Acts 7:7

“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.”

Context:This verse is part of a longer speech delivered by Stephen, one of the early followers of Jesus Christ, before the religious leaders in Jerusalem. Stephen’s speech recounts the history of the Israelites, highlighting their pattern of rebellion against God and the prophets He sent.

In Acts 7:7, Stephen refers to the prophecy given to Abraham in Genesis 15:13-14, where God tells him that his descendants will be enslaved and oppressed in a foreign land for four hundred years. Stephen’s purpose in mentioning this prophecy is to show the religious leaders that their treatment of Jesus and their rejection of the Holy Spirit is consistent with the pattern of rebellion seen throughout Israel’s history.

Stephen emphasizes that just as God had judged the nation that held the Israelites in bondage in Egypt, so too would God judge the leaders who rejected Jesus. He is indicating that the religious leaders’ rejection of Jesus is a continuation of the same pattern of rebellion against God’s chosen messengers.

Additionally, Stephen points to the ultimate deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage as a foreshadowing of the deliverance offered through Jesus. Just as the Israelites were liberated from slavery to serve God, Stephen suggests that the religious leaders and all people have the opportunity to come forth from the bondage of sin and serve God in a new and transformed way.