Acts 7:9–16

  ⁹ “And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him ¹⁰ and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. ¹¹ Now a famine and great trouble came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers found no sustenance. ¹² But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. ¹³ And the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to the Pharaoh. ¹⁴ Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him, seventy-five people. ¹⁵ So Jacob went down to Egypt; and he died, he and our fathers. ¹⁶ And they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. 

Commentary 

Vs. 9-10 ⁹ “And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him ¹⁰ and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. 

Stephen in addressing the counsel now recalls how the patriarchs that is Jacobs sons became envious of one son, Joseph whom Jacob favored and to whom God foretold that He would raise him up and make his brothers and even his father bow before him. And so, in Joseph we see a kind of Christ, who was rejected by his brothers and sold into slavery in Egypt. Now even though they did this to him, (thinking to have killed him), God was with him and gave Joseph favor in the presence of Pharaoh who made Joseph governor over Egypt and all his house; thus, God was preparing him then to be both his brothers and fathers savior there. 

Vs. 11-14 ¹¹ Now a famine and great trouble came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers found no sustenance. ¹² But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. ¹³ And the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to the Pharaoh. ¹⁴ Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him, seventy-five people. ¹⁵ So Jacob went down to Egypt; and he died, he and our fathers. ¹⁶ And they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. 

Stephen now recalls how God brought Jacob and his sons into Egypt to fulfill His Word, that through a great famine in the land of Egypt and Canaan, he would bring Jacob and all his household down into Egypt to establish them there. And so, this began when Jacob hearing that there was grain in Egypt sent down his ten sons (except Benjamin) to buy grain. Now Joseph their long-lost brother was the governor of the land and though they did not recognize Joseph, he did remember them, and so when they returned to Jacob and came back the second time with Joseph’s little brother Benjamin, as Joseph commanded them to do so, Joseph made himself known to them (Gen. 42:1-47:12). Now they’re not seeing Joseph for who he was as chosen by God to save them, mirrors just how Israel did not see the Lord Jesus Christ for who He is, Chosen by God to be their Lord, Savior, and King when they too first saw Him. And so, Joseph unbeknownst to himself back then when God permitted his brothers to sell him into slavery in Egypt, was making a way to save them all (Gen 50:15-21). Now consider how this also parallels the life of the Lord Jesus Christ who was also sent by the Will of God before Israel the nation to gain eternal salvation by their also rejecting Him, and thus make the way of salvation for them and for all. Now there are many other parallels between the life of Jesus and Joseph but let’s stay focused on the Stephens recalling Israel’s history, for he is doing so to recall Israel’s ongoing ignorance and rejection of the Will of God for them all. And so, when Joseph was revealed to his brothers and his father Jacob who had long given up hope of ever seeing his son again, heard that he was alive he came down with all of his household, and all that he had and moved into to Egypt, (this then begins Israel as a nations sojourn in Egypt). And so, when Jacob died there, Joseph in honoring his fathers last request that he be buried in the burial place of his forefathers of Abraham and Isaac returned him back to the land God promised Abraham and buried him in the tomb which Abraham himself purchased from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem where they were buried. Now verses fifteen and sixteen also recalls how Joseph’s brothers when they died were also carried out of the land of Egypt and buried in their forefather’s tomb in Shechem, thus establishing their inheritance rights in the promised land. Now Joseph’s remains would be in Egypt with God’s people until God raised up Moses who would bring His people (and Joseph’s remains) out of Egypt. Which Stephen address in the next section by his recalling Israel’s historic and ongoing failures to believe and receive the ones God has sent to them. For just as they did not believe Joseph, neither would they believe Moses. Therefore, the Sanhedrin’s council of charging Stephen with blaspheming Moses is only an indictment of themselves, for their ongoing unbelief and rejection of the Will of God for themselves, which Stephen will prove by his continuing to recall Israel’s history and their rejecting the One even Moses foretold would come to them!

Scripture Quotations 

New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson.