7:4
Stephen recounts the early stages of Abraham’s journey. Terah, Abraham’s father, had set out with his family to go to the land of Canaan, but had decided to settle in Harran (Gen 11:27-32(. After Terah’s death God spoke to Abraham and told Him to “go to the land I will show you”, and in doing so had to leave his “country, people and father’s household”. There are maybe some parallels with the state of Israel. The Law was only a staging post in the journey the nation was supposed to take, but, like Terah, they had settled in the Law. If they were to receive the salvation of God they needed to leave their old ways and follow Jesus.
7:5
Here Stephen stresses the fact that aspects of the journey were only staging posts along the way to the destination. Abraham was given promises, yet he did not receive an inheritance in Canaan. The land was promised to his descendants, and this even though Abraham had no children, God was looking ahead. We have a habit of becoming so fixated on the present. See how difficult it is to change things in a church! Most of us like to be settled, we get used to things, and then convince ourselves that how things are is the only way things can be, and is the way things should be. Moreover, the next stage often seem impossible. How could Abraham have many descendants? But the plan is God’s plan, and where He needs to make a way, He will make a way. We need to be God-centered, not man-centered.
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