"Knowing about God" and "Following God” are not the same thing.
- Thad DeBuhr
- 2 days ago
- 8 min read
Study Guide: Acts 7:17-34
Imagine you’re out on a job site, and you’ve got a piece of equipment that is broken, greasy, and looks like junk. Maybe it’s an old backhoe that’s seen better days—we’ll call it "Leaky Lou." To anyone passing by, it’s just scrap metal taking up space. But the owner knows that under all that grease is the only machine powerful enough to move the boulders blocking the road.
In Acts 7, Stephen is telling a story about a man named Moses. To the religious leaders of the day, Moses was a polished gold statue—a perfect hero. But Stephen reminds them that before Moses was a hero, he was "junk" in the eyes of his own people. He was rejected, chased into the desert, and forgotten for forty years. Stephen’s point is simple: God loves to use the "tools" that the world throws away.
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Before you dig into the study guide, I would suggest reading or listening to the passage in two different bible translations from this list: NIV, NLT, NASB, ESV, NKJV
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Setting the Scene:
To get the most out of Acts 7:17-34, we have to remember the courtroom drama. Stephen is on trial for his life. The "Freedmen" and the professional liars they hired have told the High Court that Stephen is a "blasphemer"—someone who talks trash about Moses and the Temple (Acts 6:11).
The High Court worshiped Moses. They saw him as the ultimate insider. By the time we get to verse 17, Stephen has already shown that God worked through Abraham (in Iraq) and Joseph (in a prison). Now, he’s tackling the Moses accusation head-on. He isn't attacking Moses; he's showing that the court's ancestors were actually the ones who hated Moses first. He is building a "run-up" to show that if they rejected Moses, it’s no surprise they rejected Jesus.
Study Summary: The Training of a Deliverer
In this section of the speech, Stephen walks through the first 80 years of Moses' life. He breaks it down into the "Palace Years" and the "Pasture Years" to show that God’s presence isn't tied to a fancy throne or a big building.
1. The Pressure of the System (Verses 17–19)
As the time for God’s promise to Abraham drew near, the Hebrew people in Egypt were booming in population. A new King (Pharaoh) came to power who didn't care about the history of Joseph. He saw the Hebrews as a "security risk."
The Control Tactic: Pharaoh didn't want to kill all the Hebrews—he needed their labor. Instead, he used strategic population control. He ordered that newborn boys be "exposed" (left to die). This was a cold, political move to keep the Hebrews weak, broken, and manageable.
The Background: This is the ultimate "Safe Zone" vs. "Wilderness" setup. The Hebrews were in a system that wanted to prune their future. But God was already working "off-grid" to save them.
2. The Failure of Human Power (Verses 20–25)
Moses is born and, through a miracle, is raised in Pharaoh's own house. He is educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and is powerful in speech and action. At age 40, he decides it's time to visit "his brothers."
The Incident: He sees a Hebrew being mistreated and kills the Egyptian bully. Moses thought his people would understand that God was using him to rescue them (Acts 7:25).
The Mistake: Moses was trying to do God's work using Egypt’s methods—violence and status. He thought being a "Prince" made him the right man for the job. But God was about to show him that he wasn't ready to lead until he learned how to follow.
3. The Rejection and the Flight (Verses 26–29)
The very next day, Moses tries to break up a fight between two Hebrews. One of them pushes him away and asks the stinging question: "Who made you ruler and judge over us?"
Historical Context: This is the pivot point of Stephen's speech. He is telling the High Court: "Your ancestors asked the same thing about Moses that you are asking about Jesus."
The Desert Exile: Realizing his "Palace Status" couldn't protect him, Moses fled to Midian. He went from the center of world power to a "nobody" shepherd in a foreign land. He spent 40 years in that "waiting room."
4. Holy Ground in the Middle of Nowhere (Verses 30–34)
After forty years in the desert, God appears to Moses in the flame of a burning bush near Mount Sinai.
