And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:
This verse belongs to Stephen's review of Israel's past history, rehearsed before the council as his final testimony spoken under the Holy Spirit amid resistance and growing tumult, so its full significance depends on that occasion, time, and place. He rehearsed that history to defend himself against the charges and to show his knowledge of the nation's records and their spiritual meaning through Christ. Through that history he showed God's dealings with Israel, exposed the cruelty of their ancestors and their rejection of Christ, and preached Christ from the Old Testament beginning with Moses and the prophets. That preaching gave inspired proof regarding His mission, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension and proved His identity with the Messiah through the testimony of Moses and the prophets.
The verse is part of the testimony that ended with Stephen's stoning, at which Saul stood by consenting. Afterward Saul breathed out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples, sought authority to bind men and women of this way and bring them to Jerusalem, until he was stopped by light from heaven on the way to Damascus. The verse recounts that when Moses saw one of his people suffering wrong from an Egyptian, he defended and avenged the oppressed Israelite by killing the Egyptian. He then believed Israel would be delivered through warfare with himself leading the Hebrews against the Egyptian armies, and he guarded his affections for his adoptive mother and Pharaoh so he could remain free to do God's will.
In that killing Moses tried to secure his people's favor by righting their wrongs, as part of his choice to give up Egypt's honors for the deliverance of God's downtrodden people. The attempt to deliver Israel was mistaken, rash, and self-devised, an effort by force relying on his own ability and human invention and planning God's work by his own methods rather than depending on divine power and following God's plan. The violent act showed a murderous spirit and made Moses at that time unfit to represent God's mercy, love, and tenderness, for though he had been a mighty general in Egypt he had not yet learned to follow God's plan.
The attempt failed and made Moses a fugitive and exile, fleeing Pharaoh's anger from Egypt into the wilderness to Midian. There he lived forty years tending sheep as a shepherd before God entrusted him with leading Israel. He wrongly concluded that his sin had ended any part he could have in Israel's deliverance. God allowed the failure to teach Moses the gentleness, goodness, patience, dependence on divine power, and shepherd lessons needed to prepare him for his life-work and service.
This verse belongs to Stephen's review of Israel's past history, rehearsed before the council as his final testimony spoken under the Holy Spirit amid resistance and growing tumult, so its full significance depends on that occasion, time, and place. He rehearsed that history to defend himself against the charges and to show his knowledge of the nation's records and their spiritual meaning through Christ. Through that history he showed God's dealings with Israel, exposed the cruelty of their ancestors and their rejection of Christ, and preached Christ from the Old Testament beginning with Moses and the prophets. That preaching gave inspired proof regarding His mission, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension and proved His identity with the Messiah through the testimony of Moses and the prophets.
The verse is part of the testimony that ended with Stephen's stoning, at which Saul stood by consenting. Afterward Saul breathed out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples, sought authority to bind men and women of this way and bring them to Jerusalem, until he was stopped by light from heaven on the way to Damascus. The verse recounts that when Moses saw one of his people suffering wrong from an Egyptian, he defended and avenged the oppressed Israelite by killing the Egyptian. He then believed Israel would be delivered through warfare with himself leading the Hebrews against the Egyptian armies, and he guarded his affections for his adoptive mother and Pharaoh so he could remain free to do God's will.
In that killing Moses tried to secure his people's favor by righting their wrongs, as part of his choice to give up Egypt's honors for the deliverance of God's downtrodden people. The attempt to deliver Israel was mistaken, rash, and self-devised, an effort by force relying on his own ability and human invention and planning God's work by his own methods rather than depending on divine power and following God's plan. The violent act showed a murderous spirit and made Moses at that time unfit to represent God's mercy, love, and tenderness, for though he had been a mighty general in Egypt he had not yet learned to follow God's plan.
The attempt failed and made Moses a fugitive and exile, fleeing Pharaoh's anger from Egypt into the wilderness to Midian. There he lived forty years tending sheep as a shepherd before God entrusted him with leading Israel. He wrongly concluded that his sin had ended any part he could have in Israel's deliverance. God allowed the failure to teach Moses the gentleness, goodness, patience, dependence on divine power, and shepherd lessons needed to prepare him for his life-work and service.