Three-score and Fifteen Souls

"And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all." (Acts 7:14 ESV)

In this seemingly minor historical detail from Stephen's speech, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones uncovers profound truths about God's sovereignty over human history—truths that illuminate the wonder of the Christmas narrative.

Lloyd-Jones observes that Scripture pays attention to details that might appear insignificant to modern readers. Why mention that Jacob's family numbered exactly seventy-five souls? Because in God's economy, numbers matter. Every person stands accounted for in His redemptive plan. The precise genealogies in Matthew and Luke similarly demonstrate that Christ's birth occurred at the exact moment predetermined in God's eternal counsel.

The Christmas story reveals God working with seemingly insignificant details. A decree from Caesar Augustus, a crowded inn, a feeding trough, shepherds in fields—these ordinary elements become extraordinary when woven into God's sovereign purpose. Just as He preserved Jacob's family through famine to fulfill His covenant promises, God orchestrates every circumstance surrounding Christ's birth.

Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that God often works through what the world considers unimpressive. Egypt represented worldly power and sophistication, while Jacob's family appeared insignificant—seventy-five souls against a mighty empire. Yet from this humble lineage would come the Savior of the world. Similarly, Bethlehem seemed insignificant compared to Jerusalem or Rome, yet God chose it as the birthplace of His Son.

The incarnation demonstrates God's pattern of working through the small and seemingly inconsequential. Christ entered human history not with political power or military might but as a vulnerable infant born to ordinary parents in difficult circumstances. This pattern continues in how the gospel spreads—not primarily through the influential and powerful, but through ordinary believers faithfully witnessing to God's grace.

Stephen's reference to "seventy-five souls" reminds us that God values what the world overlooks. While human kingdoms rise and fall, God preserves His people. The Egyptian empire has vanished, but the descendants of Jacob—particularly the ultimate descendant, Jesus Christ—established a kingdom that will never end.

This Christmas, take comfort in God's attention to detail. The same God who numbered Jacob's family and orchestrated every circumstance of Christ's birth remains intimately involved in your life. Nothing in your experience—no matter how small or seemingly insignificant—escapes His sovereign care. The God who works through the overlooked and undervalued can work powerfully through you.

Listen to all of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermons on Christmas at mljtrust.org.