Ananias and SapphiraMy Understanding: For over three years the disciples had followed Jesus Christ during his ministry on the earth, and had worked with him and alongside him. Yet, they had all abandoned him when he was arrested and tried, as though he was a common criminal, although he had done no wrong. Some of them, at least, stood and watched as he was hung on a cross and he died for our sins, taking upon himself the sins of the entire world, although they did not understand that he was dying for our sins at that time. They did not know or understand that, when he went to his death, he was taking our sins with him, and when he was resurrected, he conquered sin and death so that we could be set free, not only from the ultimate penalty of sin of eternity in hell, but most importantly he set us free from bondage to and the control of sin over our lives on a daily basis. And, he set us free to walk with him in complete obedience to his commands and to be in perfect fellowship with him.
1 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.
3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.”
5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.
7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”
“Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”
9 Peter said to her, “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”
10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
When Jesus was resurrected from the dead, he appeared to his disciples and he taught them concerning why he had to die, that he was now going to be with the Father, but he would send them the Holy Spirit who would come to live within them. On the Day of Pentecost, following Jesus’ ascension into heaven, the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit of God and they proclaimed the gospel of salvation to all within their hearing. The gospel spread and many became followers of Jesus Christ. This was the beginning of the church. The book of Acts records that the church met together daily for fellowship, the teaching of the word, for prayer and for the breaking of bread. Not only that, but they willingly gave up money and property in order to help the poor and the needy.
The church was in its infant stages and was just getting on its feet when Ananias and his wife Sapphira decided they wanted to get into the action, and they plotted to sell a piece of land, to hold back some money for the sale of the property for themselves, and yet to pretend as though they were giving all that they had received for the sale to the church to be distributed to the poor. The thing of it is that they didn’t have to sell their property. It was theirs to keep. There were no requirements to do this. This was completely voluntary. And, even after they sold the property, the money was theirs to keep and/or to distribute however they chose. They were even free to keep some for themselves and to give some away. There were no stipulations in place concerning the sale of their property. No one was coming to their door and asking or demanding this of them. So, they did what they did completely and deliberately to deceive, to pretend, and to give an appearance that something was true about them that was not true. They willfully tried to make themselves look better than they really were, and they did this to get the approval and praise of men.
Peter, in the power of the Holy Spirit of God within him, told Ananias that Satan had filled his heart and he had lied to the Holy Spirit of God. God immediately judged Ananias and he fell down and died. His wife followed suit. She came to the apostles with the same concocted story about the sale of their property, not knowing the fate that had met her husband before her. She claimed that what they were giving was the full price of the sale of their property. Peter said to her, “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord?” Then, she died, too. And, great fear seized the whole church.
There are many speculations as to why this happened, and has not happened like this since that time, that we know of. Some commentators have compared it to the story in the Old Testament in Joshua 7 of Achan’s sin. The people of Israel had wandered 40 years in the desert after their deliverance from bondage in Egypt. They wandered all that time because of their sins of idolatry and spiritual adultery. They were on their way to the Promised Land, and yet many who had begun that journey as adults did not make it into the Promised Land because of their sin of unbelief. Joshua and Caleb, I believe, were the only survivors of the freed captives to make it into the Promised Land, along with the children of those who had originally begun this journey. And, now they had just conquered Jericho. Yet, they had rescued Rahab and all her family because of her fear of God.
God had given his instructions on what they were to do with the town of Jericho. I am not here to discuss God’s justice in all of this or why he had the Israelites destroy an entire town of people, other than to say that God is God and it is not my place to question his justice, yet I do know that he often did this because he knew the hearts of the people and he knew who would turn to him and who would not, and he also knew that those who would not turn to him would influence those who were his, and he was a great protector of those who were his own. So, at that time in history, it was the way in which God dealt with those who would not fear him and how he protected his children from those who might influence his children away from pure devotion to God. It was God’s way and he is God. And so he gave his children specific instructions because he wanted to protect them from evil. And, one of those instructions was that they were to stay away from “the devoted things.” Yet, Achan took some of “the devoted things,” so the LORD’s anger burned against Israel.
These were God’s words to Joshua concerning this sin: “Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.”
What stood out to me concerning this story of Ananias and Sapphira was how they had the freedom to keep their property or to sell it, to give none of the money, some or all of it, and what they did was voluntary, yet they chose to make it appear that they had given all the money when they had not. What stood out to me here is how many who profess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, by the mere testimony of their commitment to Jesus Christ, to have him as Lord and Savior of their lives, are giving all to the Lord in appearance only but in reality are withholding part or all of their lives for themselves. They are holding on to “the devoted things,” which are not theirs to keep, so by doing so, they have lied, deceived and have put the Lord God to the test. And, that is why they are not able to stand against their enemy Satan and against evil, because they are devoted to God in appearance only, but in reality they are withholding from God what is rightfully his and should be given to and devoted to him for his work, for his service, and for his glory alone, not for the glory of man.
So, God is calling out to his church, in particular to those who are devoted to him in appearance only and/or who are pretending and are making it appear as though they have given all to the Lord when they have not, and when they have truly held some or all back for themselves, and are thus lying and deceiving and are putting God to the test. He is calling to his church to realize all that Jesus Christ did for us when he died on the cross for our sins so that we could go free from the control of sin (lies, deceit, pride, greed, etc.), and upon that realization to thus walk with Him in truth (not lies, pretense and false appearance), to truly make him Lord (master) of our lives, to turn from our sin, to obey his commands, and to get down on bended knee in full humility, repentance and submission to Almighty God, and to stop putting our God to the test. One day he will come in judgment upon this earth and upon the people of the earth, and, in fact, I believe he is already doing that. So, if you know in your heart that you are holding back from giving God your all, but by professing him as Lord of your life you are giving the impression that you have given all to him, then I pray that you will turn from your sin and give your all to God today.
Realizing / An Original Work / May 14, 2011
Realizing what He did for you
Should cause you to walk with Him in truth.
Trust in Him to be your Lord today.
Turn from sin; obey without delay.
Realizing He died on a tree,
So that from sin you could be set free,
Should bring you down upon bended knee,
Repentant; humbly; submissively.
Realizing that He loves us so,
Which is why, to the cross He did go,
Is what leads us to salvation free,
Through our faith in Jesus Christ our King.
Song Lyrics @ Public Domain
Audio, song lyrics and sheet music:
https://sites.google.com/site/psalmshymnssongs/home/songs/realizing
Song on video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey1JLcFyPJI
No comments:
Post a Comment