Well, I wasn't able to get this done during the day and I am exhausted. It's about 10:30, I've been ready for bed since 8, I hate fighting off a cold!
But I'm here, I'm doing it...rock on... Let's get this done and get to bed.
Today's passages are Joshua Chapter 13, verses 24-28 and Acts Chapter 5, verses 1-11.
Let's see what we have waiting for us in Joshua.
Hmm...more territorial inheritance documentation... It is interesting how much detail there is in the Bible about what seems like 'the little things'...But God is the God of the great and small and has an infinite interest in every breath of our lives. I think there's encouragement there but I'm honestly getting a little tired of reading about what tribe got what lands! :)
Ok on to Acts 5:1-11
Key verses:
1 But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. 2 He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest. 3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. 4 The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!” 5 As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified ... 11 Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened.
Paraphrase:
A man named Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold their land. He brought a percentage of the sale to the Apostles, pretending it was the full price. Peter recognized the lie in his words and asked how he could have such dishonesty in his heart especially since everyone would have understood if Ananias had been honest about his desire to keep some of the money from the sale. The great sin is that he tried to convince the church, and God, that he was "holy" by tricking them. When Ananias heard Peters words which spoke straight to the heart of his deceit the man died instantly and the whole church and everyone else who heard about it was gripped by dreadful fear.
So, wow, this is a heavy passage to read. It isn't often that I've come across a passage of the New Testament which seems so sharp when it comes to God dealing out justice... It's a hard passage to read and reconcile with the God of Grace that I know... But I know the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament are the same and there is clearly a lot of example in the Old Testament of God dealing out justice in this sort of sudden way. I have a sense that there was a lot of back-story here between Ananias, his wife Sapphira, and God... The Bible tells us that God is slow to anger and so I can't believe that this was a 1 strike and your out rule...
Somehow that doesn't give me a lot of peace on this one though... Well, this is going to take more prayer I think. What I know that I know is God is Good. I know the He is abounding in mercy and faithfulness. I know he is Just. And I know that I will never fully understand why He does what He does. And I know that I'm ok with that.
That's all she wrote, folks. Good night.
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Here's my take on it: They were free to do whatever they wanted with their property. The sin wasn't in donating only part of the proceeds from the sale, but in lying about it in an attempt to garner undue respect within the Christian community. This, in itself, wouldn't normally be something God would strike you dead for. However, you have to take the context into account. At that time, Christians were often being hunted down and killed, in many areas with the full consent of the authorities. Someone coming in and doing what they did could easily foster a situation in which their actions could get many others killed (without purpose). Further, if non-Christians were to hear of it, it would undermine the stand that God was having those early Christians risk their lives to take.
ReplyDeleteThought,
ReplyDeleteI totally understand that viewpoint and agree with it for the most part. It is nearly impossible, I think, for us to fully grasp the world that this first generation of believers was living in...The degree with which God was showing His power through miracles/healings/etc...The degree the Holy Spirit was working in the hearts of the saved and the lost...and the degree of persecution are all a long way off from the Christianity we are living today.
That said, I still think it's a hard passage to read. :)