How does Acts 7:33 connect to God's call to Moses in Exodus 3:5? Setting the scene in Exodus 3:5 “ ‘Do not come any closer,’ God said. ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.’ ” (Exodus 3:5) Stephen’s citation in Acts 7:33 “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.’” (Acts 7:33) Why Stephen echoes the burning bush account • Affirms the same divine voice: Stephen identifies Jesus as the “Angel of the Lord” who spoke from the bush (Acts 7:30, 35, 38), underscoring that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob reached Moses—and now reaches Israel—through Christ. • Highlights the holiness of God’s presence: Both passages stress removing sandals as an outward sign of inward reverence (cf. Joshua 5:15). • Reminds listeners that God meets His people outside man-made sanctuaries: Moses was in Midian’s wilderness; Stephen speaks before leaders who idolized the temple (Acts 7:48-50; Isaiah 66:1-2). • Connects God’s past deliverance to the present Gospel offer: Just as God commissioned Moses to rescue Israel (Exodus 3:10), He now sends Jesus as the ultimate Deliverer (Acts 7:52). Key parallels worth noting 1. Same call, same holiness – Exodus 3:5 and Acts 7:33 employ identical words, stressing continuity in God’s character. 2. Same mission pattern – Moses sent to liberate Israel from Egypt (Exodus 3:10). – Jesus sent to liberate from sin and death (Acts 7:52; John 8:36). 3. Same requirement of reverence – Sandals off: humility before the Holy One (Psalm 96:9). 4. Same covenant context – “The God of your fathers” (Exodus 3:6; Acts 7:32) binds both scenes to the patriarchal promises (Genesis 15:13-14; Exodus 2:24). Lessons for today • God’s holiness remains unchanged; we still approach Him on His terms (Hebrews 12:28-29). • Sacred ground is wherever God reveals Himself—whether in a desert bush, Jerusalem’s temple, or the believer’s heart (1 Corinthians 3:16). • The call to mission flows from worship: reverence before sending, sandals off before stepping out (Isaiah 6:1-8). |
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