Acts 7:45
Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse highlights that the Tabernacle, God's dwelling place, was brought into the land by Joshua and the subsequent generation, marking their "taking possession." This wasn't just about claiming territory, but about carrying God's presence into the land they were receiving. The emphasis here is on this faithful generation’s act of bringing God's presence with them as they entered the promised land.
Stephen continues recounting Israel's history, explaining that after receiving the Tabernacle, the next generation, led by Joshua (whose name is translated as Jesus in Greek), brought it into the Promised Land. They continued to possess the Tabernacle, with God driving out the Canaanites before them, all the way until King David's time.
Did you know the sacred dwelling place of God didn't stay put? For centuries, it traveled with His people.
Stephen is tracing the history of the Tabernacle, God's dwelling place among His people. It began in the wilderness, as God commanded Moses, and was a symbol of His presence and covenant.
A New Land, A New Phase
After the wilderness wanderings, the Tabernacle entered Canaan with the Israelites, led by Joshua (whose name is the Greek form of Jesus). This wasn't just a relocation; it marked a significant phase. The text says they brought it "in... into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drove out."
This highlights a key point: God was not only giving them the land but also asserting His dominion over it by bringing His sacred presence into the conquered territories. The Tabernacle's presence in Canaan was a sign that God had fulfilled His promise to give them the land and was now dwelling with them there.
The New Testament often uses names with deep Old Testament connections. See how one name points to another.
Stephen uses the name "Jesus" here, which is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua. Both names mean "Savior" or "Yahweh saves."
A Foreshadowing of Christ
Joshua was the one who led the Israelites into the Promised Land, dispossessing the nations that God drove out. He was a deliverer, a military leader who secured the land for God's people.
Stephen, speaking as a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, uses this name deliberately. By referencing Joshua as "Jesus," he subtly connects the Old Testament deliverer with the New Testament Messiah. Just as Joshua brought Israel into a physical land, Jesus brings His followers into a spiritual inheritance, saving them from their enemies – sin and death.
The Tabernacle's presence in the land lasted for centuries, but its journey wasn't over. What key figure marks its transition?
Understand the original words
exōthēsen · Greek Verb
The act of driving out or displacing inhabitants from a land. In the context of Israel, it is the act of claiming the Promised Land under God’s authorization as judgment upon the wicked nations.
Stephen highlights the Tabernacle's journey with Joshua into the promised land and its presence until David's time. This emphasizes that God's presence wasn't initially tied to a permanent building, challenging the listeners' rigid views of the Temple.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
Israelites Enter Canaan
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites crossed the Jordan River and began the conquest of the land of Canaan, driving out the indigenous peoples.
c. 1400-1050 BC
Tabernacle's Wilderness and Conquest Journey
The Tabernacle of Witness, received from Moses, was brought into the conquered lands and served as the central place of worship during the period of settlement and ongoing conflict.
c. 1050 BC
Ark Captured by Philistines
The Ark of the Covenant, a key component of the Tabernacle's worship, was captured by the Philistines, highlighting a period of instability and divine judgment.
c. 1010 BC
David Brings Ark to Jerusalem
King David successfully brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, establishing it as the religious and political capital of Israel and desiring to build a permanent Temple.
This passage describes Joshua leading the Israelites into the Promised Land, mirroring the 'bringing in' of the Tabernacle into the land the nations possessed, as mentioned in Acts 7:45.
2 Samuel 7:1-3This passage shows David wanting to build a permanent house for God, contrasting with the ongoing movement of the Tabernacle until his time, which aligns with the end point 'unto the days of David' in Acts 7:45.
Psalm 132:1-5David's earnest desire to find a dwelling place for the Lord, as expressed here, connects directly to the narrative in Acts 7:45 about the Tabernacle's journey until his reign.
Hebrews 4:8This verse also references Joshua (called Jesus) leading the people into rest, highlighting the shared theme of God's people entering the promised land under a savior figure.
ellicottActs 7:45: "Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David;"
(45) Brought in with Jesus. —This is, of course, as in Hebrews 4:8 , the “Joshua” of the Old Testament. It would, perhaps, have been better, as a general rule, to have reproduced the Hebrew rather than the Greek form of Old Testament names in the English version of the New. On the other hand, there is, in this i…
calvinActs 7:44-50: "Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen."
- Our fathers had the testimony of witness in the wilderness, like as he had appointed, speaking to Moses, that he should make it according to the form which he had seen: 45. Which tabernacle our fathers which succeeded brought with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, which God drove out before the face…
The verse highlights that the Tabernacle, God's dwelling place, was brought into the land by Joshua and the subsequent generation, marking their "taking possession." This wasn't just about claiming territory, but about carrying God's presence into the land they were receiving. The emphasis here is on this faithful generation’s act of bringing God's presence with them as they entered the promised land.
Stephen continues recounting Israel's history, explaining that after receiving the Tabernacle, the next generation, led by Joshua (whose name is translated as Jesus in Greek), brought it into the Promised Land. They continued to possess the Tabernacle, with God driving out the Canaanites before them, all the way until King David's time.
Stephen continues recounting Israel's history, explaining that after receiving the Tabernacle, the next generation, led by Joshua (whose name is translated as Jesus in Greek), brought it into the Promised Land. They continued to possess the Tabernacle, with God driving out the Canaanites before them, all the way until King David's time.
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Stephen carefully traces the history of the Tabernacle's presence in the land of Canaan: "So it was until the days of David."
From Wandering Tent to Kingdom's Center
This timeframe is crucial. It spans the period from Joshua's conquest all the way through the era of the Judges and into the early days of King David's reign. For centuries, the Tabernacle, as the center of Israel's worship and God's dwelling place, was mobile or housed in temporary locations (like Shiloh).
David, as the chosen king, desired to build a permanent house for God. While God did not allow David to build the Temple, David's reign marked a significant shift. It was under David that the Ark of the Covenant (central to the Tabernacle's worship) was brought to Jerusalem, establishing it as the city of David and the future site of the Temple. This verse sets the stage for Solomon's Temple, highlighting the progression of God's dwelling place from a tent to a magnificent structure.
c. 970 BC
Solomon Builds the First Temple
David's son, Solomon, fulfilled the desire to build a permanent house for God in Jerusalem, marking the end of the Tabernacle's primary use.
"Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David," — The verse highlights that the Tabernacle, God's dwelling place, was brought into the land by Joshua and the subsequent generation, marking their "taking possession." This wasn't just about claiming t…
