Acts 7:44 - Stephen's Address to the Sanhedrin
Our fathers had the tabernacle of the Testimony with them in the wilderness.
The "fathers" refers to the Israelites, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who were led by Moses out of Egypt. The "tabernacle of the Testimony" is the portable sanctuary that God instructed Moses to build, as described in Exodus 25-31. It served as the dwelling place of God among His people during their journey through the wilderness. The term "Testimony" refers to the tablets of the Law, the Ten Commandments, which were housed within the Ark of the Covenant inside the tabernacle. The wilderness journey lasted 40 years, a period of testing and reliance on God's provision and guidance. The tabernacle symbolized God's presence and covenant with Israel, emphasizing His holiness and the need for atonement and worship.
It was constructed exactly as God had directed Moses,
The construction of the tabernacle was a divine mandate, with God providing detailed instructions to Moses on Mount Sinai. This is recorded in Exodus 25:9, where God specifies that the tabernacle should be made according to the pattern shown to Moses. The precision in its construction underscores the importance of obedience to God's commands and the sacredness of the space where God would dwell. The meticulous details highlight the order and intentionality of God's design, reflecting His character and the seriousness of worship.
according to the pattern he had seen.
Moses received a vision or revelation of the heavenly pattern, which he was to replicate on earth. This concept is echoed in Hebrews 8:5, where the earthly tabernacle is described as a shadow of the heavenly one. The pattern signifies the heavenly reality of God's presence and the ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who is the true tabernacle (John 1:14). The earthly tabernacle was a type, a foreshadowing of Christ's work of redemption and His role as the mediator between God and humanity. The adherence to the pattern also points to the importance of divine revelation and the need for humanity to align with God's heavenly purposes.
Persons / Places / Events
1. Our Fathers
Refers to the ancestors of the Israelites, particularly those who wandered in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt.
2. The Tabernacle of the Testimony
A portable earthly dwelling place for God among the Israelites, constructed as per divine instructions given to Moses.
3. The Wilderness
The desert area where the Israelites wandered for 40 years after their exodus from Egypt.
4. God
The divine being who provided the instructions for the construction of the tabernacle.
5. Moses
The prophet and leader of the Israelites who received the pattern for the tabernacle from God.
Teaching Points
Divine Instruction and Obedience
The construction of the tabernacle according to God's pattern underscores the importance of obedience to divine instructions. As believers, we are called to follow God's Word precisely, trusting in His wisdom and design for our lives.
God's Presence Among His People
The tabernacle symbolizes God's desire to dwell among His people. Today, through the Holy Spirit, God dwells within us, making our bodies His temple. This calls for a life of holiness and reverence.
Foreshadowing Christ
The tabernacle serves as a foreshadowing of Christ, who is the ultimate revelation of God's presence. Understanding the tabernacle helps us appreciate the fullness of God's plan in sending Jesus to dwell among us.
Community and Worship
The tabernacle was central to the community life of Israel, serving as a place of worship and sacrifice. In the church today, gathering for worship remains vital for spiritual growth and community.
Faithfulness in the Wilderness
The Israelites carried the tabernacle through the wilderness, a testament to faithfulness amidst trials. In our own "wilderness" experiences, we are encouraged to remain faithful, trusting in God's presence and guidance.
(44) The tabernacle of witness.--The word was applied by the LXX. to the Tabernacle, as in Numbers 9:15; Numbers 17:7, as containing the Two Tables of Stone, which were emphatically the testimony of what was God's will as the rule of man's conduct (Exodus 25:16; Exodus 25:21; Exodus 31:18). It should be noted that the LXX. gives the same rendering for the words which the English version translates as the "tabernacle of the congregation," e.g., in Exodus 29:10; Exodus 33:7; Numbers 16:18-19. . . .
Verse 44. - The testimony for witness, A.V.; even as he appointed who spake for as he had appointed, speaking, A.V.; figure for fashion, A.V. Chrysostom calls attention to the mention of the wilderness, as showing that God's presence and service were not confined to Jerusalem. Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
Our
ἡμῶν (hēmōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.
fathers
πατράσιν (patrasin)
Noun - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3962: Father, (Heavenly) Father, ancestor, elder, senior. Apparently a primary word; a 'father'.
[had]
ἦν (ēn)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.
the
Ἡ (Hē)
Article - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
tabernacle
σκηνὴ (skēnē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4633: A tent, booth, tabernacle, abode, dwelling, mansion, habitation. Apparently akin to skeuos and skia; a tent or cloth hut.
of the
τοῦ (tou)
Article - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
testimony
μαρτυρίου (martyriou)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 3142: Neuter of a presumed derivative of martus; something evidential, i.e. evidence given or, the Decalogue.
with [them]
τοῖς (tois)
Article - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.
the
τῇ (tē)
Article - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
wilderness.
ἐρήμῳ (erēmō)
Adjective - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2048: Lonesome, i.e. waste.
[It was] constructed
ποιῆσαι (poiēsai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 4160: (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do.
exactly as
καθὼς (kathōs)
Adverb
Strong's 2531: According to the manner in which, in the degree that, just as, as. From kata and hos; just as, that.
[God]
ὁ (ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
had directed
διετάξατο (dietaxato)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1299: To give orders to, prescribe, arrange. From dia and tasso; to arrange thoroughly, i.e. institute, prescribe, etc.
Moses,
Μωϋσῇ (Mōusē)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3475: Or Moses, or Mouses of Hebrew origin; Moseus, Moses, or Mouses, the Hebrew lawgiver.
according to
κατὰ (kata)
Preposition
Strong's 2596: A primary particle; down, in varied relations (genitive, dative or accusative) with which it is joined).
the
τὸν (ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
pattern
τύπον (typon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5179: From tupto; a die, i.e. a stamp or scar; by analogy, a shape, i.e. A statue, style or resemblance; specially, a sampler, i.e. A model or instance.
he had seen.
ἑωράκει (heōrakei)
Verb - Pluperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3708: Properly, to stare at, i.e. to discern clearly; by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear.
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