Continuous Grace

Acts 7:30-40 (NIV)

30 “Forty years later, an angel appeared to 

Moses in the flame of a burning bush in the 

wilderness near Mount Sinai. 31 Enthralled 

by the sight, Moses approached to get a 

closer look and he heard the Lord’s voice: 

32 ‘I am the God of your ancestors, the God 

of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Trembling 

with fear, Moses didn’t dare to investigate 

any further. 33 The Lord continued, ‘Remove 

the sandals from your feet, for the place 

where you are standing is holy ground. 34 

I have clearly seen the oppression my people 

have experienced in Egypt, and I have heard 

their groaning. I have come down to rescue 

them. Come! I am sending you to Egypt.’ 

35 “This is the same Moses whom they rejected 

when they asked, ‘Who appointed you as 

our leader and judge?’ This is the Moses whom 

God sent as leader and deliverer. God did this 

with the help of the angel who appeared 

before him in the bush. 36 This man led them 

out after he performed wonders and signs in 

Egypt at the Red Sea and for forty years in the 

wilderness. 37 This is the Moses who told the 

Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet 

like me from your own people.’ 38 This is the 

one who was in the assembly in the wilderness 

with our ancestors and with the angel who 

spoke to him on Mount Sinai. He is the one who 

received life-giving words to give to us. 39 He’s 

also the one whom our ancestors refused to 

obey. Instead, they pushed him aside and, 

in their thoughts and desires, returned to Egypt. 

40 They told Aaron, ‘Make us gods that will lead 

us. As for this Moses who led us out of Egypt, 

we don’t know what’s happened to him!’

                Acts 7 is a speech given by Stephen. Stephen was an outstanding leader and was also the first to give his life for the Gospel. Within this chapter, Stephen is presenting Israel’s relationship with God and relating that specific relationship to how the Jews had constantly rejected God’s message. Stephen reviews Jewish history throughout the chapter and then he talks about a familiar person: Moses. Stephen continues in talking about how the Jews rejected Moses as their leader and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. In verse 40 we can see that the Israelites turned away from the One True God and worshipped false gods, which lead to disobedience.

                As we continue the Lenten journey together, I think it is important to examine our own lives. As college students, it is easy to get wrapped up in the busyness of our individual schedules. Sometimes I find myself focusing more on my studies, friends, or any other event than actually focusing in on God: the One who continually keeps His promises! The same God who appeared to Moses appears to us daily in multiple ways! Do we follow him, or do we turn the other way as the Israelites did? God wants to use us just as He used Moses and Stephen!

Caitlyn Martin is a junior majoring in Religion/Philosophy and Elementary Education with a minor in Youth Ministry.