Our Deliverer

DEVOTION

THE BOOK OF ACTS

OUR DELIVERER

Acts 7:35-36

35 "This is the same Moses whom they had rejected with the words, 'Who made you ruler and judge?' He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 He led them out of Egypt and did wonders and miraculous signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the desert.

NIV

Certainly Stephen is building up to the fact they rejected Jesus, but is there something within this portion that we can learn for our lives? It appears it is simply history, yet could we make any case for us becoming a person to lead people out of bondage to sin? Moses was called by God to be the ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. Certainly God does not call us to be anyone’s ruler, but does he call us to be a deliverer? In some sense being called to go into the world and preach the Good News is a form of being a deliverer. There is another truth here which shows us that Jesus is our ruler and deliverer. He certainly has delivered us from the bondage to sin, and he is the ruler of our lives. Jesus has certainly done wonders and miracles in our lives, first by bringing out of the dark city of sin and death, and leading us into the glorious city of light and life. Then secondly he has continued throughout our journey doing great things in our lives. Although Stephen will be getting to more of the history of Moses and the children of Israel, we can jump forward to the time in the desert, Jesus has provided us with our daily needs, as well as set up a tabernacle within our hearts for God, the Holy Spirit to dwell in, rather than some physical place. Yet our lives have to be more than just being saved and being the temple of God. We too have been called to lead others to Jesus, so that he can be there deliverer as well. As God called Moses to lead his people from the dark city of sin and death into the land flowing with milk and honey, the city on the hill, filled with light and life, we are called to lead others to this place as well. Stephen was trying to lead those in the Sanhedrin to Jesus, as he had been doing throughout the city and is what caused him to be charged with crimes against God. Not everyone will accept the Good News, but that did not deter Stephen and it should not deter us from continuing to lead people to Jesus, our deliverer.