III - Abraham's Story in the New Testament - His Unique Privilege

"Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham . . ..” (Acts 7:2, NIV).

Seven men were chosen to serve the early church recorded in Acts 6. One of them was Stephen.  He is one that was full of faith and the Holy Spirit. Stephen is mentioned first among these "servants" and seemed to be in a place of prominence.  He became known as a preacher and a miracle-worker.  He was accused of being disloyal to Judaism.  He was an able debater.  He was eventually arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin.  It was there he intended to correct his national leaders about their understanding of history.

Acts 7:51–53 (NIV) records the punchline of the sermon to the Sanhedrin and probably records the point where their anger turned malicious and Stephen was martyred:

⁵¹ “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! ⁵² Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him—⁵³ you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”  

But at the beginning of his message he recounts, as filled with the Spirit, the inspired history of Israel starting with Abraham. It is there he records that "The God of glory" appeared to Abraham. Stephen's lesson recounts the direction of God to Abraham and the promises God gave him.  "Stephen’s emphasis was on how God revealed himself outside the holy land and how he promised a place of true worship to come." [1]

"Here, Stephen begins recounting Israel’s history, affirming the preeminence of Israel’s God . . . Although he is being interrogated by the high priest, he takes all of Israel’s leaders to court to condemn them." [2]  It is none less than the God of glory appearing to Abraham. "This title recalls the divine glory God showed His people in the time of Moses: the pillar of cloud (Ex. 14:19; 16:10; Ps. 105:39), the pillar of fire (Ex. 14:24), the glory of the Lord on the mountain (Ex. 24:15–18; 2 Cor. 3:7), and the glory on the tabernacle (Ex. 40:34, 35; cf. John 1:14)." [3]

The God of glory -- El Hakkavod.  Kavod means weight, honor and worth. “The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.” (Psalm 29:3, NIV).   Abraham saw the God of glory in Mesopotamia. Stephen’s use of this name at the beginning of his apologetics exhortation to these rulers of Israel was probably to remind them that the same glorious God who called Abraham also was the same God who would bring into being not just an earthly nation, but a Promised Seed who would be the blessings to all nations. 

God's glory is revealed to us in Jesus Christ. 

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:17–18, NIV)  

What amazing, unbelievable truth.  The God of Glory appears to us in the Person of Jesus Christ; and as the Holy Spirit enables our gaze to rest upon Him in contemplative worship we too are being transformed into a glorious being.  What grace is that?  What mercy!

Father it is not Abraham that deserves our contemplation.  Nor is it the religious heroes of our day. The point of revelation is transformation into the likeness of Jesus.  He alone deserves our worship. He alone is the kavod of God.  Grant time to us today to stop in the busyness and the rush -- stop just to contemplate -- to worship the God of glory as revealed in the face of Jesus Christ.  And may we be changed in that experience for the ongoing glory of our Savior, in His Name be praised.

The place of true worship to come, promised to Abraham was not the Holy Land -- it was in the Spirit contemplating the face of Christ.

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1. Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (2093). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

2. Barry, J. D., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Ac 7:2). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

3. Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B. K., & Silva, M. (1995). The Reformation study Bible: Bringing the light of the Reformation to Scripture: New King James Version (Ac 7:2). Nashville: T. Nelson.