What is the meaning of Acts 7:45? Our fathers who received it Acts 7:45 opens by saying, “And our fathers who received it….” The “it” is the tabernacle, the portable sanctuary described in Exodus 25–40 and mentioned just one verse earlier (Acts 7:44). Luke presents this as a historical hand-off: • Moses built the tabernacle according to “the pattern he had seen” (Exodus 25:9, 40), and then handed it to the next generation. • “Our fathers” accepted that stewardship (Numbers 10:11-13) and treated the tabernacle as the visible sign of God’s dwelling with them (Exodus 40:34-38). What matters here is faithfulness across generations—receiving what God gives and guarding it as precious truth (cf. 2 Timothy 1:14). brought it in with Joshua The verse continues, “…brought it in with Joshua….” After Moses’ death, Joshua led the nation across the Jordan, the ark of the covenant going first (Joshua 3:13-17). This highlights: • God’s presence: the ark, housed in the tabernacle, parted the Jordan just as He once parted the Red Sea. • Obedient leadership: Joshua “did just as Moses had commanded” (Joshua 4:10). • A settled center for worship: “The whole congregation… set up the tent of meeting at Shiloh” (Joshua 18:1). Every movement of the tabernacle underscored that God Himself was guiding Israel (Joshua 1:5; Matthew 28:20). when they dispossessed the nations God drove out before them Israel entered Canaan only because “God drove out” the Canaanite nations (Deuteronomy 7:1-2; Joshua 23:9-10; Acts 13:19). Stephen’s wording reminds us that: • Conquest was God-initiated. Psalm 44:2-3 testifies, “It was Your right hand… for You favored them.” • Judgment and mercy meet. God judged the nations’ sin (Genesis 15:16) while keeping His promise to Abram (Genesis 12:7). • Worship remained central amid warfare. The tabernacle never became a relic; it traveled with the army, declaring that victory and worship belong together (2 Chronicles 13:12). It remained until the time of David For centuries—through the Judges (Judges 20:26-27), Samuel (1 Samuel 1:3), and Saul—“It remained.” The tabernacle stood at Shiloh, then at Nob, then at Gibeon (1 Chronicles 16:39-40). • Stability: Even in chaotic times, God’s dwelling was a constant. • David’s longing: “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God remains in a tent” (2 Samuel 7:2). David moved the ark to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:17), anticipating Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 8:4). • Continuity: From Sinai to Zion, one unbroken story of God with His people (Revelation 21:3). summary Acts 7:45 compresses 400 years into one sentence, yet every phrase testifies that God keeps His word, guides His people, judges sin, and desires worship. The tabernacle’s journey—from Moses to Joshua, through conquest, and on to David—assures us that the Lord who once dwelt in canvas now dwells in our hearts through Christ (John 1:14; 2 Corinthians 6:16). |
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