Acts 7:28

Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday? Acts 7:28 (KJV)

Stephen’s address to the council in Acts 7:28 is part of a longer speech that begins in Acts 7:2 and continues until Acts 7:53. He opens by affirming his respect for the traditions and the temple, but quickly moves to recount the history of Israel, emphasizing the people’s recurring rebellion against God.

In this verse Stephen refers to the incident recorded in Exodus 2:11‑12, when Moses saw an Egyptian task‑master mistreating an Israelite. Moses defended his fellow Hebrew and killed the Egyptian. That act forced Moses to flee to Midian, where he spent forty years before God called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

Stephen draws a clear parallel between the rejection Moses experienced from his own people and the rejection of Jesus by the religious leaders. Just as Moses was initially rejected yet later became the deliverer of Israel, Stephen argues that Jesus, whom the council has crucified, is the ultimate deliverer sent by God.

Using Moses’ story, Stephen demonstrates that God has been at work throughout Israel’s history, even when His chosen leaders were rejected. He stresses that God is not confined to the temple or any physical structure; He is present in the unfolding narrative of His people and fulfills His promises through unlikely and unexpected means.

Acts 7:28 therefore reminds us of God’s steadfast faithfulness and His ability to use imperfect, unlikely individuals to accomplish His purposes. It challenges each believer to examine how we respond to God’s messengers and His work in our lives. Are we willing to follow God’s leading even when it comes through people or circumstances that defy our preconceived expectations?