Acts 7:17-22 - As the time drew near

7:17-19

The Israelites increased greatly in numbers while they were in Egypt, but after the Pharaoh who knew Joseph died, a later king mistreated the Israelites. The oppression of the people increased, so much so that even their newborn babies were killed. There is a parallel with the West here. The West has benefited greatly from its Christian heritage, and for a time was grateful for it. But now the West is seeking to abandon all its Christian heritage as quickly as possible, and is increasingly anti-Christian. There is an obvious parallel with Pharaoh’s killing of newborn babies, and abortion. 

7:20-22

While Abraham was the original forefather of the nation, and was highly regarded, Moses is perhaps the key figure of the Jewish people, and Stephen’s attention now turns to Moses. He begins by giving a purely factual account of how he ended up in Pharaoh's palace. It is interesting that Stephen describes Moses as powerful in speech, for speech was one of Moses’s weaknesses, and which he used as an excuse for not doing God’s will (Ex 4:10).