going down into Egypt. For, although the events themselves are highly interesting, and would well recompense a long and close attention to them; yet they would far exceed the limits I am constrained to observe, in this Poor Man's Commentary.