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    Acts 7:20-34
    Lesson 232
    ​
    Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

    In this lesson: 
     
    Stephen's history lesson on Israel continues. 
     
    Moses.      

    Pharaoh's daughter finds the baby Moses. 
    By Sébastien Bourdon (1616-1671). ​
    Study Tip:
     
    Always check the margin notes in blue and click on the links. ​

    The Acts of the Apostles

    The King James Bible    ​



    Acts 7:20-34
    Moses and his vision

    20 In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months:
     
    21 And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.
     
    22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.
     
    23 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.
     
    24 And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:
     
    25 For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.
     
    26 And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another?
     
    27 But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?
     
    28 Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday?
     
    29 Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.
     
    30 And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.
     
    31 When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the LORD came unto him,
     
    32 Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold.
     
    33 Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground.
     
    34 I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt.

    ​
    Margin notes:
     
    "Was exceeding fair." (7:20) - "Was exceedingly beautiful."
     
    "Nourished up in his father's house three months." (7:20) - "Raised in his father's house for three months." (Exodus 2:2; Hebrews 11:23) 
     
    "Pharaoh's daughter took him up." (7:21) - "Pharaoh's daughter adopted him." (Exodus 2:10)
     
    "Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians." (7:22) - Raised by the Pharaoh's daughter, Moses was given all the rights and advantages reserved for royalty. 
     
    "When he was full forty years old." (7:23) - Moses lived to be one hundred and twenty years old (Deuteronomy 34:7).
     
    "Seeing one of them suffer wrong." (7:24) - "Seeing one of them mistreated."
     
    "Smote the Egyptian." (7:24) - "Killed the Egyptian" (Exodus 2:11-12).
     
    "As they strove, and would have set them at one again." (7:26) - "As they fought, he tried to bring them together again."  See Exodus 2:13.
     
    "Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian?" (7:28) - From Exodus 2:14.
     
    "A stranger in the land of Madian." (7:29) - "A foreigner in the land of Madian"
    (Exodus 2:15).
     
    "He begat two sons." (7:29) - Moses had two sons, Gershom (Exodus 2:22) and Eliezer (Exodus 18:2-4).
     
    "There appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush." (7:30) - Stephen knew the story of Moses on Mt. Sinai from Exodus 3:1-2.  Additional note:  Mount Sina (Mount Sinai) is a mountain (elevation 7,500 feet) located on the southcentral Sinai Peninsula in northeastern Egypt.  It is where God first appeared to Moses and presented him with the Mosaic Law (Exodus 19:1-8).  It is also called "Horeb the mount of God" (1 Kings 19:8) in the  Old Testament.
     
    "The voice of the LORD came unto him." (7:31) - See Exodus 3:3-4.   
     
    "I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." (7:32) - From Exodus 3:6 and 3:15.
     
    "Durst not behold." (7:32) - "Dared not look."
     
    "Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground." (7:33) - From Exodus 3:5.
     
    "I have heard their groaning." (7:34) - Stephen is paraphrasing Exodus 3:7 and 6:5.
     
    "I will send thee into Egypt." (7:34) - From Exodus 3:10. ​
    To research the story of Moses' early life, read Exodus 2:1-25.


                                                  New Living Translation 
     

    Acts 7:20-34           

    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.
     
    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.
     
    26 "The next day he visited them again and saw two men of Israel fighting. He tried to be a peacemaker. 'Men,' he said, 'you are brothers. Why are you fighting each other?'
     
    27 "But the man in the wrong pushed Moses aside. 'Who made you a ruler and judge over us?' he asked.

    28 'Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?'

    29 When Moses heard that, he fled the country and lived as a foreigner in the land of Midian. There his two sons were born.
     
    30 "Forty years later, in the desert near Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to Moses in the flame of a burning bush.

    31 When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight. As he went to take a closer look, the voice of the Lord called out to him,

    32 'I am the God of your ancestors-the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' Moses shook with terror and did not dare to look.
     
    33 "Then the Lord said to him, 'Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground.

    ​34 I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groans and have come down to rescue them. Now go, for I am sending you back to Egypt.'
    ​
    ​    This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible.  However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
    Today's Question:
     
    1.     How did Luke, the author of this book, know what happened when Stephen faced the Sanhedrin?  He wasn't there.



    You can receive these lessons up to five times per week.
    Answer: (Do you agree?) 
    ​
    1. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was an important figure in the church.  As such, Luke  carefully sought out the facts of what happened the day Stephen was murdered.  Many details were given to him by members of the Sanhedrin who became Christians.  But also remember, the Bible is the inspired word of God, who knows everything.



    Application thought for the day: 
    What do Stephen's words to the Sanhedrin teach us about the heart of man?
    Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress Books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible."  All were critical in putting these lessons together.
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