Matthew Henry Commentary Acts 7:1-16

"And the high priest said, Are these things so? And he said, Brethren and fathers, hearken: The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, and said unto him, Get thee out of thy land, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee. Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Haran: and from thence, when his father was dead, [God] removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell: and he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: and he promised that he would give it to him in possession, and to his seed after him, when [as yet] he had no child. And God spake on this wise, that his seed should sojourn in a strange land, and that they should bring them into bondage, and treat them ill, four hundred years. And the nation to which they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place. And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so [Abraham] begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac [begat] Jacob, and Jacob the twelve patriarchs. And the patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt: and God was with him, and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. Now there came a famine over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance. But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent forth our fathers the first time. And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph`s race became manifest unto Pharaoh. And Joseph sent, and called to him Jacob his father, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls. And Jacob went down into Egypt; and he died, himself and our fathers; and they were carried over unto Shechem, and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in silver of the sons of Hamor in Shechem." — Acts 7:1-16 (ASV)

Stephen was charged as a blasphemer of God and an apostate from the church; therefore, he shows that he is a son of Abraham and takes pride in this. The slow steps by which the promise made to Abraham advanced toward fulfillment plainly show that it had a spiritual meaning, and that the land intended was heavenly. God acknowledged Joseph in his troubles and was with him by the power of His Spirit, both in Joseph's own mind by giving him comfort, and in relation to those with whom he was concerned, by giving him favor in their eyes.

Stephen reminds the Jews of their humble beginning as a check to their pride in the glories of that nation. He likewise reminded them of the wickedness of the patriarchs of their tribes in envying their brother Joseph; and that the same spirit was still at work in them toward Christ and His ministers. The faith of the patriarchs, in desiring to be buried in the land of Canaan, plainly showed they looked toward the heavenly country.

It is good to return to the original source of practices or beliefs that have been perverted. If we wish to know the nature and effects of justifying faith, we should study the character of the father of the faithful. His calling shows the power and freedom of divine grace, and the nature of conversion. Here we also see that outward forms and distinctions are insignificant compared with separation from the world and devotion to God.