Acts 7:35-43: a reflection

35“This Moses whom they refused, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—God has sent him as both a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36This man led them out, having worked wonders and signs in Egypt, in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years. 37This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, ‘The Lord our God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me.’ 38This is he who was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel that spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, who received living revelations to give to us, 39to whom our fathers wouldn’t be obedient, but rejected him and turned back in their hearts to Egypt, 40saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods that will go before us, for as for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what has become of him.’ 41They made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands. 42But God turned away and gave them up to serve the army of the sky, as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘Did you offer to me slain animals and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? 43You took up the tabernacle of Moloch, the star of your god Rephan, the figures which you made to worship, so I will carry you away beyond Babylon.’

In his sermon, Stephen recounts how Israel, though delivered from Egypt through Moses, turned back in their hearts to Egypt. They rejected Moses, made a golden calf, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands; their hearts turned back toward the very land of bondage from which God had rescued them, longing for what they had left, rather than pressing on to what God had promised. Delivered from Egypt, they still, in their hearts, turned back toward it.

Notice the direction of their hearts: back toward Egypt, the place of their bondage. God had delivered them from slavery, brought them out with wonders; yet their hearts turned back toward Egypt, longing for what they had left behind, even the food and comforts of their slavery. They did not press forward to what God had for them; they looked back, their hearts drawn to the very bondage from which they had been freed. The pull of the old life, even a life of bondage, drew their hearts backward.

That backward pull is worth taking to heart, for we too can find our hearts turning back toward what God has delivered us from. God delivers us from sins, from bondages, from an old way of life; and yet our hearts can turn back, longing for what we left, drawn again to the very things from which we were freed, even though they held us in bondage. Beware of the heart's pull back toward what God has delivered you from; like Israel, we can long for our old bondage, forgetting how it enslaved us. Do not let your heart turn back toward the sins or bondages God has freed you from, longing for what you left; press forward to what God has for you, rather than looking back, as Israel's hearts turned back to Egypt. Guard your heart against the backward pull toward the old bondage, remembering that God delivered you from it for your good, and set your heart on pressing forward with him rather than turning back to what he rescued you from.

Lord, in his sermon, Stephen recounts how Israel, though delivered from Egypt through Moses, turned back in their hearts to Egypt. They rejected Moses, made a golden calf, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands; their hearts turned back toward the very land of bondage from which you had rescued them. Delivered from Egypt, they still, in their hearts, turned back toward it. Show me the direction of their hearts: back toward Egypt, the place of their bondage. You had delivered them from slavery; yet their hearts turned back, longing for what they had left, even the comforts of their slavery. They did not press forward to what you had for them; they looked back, drawn to the very bondage from which they had been freed. Take that backward pull to my heart, for I too can find my heart turning back toward what you have delivered me from. You deliver me from sins, from bondages, from an old way of life; and yet my heart can turn back, longing for what I left, drawn again to the very things from which I was freed, even though they held me in bondage. Keep me watchful of the heart's pull back toward what you have delivered me from; like Israel, I can long for my old bondage, forgetting how it enslaved me. Keep my heart from turning back toward the sins or bondages you have freed me from; help me press forward to what you have for me, Lord, rather than looking back, as Israel's hearts turned back to Egypt.