Zebra Ministries

Good morning Zebras,

Another story that’s better understood when read in conjunction with the preceding verses.

I’m sure it is a story you are familiar with.  Ananias, together with his wife, Sapphira, sold a piece of property. 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.  When asked by Peter if this was all the money he hadn’t gotten from the field Ananias lied and said “Yes.”

This is Peter’s reply:

Acts 5:4–5: “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.” When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened.

I never really understood why Ananias did this, it seemed rather random, sell a field and then lie to God about it, but the answer is in the preceding verse.

Acts 4:36–37: …Barnabas sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

Ananias sold the field because other men, like Barnabas, were selling their fields and giving the money to the “church” and he didn’t want to be left out.  He wanted the glory the other guys got but he didn’t really want to give God all the money, so he lied.  He was by definition a hypocrite: a charlatan, fraud or phony, one who puts on a mask and feigns himself to be what he is not; a person who conceals facts, intentions, or feelings.

Years ago, in Bible study we found this passage:

Deuteronomy 21:18–21:  If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him, his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. They shall say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a profligate and a drunkard.” Then all the men of his town shall stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid.

Laughingly we said that would solve the rebellious youth problems, stone one problematic youth to death and the rest would sit up and take notice.  Of course, that was Old Testament times and fortunately those laws don’t apply to us.

But Ananias is from the New Testament, from the early church years and he wasn’t killed by men, he was struck dead by God.  In an age where we don’t even practice church discipline can you imagine what would happen if God struck down even one hypocrite?

I’m guessing, just like the example of the problematic youth, there would be a lot less hypocrites in church.

Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful God doesn’t strike us dead for our foolishness.  It just seems dangerous that we seem to have forgotten He can.

Psalm 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!

Love,

Jill