Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 6.djvu/74

68 as an act of holy self-denial, here as a designed preludium to, or entrance upon, the public service he was to be called out to; (v. 23.) When he was full forty years old, in the prime of his time for preferment in the court of Egypt, it came into his heart (for God put it there) to visit his brethren the children of Israel, and to see which way he might do them any service; and he shewed himself as a public person, with a public character:

1. As Israel's saviour. This he gave a specimen of in avenging an oppressed Israelite, and killing the Egyptian that abused him; (v. 24.) Seeing one of his brethren suffer wrong, he was moved with compassion toward the sufferer, and a just indignation at the wrong-doer, as men in public stations should be, and he avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian; which, if he had been only a private person, he could not lawfully have done; but he knew that his commission from heaven would bear him out; and he supposed that his brethren (who could not but have some knowledge of the promise made to Abraham, that the nation that should oppress them God would judge) would have understood that God by his hand would deliver them; for he could not have had, either presence of mind or strength of body, to do what he did, if he had not been clothed with such a divine power as evidenced a divine authority. If they had but understood the signs of the times, they might have taken this for the dawning of the day of their deliverance; but they understood not, they did not take this, as it was designed, for the setting up of a standard, and sounding of a trumpet, to proclaim Moses their deliverer.

2. As Israel's judge. This he gave a specimen of, the very next day, in offering to accommodate matters between two contending Hebrews, wherein he plainly assumed a public character; (v. 26.) He shewed himself to them as they strove, and, putting on an air of majesty and authority, he would have set them at one again, and as their prince have determined the controversy between them, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren, by birth and profession of religion; why do ye wrong one to another? For he observed that (as in most strifes) there was a fault on both sides; and therefore, in order to peace and friendship, there must be a mutual remission and condescension. When Moses was to be Israel's deliverer out of Egypt, he slew the Egyptians, and, so delivered Israel out of their hands; but when he was to be Israel's judge, and lawgiver, he ruled them with the golden sceptre, not the iron rod; he did not kill and slay them when they strove, but gave them excellent laws and statutes, and determined upon their complaints and appeals made to him, Exod. 18. 16.

But the contending Israelite, that was most in the wrong, thrust him away, (v. 27.) would not bear the reproof, though a just and gentle one, but was ready to fly in his face, with, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? Proud and litigious spirits are impatient of check and control. Rather would these Israelites have their bodies ruled with rigour by their task-masters than be delivered, and have their minds ruled with reason, by their deliverer. The wrong-doer was so enraged at the reproof given him, that he upbraided Moses with the service he had done to their nation in killing the Egyptian, which, if they had pleased, would have been the earnest of further and greater service; ''Wilt thou kill me as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday? v''. 28. Charging that upon him as his crime, and threatening to accuse him for it, which was the hanging out of the flag of defiance to the Egyptians, and the banner of love and deliverance to Israel. Hereupon Moses fled into the land of Midian, and made no more attempt to deliver Israel till forty years after; he settled as a stranger in Midian, married, and had two sons, by Jethro's daughter, v. 29.

Now let us see how this serves Stephen's purpose,

(1.) They charged him with blaspheming Moses, in answer to which he retorts upon them the indignities which their fathers did to Moses, which they ought to be ashamed of, and humbled for, instead of picking quarrels thus, under pretence of zeal for the honour of Moses, with one that had as great a veneration for him as any of them had.

(2.) They persecuted him for disputing in defence of Christ, and his gospel, in opposition to which they set up Moses and his law; "But" (saith he) "you had best take heed," [1.] "Lest you hereby do as your fathers did, refuse and reject one whom God has raised up to be to you a Prince, and a Saviour'; you may understand, if you will not wilfully shut your eyes against the light, that God will, by this Jesus, deliver you out of a worse slavery than that in Egypt; take heed then of thrusting him away, but receive him as a Ruler and a Judge over you." [2.] "Lest you hereby fare as your fathers fared, who for this were justly left to die in their slavery,, for the deliverance came not till forty years after; this will come of it, you put away the gospel from you, and it will be sent to the Gentiles; you will not have Christ, and you shall not have him, so shall your doom be," Matt. 23. 38, 39.

30. And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina, an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush. 31. When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him, 32. Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold. 33. Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground. 34. I have seen, I have seen, the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt. 35. This Moses whom they refused, (saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge?) the same did God send to be a ruler, and a deliverer, by the hands of the angel which appeared to him in the bush. 36. He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness, forty years. 37. This is that Moses which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me: him shall ye hear. 38. This is he that was in the church in the wilderness, with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us. 39. Whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,