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Acts 7:6-7 WHAT GOD TOLD ABRAHAM WOULD HAPPEN TO ISRAEL

Introduction:

Stephen continues to defend himself against the charges that he had spoken

against God by portraying God as one who not only knows what will happen, but is

able to make things happen. He is able to keep His promises. He is right in

His predictions.

I. God’s promises to Abraham

In Genesis 12:1-3 God made a covenant with Abraham making certain

promises to him. God promised to give Abraham and his seed a certain land. God

promised to show him the direction to the land as he traveled to it. That land

is the land of Canaan.

God promised Abraham a great nation. That nation was to come from

Abraham’s descendants through Sarah. That promise was confirmed to Isaac and

Jacob. The nation would be made up of descendants of the twelve sons of Jacob.

God promised Abraham that He would make Abraham’s name great. This has

been fulfilled through all the descendants of Abraham, but primarily through the

nation of Israel.

God promised Abraham that He would make Abraham a blessing to all the

families of the earth. This promise has been fulfilled in many ways. It

chiefly involved the coming of the Christ through Abraham and through the

covenant nation, Israel. Indirectly, God was promising Abraham that the Christ

would be a Savior to all the world, including the Gentile nations.

God promised Abraham that He would bless those who bless him and that He

would punish those who mistreat him. The fulfillment of this promise can be

seen in God’s special protection of the covenant nation, Israel.

II. God’s prediction that Abraham’s descendants would sojourn in a strange land

V. 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.” Abraham followed God’s directions to the land. He

got to enter the land, see the land and even sojourn in the land, but he never

did get to possess the land. God predicted that Abraham’s descendants would

sojourn in a foreign land. He further predicted that Abraham’s seed would be in

bondage in that land and that they would be badly mistreated in that land. God

even said in advance that they would be in bondage for four-hundred years.

Just as God had predicted the Children of Israel were in bondage in Egypt

for 400 years. To be technical, according to Exodus 12:40 and Galatians 3:17,

they were in Egypt 430 years. But in round figures the 400 year prediction was

right on target.

Let me point out to you that this was a long time to dwell in bondage

under such cruel treatment. Four-hundred years is a long time. The United

States of America is only a little over 200 years old. Four-hundred years is

almost twice that much. It is twice the 430 years that they were in Egypt. But

by the time that they were delivered from that bondage they had multiplied

tremendously. They had become a small nation.

III. The prediction that Israel would come out of Egypt and dwell in the land

which God had given to Abraham

V. 7, “And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said

God...” Remember that God had promised Abraham that He would punish anyone who

mistreats His people of Israel. He did. He first sent the ten plagues upon

Egypt, including the death of the first-born. Then He destroyed the army of

Egypt in the Red Sea as they tried to pursue the Israelites across the sea on

dry ground. God brought the waters of the sea upon them and destroyed them all.

(V. 7), “...and after that shall they come forth...” Just as God had

predicted God delivered them from Egypt. He called Moses to be their leader, He

sent the plagues on Egypt and Pharaoh, himself, demanded that they get out of

his land.

IV. God’s prediction that the covenant nation would serve Him in the land which

God had promised to Abraham

(V. 7), “...and serve me in this place.” God not only correctly predicted

that they would sojourn in a foreign land, He not only predicted the length of

time that they would stay there, He not only predicted how they would be

mistreated, He not only predicted that they would be delivered from that

bondage, but He predicted that they would reach Canaan’s land and serve Him

there in that land.

God’s prediction came to pass just as He had said. They were delivered

from Egypt by the mighty outstretched arm of God. Then after they were

delivered, they were another forty years in the wilderness. But eventually they

reached Canaan’s land and entered it, and conquered it. The dwelt in the land

which God had promised Abraham that He would give to him and his seed.

V. What Stephen wanted the members of the Sanhedrin Council to get out of what

he was saying

Stephen wanted the members of the Sanhedrin to see that he does not speak

against God. He spoke nothing but praises concerning God. The charges which

had been brought against him by his accusers were false.

Stephen also wanted to lay a foundation whereby he might be able to

persuade them to see that Jesuls really has been raised from the dead and that

He really is the Christ. Just as God had promised to make of Abraham a great

nation and that He would give the land of Canaan to that nation, even so God had

promised that He would send the Christ to the world through the nation of

Israel. Just as God had predicted that the Israelites would suffer in Egylpt,

even so God had predicted that the Christ would suffer and be killed. Just as

God had p;romised to deliver the Israelites from Egypt, even so God had promised

that He would deliver the Chlrist from the grave. Just as it was dangerous

business for Pharoah to oppress the Israelites, even so it was dangerous

business for the Jewish leaders to mistreat the Christ and His followers.

VI. What God wants us to see frrom the text

God wants us to see that He is Supreme. God dows not have to get man’s

permission to do what HE wants to do. He did not have to get permission from

the Jewish leaders for Jesus to be the Christ. Neither can any man stop God

from doing what He wants to do. God sent His Son to be the Christ and nobody

could stop Him. They crucified His Son Jesus, but even that did not stop Him.

He just rose from the grave. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the Savior

of men, no matter what man may think to the contrary.

God wants us to see that He keeps His promises. God promised to send a

Savior and He did. God promises to save all who repent of their sins and call

upon Jesus for salvatin, and He will. See Rom. 10:13, Acts 16:31 and John 3:16.

Even the death of the believer will not stop God from taking that person heaven.

God will raise him from the dead and he will live eternally with God.

God wants us to see that He wants us to serve Him. He wanted the

Israelites to serve Him in the land of Canaan. He wants all who are saved to

serve Him here in this land. All are saved for service. It is to the advantage

of each person to faithfully serve God after he is saved.

Conclusion:

1. If there is anyone here unsaved, it would be to his advantage to come and

trust Jesus Christ for salvation right now. If you are unsaved, it would bve to

your advantage to come and trust Jesus. Will you come?

2. It is to the advantage of any saved person to et into the membership of a

New Testament church and get to work for God. It would be to the advantage of

some Christian here today to come and to join this church and get to work for

God in and through this church. If that person is you, will you come?