“And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance through him, but they did not understand” (Acts 7:25).

Stephen’s point here is an incredibly powerful one that surely would not have been missed by the Torah scholars listening to his defense. Moses was obviously the one whom God had chosen to save Israel and to lead them into the fulness of his promises. The timing and special circumstances of his birth (Acts 7:20; see Matt 1:17-25; Luke 2:1-39), his escape from the fate of the other Hebrew children (Acts 7:21; see Matt 2:1-23), his incredible wisdom (Acts 7:22; see Luke 2:40-52) and power in word and deed (Acts 7:22; see Matt 7:28-29) all testified to the truth that Moses/Jesus is the Chosen One in whom the people of Israel must believe (Exod 4:1, 5, 8–9, 31; 14:31; 19:9). “But they did not understand.” The lack of understanding on the part of Stephen’s interlocutors was in fact the most incriminating evidence and strongest argument that Jesus must be the Messiah of Israel according to the Torah. And by virtue of all these obvious parallels, we also can be assured that the lack of understanding on Israel’s part with respect to the identity of their Chosen Leader will not last forever.

“When Israel saw the great power which the LORD had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in His servant Moses” (Exod 14:31).