Hearing it Again
Acts
7:1-22
Key
Verse: “To this he
replied: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory
appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia,
before he lived in Harran 7:1-22 NIV)
Why
did Stephen tell this story to the members of the Sanhedrin? This
would not have been a story they did not know. This would have been a
story they had heard over and over again throughout their lives. It
is one of the foundational narratives of the Jewish people and as
leaders in the Jewish community; they would have known the story of
Abraham, pretty well. They would have pointed to Abraham as one of the founders of their faith. When these men thought about what faith looked
like, they would have looked to the life of Abraham as a model. When
Stephen chose this story, as part of his speech to the council, he
was retelling a story they knew well. The story of Abraham’s faith
is not like your grandfather’s story about his bum knee. You can
never hear it too much. We can always look to Abraham when we want to
see what kind of people God wants us to be. Here Stephen highlights
Abraham’s unbridled faith when he simply went where God called him
to go and took God at God’s word. Walking in the faith footsteps of
Abraham is something to which we should all strive.
Prayer:
Lord,
sometimes it is hard to come to passages of scripture I know well.
Each time I come to scripture I am coming hoping to hear your voice.
Help me to always come to scripture with fresh eyes and to hear your
message with fresh ears. Help my heart to never become callused to
the scriptures I have heard before. Each day, each scripture has
something new to teach me. I always want to learn and grow. Speak to
me every time I hear or read your word. Amen
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