Board index ‹ Specific Bible verses, texts, and passages ‹ Acts

[Mel B]

Hey, I am reading the end of Acts 7 and they are talking about the tabernacle of the covenant in law, what exactly is this referring to. I’m having trouble understanding the story of Moses, as well as the tabernacle of Molek.

[jimwalton]

Sure. Stephen is comparing Moses to Jesus, and showing them that their rejection of Jesus is more severe than the children of Israel’s rejection of Moses. Both Moses and Jesus were leading the people out of slavery and into the Promised Land—Moses literally and Jesus figuratively. Both Moses and Jesus did miracles. Both Moses and Jesus spoke the living and effective words of God. In both cases when the people were rejecting the leader (Moses and Jesus), they were really rejecting God. They were denying what was obvious, and repudiating what was right in front of their eyes.

The Golden Calf of Exodus 32 is like the climax of their rejection—a false idol in rejection of the true God and his servant (Moses and even more so Jesus). So God rejected them and they would be subject to judgment.

That brings us to your question in Acts 7.43, “the tabernacle of Molek.” Molek was a god of the Amorites whose main characteristic (as far as the Bible) was the awfulness of child sacrifice. Molek therefore became the symbol of godlessness and rejection of the truth, must like Babylon or Rome became the symbol of world systems oriented against God. Stephen is saying that their rejection of Jesus is like the ancient people’s rejection of the Lord at the Golden Calf incident, but then also through the wilderness. They had a true tabernacle—a place to meet with the true God—but they opted instead for a false god (the golden calf), which Stephen uses the metaphor of Molek to symbolize. With the true tabernacle in their midst and the true God right before their eyes, they turned away from Him and rejected Him and His prophet. But these Jewish leaders have done the same thing with Jesus, rejecting Him and therefore also the God who sent Him. God had appeared to them; He had given them the Law; He had done signs and wonders, and still it wasn’t good enough for them. Their rebellious hearts rejected it all to pursue their own path. Stephen is saying that these Pharisees are even worse. God had appeared to them in the form of Jesus; He had given them the teaching of the Kingdom of God; He had done signs and wonders right in front of their eyes, and still it wasn’t good enough for them. Their rebellious hearts rejected it all to pursue their own path.