Acts 5:1-16

Ananias and Sapphira
This is one of those stories that makes you tend to scratch your head. (What an interesting idiom is “scratch your head” for something perplexing?) Ananias and Sapphira sold some land and brought what was apparently a sizable offering. They were not honest and apparently pretended that they were giving the full proceeds from the sale as an offering. They died.

Who among us hasn’t told a lie at some point? It seems that even though they told a “little” lie the large offering should have counted for something. But they died.

This story actually puts me in mind of two other stories from the Old Testament. The first is found in Leviticus chapter 10. Aaron and his sons had just been ordained as priests in chapter nine. In chapter 10 Aaron’s two oldest sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. It seemed that they were only guilty of wanting to worship more. They died.

In 2 Samuel 6 we read the story of David bringing the ark of the covenant up to Jerusalem. The ark was being improperly transported in an ox drawn cart. Along the way the oxen stumbled and the ark started to fall off of the cart. A man named Uzzah reached out his hand to keep the ark from falling and “The LORD’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God.” It seemed that all he wanted to do was protect the ark. He died.

God is a merciful God. Not that it matters what I think but I’ll tell you anyway that I expect to see Nadab, Abihu, Uzzah, Ananias, and Sapphira in heaven, but they paid a price down here on earth for things that seem slight compared to the evil many do. Why were they struck down by the Lord?

The one thing that connects them all together is that they were operating at the beginning of a significant spiritual occasion. Nadab and Abihu were only hours away from the inauguration of the Levitical priesthood. Uzzah was in the very process of the ark being moved to its permanent home on earth. Ananias and Sapphira were within weeks of the start of the church. God knows how quickly we are want to fall away and lose reverence of Him. That is very bad for us but as long as we are living in this fallen state that is our drift. Therefore, He is very jealous for His holiness especially at the start of a move or significant event. It is never a good idea to take the Lord’s holiness lightly but at the beginning of His move it is dangerous in the extreme.

Had Ananias and Sapphira been successful with their deception the resulting inevitable contempt for offering made to the Lord would have been swift in the young church. As it was, “Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.” It was a healthy fear.