Verse 5: “And He did not give to him an inheritance in it, not even a place for his foot. It was proclaimed to him that he was going to be given a possession in it, also to his seed after him. At this time there was not to him children.”

Not even a place for his foot: He did not make any place in it his habitation.

It was proclaimed to him: God made promises to Abraham. These were not a reality when he entered Canaan and were only going to be brought about in the future. Abraham faithfully lived with a future expectation of the fulfilment of these promises.

Verse 6: “And God spoke thus that his seed would be a sojourner in a foreign land and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years.”

Mistreated: Treated evilly. When we violate God’s truth there is going to be punishment, because God is true to His laws (both physical and spiritual laws).

We were created with free will and, if we want to be pleasing to God, we need to make G-dly decisions. That is why we have His Word and His Holy Spirit – to enable us to do just that.

Four hundred years: Stephen is speaking of 400 years in a general sense. Specifically, or literally, they were in Egypt for 430 years. 400 is also a global number. God was going to send His people into exile in order to benefit the world – to show us a picture of God’s faithfulness. He kept His Word that they would go into exile, but He also showed us how He delivered them out of it.

Verse 7: “’The nation that they were enslaved by,’ God said, ‘I will judge. After these things they will go forth and will worship Me in this place.’”

Nation that they were enslaved by: Egypt. God did not reward Egypt for their behaviour, but He judged them.

Go forth and will worship Me: Everything that they went through was to bring about a transformation, a change (They came out, were redeemed, and were therefore able to worship).

In this place: Stephen is in Jerusalem and is talking about worshipping in Jerusalem – The city where God’s name dwells (2 Chronicles 6v6)
In 6v13 Stephen was accused of “speaking blasphemous words against this holy place.” He is stating in a very clear way that their slanderous remarks were false.

Verse 8: “And He gave to him a covenant of circumcision and thus he beget Isaac and he circumcised him on the eighth day. And Isaac (begat) Jacob, and Jacob the twelve patriarchs.”

Covenant of circumcision: (Genesis 17) ‘Covenant’ speaks of relationship, and it speaks of expectation or promises. Abraham had a relationship with God. He had received promises from God, and Abraham’s reminder of these promises was circumcision. Circumcision is the death of the flesh. The death of the flesh involves not living according to our carnal inclinations, but to live sanctified lives. This means that we live lives that are set apart for the purposes of God, by the Word of God, through the power of God (through the person of the Holy Spirit).

Eighth day: Eight speaks about a new beginning, Kingdom, and redemption. This death of the flesh is preparation for experiencing redemption. When we walk in a redemptive manner we are not living in the flesh, but we are living in the Spirit. When we live in the flesh we live in sin. When we live by the Spirit we live in worship (see 7v7)