Devotion for Monday in Trinity, 20 June 2011 Anno Domini

Devotion for Monday in Trinity, 20 June 2011 Anno Domini
“1 Then said the high priest, Are these things so? 2 And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,3 And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee. 4Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.5 And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child. 6And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years.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.8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs.9 And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,10 And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.11 Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.12 But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.13 And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh. 14Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls.15 So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers,16 And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem.” (Acts 7:1-16)
“Then said the high priest, Are these things so? The accusers of Stephen twist the meaning of the words he expressed regarding the Gospel. Of course, Stephen taught the truth of Christ’s testimony that should they destroy “this” Temple (meaning His body) He would restore it in three days.
“And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee. Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell. And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child. And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years.” Stephen gives a complete history from the calling of Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees to that present time. He also describes how God had promised Abraham, and his seed following, the possession of that land in which the Temple now stood. He further describes how the seed of Abraham would reside in a strange land and be brought into bondage for a period of four hundred years (this prophecy was fulfilled in detail).
“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.” Continuing the historical summary, Stephen explains how Abraham’s seed would come into the Promised Land to serve God after God had judged Egypt for their sins.
“And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs.” Here we observe the old covenant descent from Abraham as the blessing passed through Isaac to Jacob and to the Tribes. The sign and seal of the covenant was acknowledged through the circumcision. Baptism is the sacrament whereby the Covenant of Grace is signed and seal in the Church today. “And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him, And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.” Briefly related is the manner in which Joseph (a type of Christ as well as an historical figure) was sold into slavery by his older and jealous brothers, but God had caused him to be exalted in Egypt and was made governor over Egypt and all the house of Pharaoh.
“Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.” There was a widespread famine which fell upon Egypt and all the adjacent areas including Canaan. Jacob and his sons found themselves in great want, but Jacob had heard that there was corn and grain to be had in Egypt (due to the excellent administration of Joseph). “But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.” Jacob sent the brothers of Joseph into Egypt to buy corn – all except Joseph’s young brother, Benjamin, the child of Rachel (Joseph’s mother).
“And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh.” Through a ruse, Joseph tricked his brothers into returning to Jacob and bringing back Benjamin. When they had returned, Joseph revealed himself as their brother and benefactor whom they had sold into slavery years before.
“Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls. So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers.” God’s Providence is beyond our understanding, but it was through this process that Scripture would be fulfilled regarding the seed of Abraham sojourning in a strange land and being in bondage for four hundred years. The bondage did not take place, however, until after the death of Jacob and his sons.
“And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem.” Important place this Sychem. It is made reference to as Shechem in the Old Testament, and Sychem, or Sychar, in the New Testament. It is the place of Jacob’s Well where Christ met the Canaanite woman at the same Well of Jacob. When the Children of Israel were led out of the land of Egypt with the Mighty and Outstretched Arm of the Lord, they brought with them the bones of Jacob. Egypt symbolizes the land of bondage and, therefore, sin. Jacob’s bones being carried out may symbolize the fact that our bodies will be resurrected at the last day and taken away from this world of sin and transported to the New Jerusalem. There is an underground river at Sychar of which I have written before. The river is deep beneath the streets of the city and cannot be heard during the bustle of trade and commerce. But at night, when all feet are stilled, one can hear the gentle gurgling of the River beneath the streets of the city. Jacob’s Well tapped into the abundant waters of this river which emerged to water the fertile plains and pastures beyond the city. It reminds me of the silent working of the Holy Ghost. Until we are quiet and still, we may not recognize its flowing Waters of Peace in our souls. Even in the noisy chambers of the Sanhedrin, Stephen’s heart was in sufficient quiet and peace to hear the promptings of that Holy Ghost beneath the surface.