Acts 7:45-47
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, who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built a house for him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Stephen subtly uses "Jesus" (the Greek form of Joshua) to link the ancient conquest of Canaan with the eventual conquest of the "Gentiles" by followers of the new Jesus. This suggests the ongoing mission of God isn't just about reclaiming land, but about expanding His kingdom to all nations.
Stephen is recounting the history of Israel's faithfulness and unfaithfulness, specifically focusing on the Tabernacle and then the Temple. He's explaining how the Tabernacle, God's dwelling place, was brought into the promised land by Joshua and the succeeding generation, and how God drove out the nations before them until David's time. This sets the stage for his later argument that God doesn't dwell in man-made structures, a point that directly challenges his accusers who see the Jerusalem Temple as the ultimate expression of God's presence.
Did you know the name 'Jesus' is actually the Greek form of the Old Testament name 'Joshua'? Stephen uses this connection to highlight a deeper truth.
Stephen is recounting the history of Israel's journey with the Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary where God's presence dwelled. He mentions that the fathers who entered the Promised Land 'brought it in with Jesus.'
The Power of a Name
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God drove out the nations before Israel, but what does 'possession' really mean in this context? It's more than just land.
Stephen describes the Israelites entering the land: 'when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers.' This wasn't just a military victory; it was God fulfilling His promise and establishing His people in a land He designated for them.
God's Unfolding Plan
The Tabernacle moved around, but the people longed for a permanent home for God's presence. This longing led to King David's vision.
Stephen traces the journey of the Tabernacle up to the days of David. For generations, Israel carried the Tabernacle, God's dwelling place, with them as they conquered and settled the land. This period ended with King David.
A King's Heart
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.
charin · Greek Noun
Divine grace, graciousness, or acceptance granted by God to an individual. It implies God's benevolent choice to look upon a person with kindness.
Theō Iakōb · Hebrew/Greek Proper Noun Phrase
Refers to God in His role as the God of the covenant, specifically referencing the patriarch Jacob/Israel. It emphasizes God's personal connection to the history and promises made to the ancestors of Israel.
skēnōma · Greek Noun
A residence or home; in the OT/NT, often used to refer to the Temple or Tabernacle as the place where God's presence dwells among His people.
Stephen highlights the Tabernacle's journey with the Israelites, emphasizing that God's presence wasn't initially confined to a single, permanent structure, but moved with His people through conquest and settlement until David's era.
c. 1400 BC
Tabernacle Consecrated
Following God's instructions given to Moses, the Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary for worship, is constructed and consecrated.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Joshua Leads Israelites into Canaan
After wandering in the desert for 40 years, Joshua leads the Israelites across the Jordan River into the Promised Land, beginning the conquest of Canaan.
c. 1400 BC - 1000 BC
Conquest and Settlement of Canaan
The Israelites, under various leaders including Joshua, gradually dispossess the various nations inhabiting Canaan, establishing their presence in the land.
c. 1000 BC
David Desires to Build a Temple
King David, having established his kingdom and brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, expresses his desire to build a permanent house for God.
This passage directly parallels Joshua leading the Israelites into the Promised Land and the Ark of the Covenant entering Canaan, mirroring the 'bringing in' mentioned in Acts 7:45.
2 Samuel 6:1-11This passage details David bringing the Ark into Jerusalem, marking a significant transition from its nomadic presence since entering the land, aligning with the 'unto the days of David' timeframe in Acts 7:45.
1 Kings 8:1-6This passage describes Solomon bringing the Ark into the newly built Temple, showcasing the culmination of the Tabernacle's journey and the establishment of a permanent sanctuary, which Stephen's audience would have known well.
Psalm 78:54-55This Psalm recounts God giving the land of Canaan to Israel and driving out the nations, reinforcing the historical context Stephen is drawing upon about the conquest and the Tabernacle's presence in the land.
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…
Stephen subtly uses "Jesus" (the Greek form of Joshua) to link the ancient conquest of Canaan with the eventual conquest of the "Gentiles" by followers of the new Jesus. This suggests the ongoing mission of God isn't just about reclaiming land, but about expanding His kingdom to all nations.
Stephen is recounting the history of Israel's faithfulness and unfaithfulness, specifically focusing on the Tabernacle and then the Temple. He's explaining how the Tabernacle, God's dwelling place, was brought into the promised land by Joshua and the succeeding generation, and how God drove out the nations before them until David's time. This sets the stage for his later argument that God doesn't dwell in man-made structures, a point that directly challenges his accusers who see the Jerusalem Temple as the ultimate expression of God's presence.
Stephen is recounting the history of Israel's faithfulness and unfaithfulness, specifically focusing on the Tabernacle and then the Temple. He's explaining how the Tabernacle, God's dwelling place, was brought into the promised land by Joshua and the succeeding generation, and how God drove out the nations before them until David's time. This sets the stage for his later argument that God doesn't dwell in man-made structures, a point that directly challenges his accusers who see the Jerusalem Temple as the ultimate expression of God's presence.
"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, who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God o…" — Stephen subtly uses "Jesus" (the Greek form of Joshua) to link the ancient conquest of Canaan with the eventual conquest of the "Gentiles" by followers of the new Jesus. This suggests the ongoing m…
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