Geography Matters: Mount Sinai is in the wilderness, far outside the "Holy Land." There was no Temple there.
The "Mobile Hotspot" Point: God tells Moses to take off his sandals because the ground is holy. Stephen is hammering home a radical truth: It wasn't the building in Jerusalem that made ground holy—it was the Presence of God. If God can make a patch of dirt in the Midian desert holy, He doesn't need a stone temple to do His work.
The Rescue: God says, "I have surely seen the oppression... I have heard their groaning... and I have come down to deliver them" (Acts 7:34). God didn't wait for them to get to a "holy place" to save them; He went into the wilderness to find them.
Why We Look at "Wrong" and "Right" Applications
We talk about this because many people treat Acts 7 like a dry history test. But this passage is actually a mirror. It forces us to ask: Are we like Moses, trying to force things to happen in our own strength? Or are we like the Hebrews, rejecting the help God sends because it doesn't look "official" enough?
🛑 Applying it Wrong: The Common Pitfalls
The "Moses the Superhero" View: People often teach this story as if Moses was a perfect leader from day one. Stephen shows us that Moses was actually a failed vigilante who had to be "broken" for 40 years before he was useful.
The "Anti-Jewish" Agenda: Some people use this speech to claim that God hates Israel. That's wrong. Stephen is a proud Jew speaking to his own people. He is calling them back to the real God of their fathers, not away from Him.
The "Boring Recap" Mistake: Many readers skip this because it feels like a repeat of Exodus. If you skip this, you miss the Geography Scandal. You miss the fact that Stephen is proving God loves the desert more than the palace.
✅ Applying it the Right Way:
To get the most out of this study, approach it with these three things in mind:
Respect the Wilderness: Look at your own "waiting seasons" differently. Moses wasn't "stuck" for 40 years; he was being un-Egyptianized. God was taking the "palace ego" out of him so he could lead with humility.
Look for "Micro-Holy Ground": Understand that God’s presence makes your truck, your RV, your job site, or your kitchen "Holy Ground" the moment you invite Him in. You don't need a steeple to be in the presence of God.
Check Your Rejection: Be careful when you find yourself saying, "Who made you the boss?" to someone trying to help you grow. You might be acting like the Hebrews who pushed away their own rescuer.
Questions to Chew on and Discuss:
These questions are designed to help you personally dig deeper into the passage.
The Prince vs. The Shepherd: Moses had to lose his status to find his calling. Have you ever had to lose "status" or "control" before you could finally hear God’s voice?
The 40-Year Wait: Why do you think God made Moses wait 40 years in the desert before speaking to him in the bush? What is God teaching you in your current "waiting room"?
The Ground You Stand On: If God can make a desert bush "Holy Ground," what part of your "ordinary" daily life do you need to start treating with more reverence?
Journey Group Discussion Starter:
Whether you're helping facilitate a small group, talking about this passage one-on-one with a friend, or even just need a topic to guide the conversation at the dinner table, these ideas can help start a good group conversation before you dive into the passage and questions in this study guide.
The Control Talk: Talk about a time you tried to "fix" a situation using your own power or status (like Moses killing the Egyptian). How did that turn out?
The "Unlikely" Messenger: Share a story about a time God used someone you didn't particularly like or respect to tell you the truth. How did you react?
Sum it Up
Stephen shows us that God isn't looking for "Princes" who think they have it all figured out; He’s looking for "Shepherds" who are willing to take off their shoes. God doesn't need a fancy building to be present; He can turn a patch of desert dirt into a sanctuary in an instant. The question isn't "Where is God?" The question is "Are we willing to follow Him into the wilderness?"
Experience the God of the Wilderness
Throughout the Bible, the desert isn't just a place of heat and sand; it is God’s favorite classroom. It’s where He took Moses to see the burning bush, where He shaped the Israelites into a nation, and where Jesus was prepared for His ministry. There is something about stepping away from the "safe structures" of the city and into the stillness of the high desert that clears the noise and lets you hear God's voice.
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