Week 4, Day 1

Today’s Reading:  Acts 7-8

Some thoughts from Friday’s reading…

In the beginning of Acts 5, we see the account of Ananias and Sapphira.  I think that many people miss the point of this account.  They think it is only about God’s punishment.  It has much to do with the idea of God’s punishment, but there is a much more important message.  The message we should take from this account is that God demands that things be done His way.  He insists that we conform our ways to His, and not try to conform God (or His will) to our ideas.

There are two accounts, both falling at the very beginning of God giving a law, that seem to be somewhat parallel in their nature.  In Leviticus 10, we have the account of Nadab and Abihu.  There, God struck the two priests dead with fire from heaven because they refused to do just as God commanded them to do.  They presumed to do something outside of what had been commanded.  They offered “strange fire” before the Lord.  In that passage, God told Moses and Aaron:

‘By those who come near Me

I must be regarded as holy;

And before all the people

I must be glorified.’ ”

This law was something that would never change, and is indeed a part of our service before God today.  We must regard God as holy, which will ensure that we do just as He demanded.  If we think that God is holy, how can we be so presumptuous as to think that we can do things our own way?

When we get to Acts 5, we see the New Testament example of God making the point that He had to be considered as holy.  These two, Ananias and Sapphira, had the opportunity to do something good, and they decided rather to succumb to their own pride.  Rather than just sell their possession, and give to the poor, they decided to keep some of the money and lie about it.  They didn’t have to sell their possession.  They didn’t have to give all of the money away, if they didn’t want to.  They could not lie about what they were doing, and still be pleasing to God.  What is interesting in the New Testament account is that the specific commands were not given.  There was no instruction on just what they had to do, or didn’t  have to do.  But, there were certainly some moral instructions that would cover the principles that were violated by Ananias and Sapphira.  They lied to their brethren, and to the Holy Spirit!  By striking them dead, God made the point that the early church were to treat Him as holy.  They had to listen to God’s instruction and follow it just as He required.

We must always remember that God is holy.  If we are going to be holy, we have to become like Him.  To do that, we have to heed His word.  Every time we are faced with a choice about temptation, or withstanding trials, we must choose the right way.  God does not strike us down dead for disobedience today, but we know that He does punish.  This account does convey that idea as well.  God is willing to punish if we are disobedient to Him.  Punishment is the consequence for not regarding God as holy.  It is the consequence for disobedience.  So, even if we are not punished now for disobedience, we must be aware that God will punish us in the end.  We don’t want to have to face that!  Regard God as holy, and be obedient to Him!

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One Comment »

1. 

   Chad said :
   February 2, 2009 at 8:00 pm

   Kris has a good point about people wanting God to conform to our ways instead of us to His. Many today say things like, “that’s just splitting hairs” or “you’re being too picky” or “it doesn’t really matter to God”. The account of Ananias should be a good warning for us as well. The response to their sin was severe. It is not up to us to say what commands are significant or what commands are “nonessential”. Treating God as holy means meeting Him on His terms and showing reverence for His commands. Nadab & Abihu teach us this. Also Uzza & the touching of the arc and Moses hitting the rock instead of speaking to it show us this principle also.