God’s sovereignty in Israel’s history in Acts 7
In Stephen’s speech (Acts 7:2–46) the term theos, ‘God’, is mentioned sixteen times (the term kyrios, ‘Lord’, is also used twice with reference to God) and God is the subject of the action in the narrative. God appeared to, spoke to, gave promises to and sent Abraham (vv. 2–8); he was with, rescued and gave wisdom to Joseph (vv. 9–10); he fulfilled his promise to Abraham in rescuing the people of Israel (vv. 5, 17); he appeared to, sent and used Moses to deliver the people of Israel (vv. 25, 31–35); he directed Moses concerning the construction of the tabernacle, drove out the nations before Israel and was favourable to David (vv. 44–46). Running throughout this narrative account of Israel’s history is an undercurrent of the rejection of God’s messengers (Joseph, v. 9; Moses, vv. 27, 35, 39).6 This rejection and even resistance (v. 51) to God’s messengers, however, does not leave God inactive. Despite the actions of the patriarchs, God accomplished his purposes through Joseph (vv. 9–10).7 Although the Israelites worshipped ‘what their hands had made’, God turned away from Israel, handed them over to idol worship and sent them into exile as promised (vv. 41–43).8 In fact, as Stephen nears the end of his speech he quotes Isaiah 66:1–2, which declares that heaven is God’s throne, the earth his footstool and God has ‘made all these things’ (Acts 7:49–50).
This pattern comes to the fore in Stephen’s conclusion, where he declares that his audience is following the pattern of those (their fathers) who persecuted the prophets. Even though their fathers killed those who predicted the coming of Jesus, and Stephen’s audience followed suit in betraying and murdering this Righteous One, still the one predicted came just as God’s messengers, the prophets, had predicted.9 The appearance again of the glory of God (cf. vv. 2, 55), and now the person of Jesus at the right hand of God, clearly shows that God’s purposes were not thwarted but accomplished through this rejected Righteous One. This reappearance together with the clear allusions to Jesus’ own actions at his death (cf. vv. 59–60 with Luke 23:34, 46) as Stephen is murdered indicate that this pattern is continuing. Stephen is God’s messenger, now not as a messenger anticipating the coming of the Lord Jesus, but as one who points to (vv. 55–56), even prays to (vv. 59–60), and reflects the character of the Lord Jesus (vv. 59–60).
God’s sovereignty in Israel’s history in Acts 13
In Paul’s speech in Acts 13:16–37 God is again the main character in the history of Israel and is again the subject of the main verbs. This time the emphasis is not so much on the rejection of God’s messengers but the gracious provision of God for his people. The God of Israel chose their fathers, made the people prosper in Egypt, led them out, bore with them in the wilderness, overthrew the nations and gave them the land (vv. 17–20). Then God gave the people judges, installed and removed Saul as king, and made David king (vv. 20–22). In fact, it was only when David had served God’s purposes in his own generation that he fell asleep (v. 36). Finally, it is from the descendants of David that God brings to Israel, as he promised (implying also a preservation of that promise through those descendants), the Saviour, Jesus (vv. 23–37). God’s purposes were fulfilled in the condemnation and execution of Jesus (vv. 27–29) and God raised Jesus from the dead (vv. 30–37). The anticipation that God would do something incredible in their days (v. 41), the promise of light for the Gentiles and salvation for the ends of the earth (v. 47) and the granting of eternal life to ‘all who were appointed’ (v. 48) indicate that the culmination of God’s sovereign and gracious provision for his people comes in the offer of salvation (v. 26), forgiveness of sins (v. 38), justification (v. 39) and eternal life (vv. 46, 48), by God’s grace (v. 43), through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus to all who would believe, even Gentiles (v. 48).