“He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years.”
My Notes
What Does Acts 7:36 Mean?
"He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years." Stephen continues his historical survey, focusing on Moses as a type of Christ. Moses performed wonders in three arenas: Egypt (the plagues), the Red Sea (the parting), and the wilderness (the forty years of provision). Stephen emphasizes that the same Moses Israel rejected was the one God used to deliver them.
The forty years in the wilderness isn't presented as punishment alone — it's framed as a period of continued signs and wonders. God didn't stop working during the wilderness. He fed them with manna, gave water from rock, led with fire and cloud. The wilderness wasn't absence of God; it was presence of God in uncomfortable form.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What 'wonders and signs' has God shown you in your wilderness season?
- 2.How does reframing the wilderness as a place of God's presence (not absence) change how you experience difficulty?
- 3.Why do you think God kept performing miracles for people who didn't believe him?
- 4.What are you receiving from God right now that you might be taking for granted because you're focused on wanting the 'promised land'?
Devotional
Wonders in Egypt. Signs at the Red Sea. Miracles in the wilderness. For forty years. Stephen is making a point that the Sanhedrin doesn't want to hear: God's faithfulness persists even when his people don't deserve it.
Forty years in the wilderness is usually presented as punishment. And it was, partly — the consequence of unbelief at the border of Canaan. But Stephen highlights something different: even in the consequence, God showed wonders and signs. He didn't abandon them in the desert. He fed them, guided them, protected them, and displayed his power for four decades. The wilderness was disciplinary, yes. But it was also sustained by continuous, visible miracles.
If you're in a wilderness season — a consequence you're walking through, a long stretch of difficulty, a place you didn't choose and can't escape yet — Stephen's retelling says God is still showing wonders in your wilderness. Not the wonders you'd choose (you'd choose the promised land). But wonders nonetheless. Manna for today. Water from unexpected sources. Guidance you can see if you look up.
The wilderness isn't the absence of God. Sometimes it's the most concentrated presence of God you'll ever experience — because in the wilderness, every provision comes visibly from his hand. There are no natural explanations for manna in the desert.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
He brought them out,.... Of Egypt, and delivered them from all their oppressions in it:
after that he had shown…
Wonders and signs - Miracles, and remarkable interpositions of God. See the notes on Act 2:22. In the land of Egypt - By…
He brought them out, after that he had showed wonders, etc. - Thus the very person whom they had rejected, and, in…
Stephen here proceeds in his story of Moses; and let any one judge whether these are the words of one that was a…
He brought[led] them out Having God's power with him in all these wanderings.
after that he had skewed wonders and signs…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture