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The Bible brims with inspiring stories. That’s something that students of Scripture expect.
What surprises many first-time readers is the number of shocking stories – accounts that leave us wondering, “What in the world was God thinking?”
One such event happens during the earliest days of the Jerusalem church, presumably within a year or two of the resurrection of Jesus:
“Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also 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. 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?… 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.
“About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, ‘Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?’ ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘that is the price.’ 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.’
“At that moment she fell down at his feet and died… Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events” (Acts 5:1-11, selections).
This story is terrifying, and for a simple reason. Ananias and Sapphira are not the only people who have ever lied to their church treasurer. And they’re not the only couple in your church directory who have ever pretended to be more spiritual than they actually were. Perhaps you’re picturing your own smiling face in that directory right now.
Yet (as far as we know) Ananias and Sapphira are the only such posers who have ended up the same day in caskets.
What is the bottom line of this account? God is holy, and if we do not regard him with respectful awe, there will be consequences.
We are fooling ourselves, in other words, if we think that we can treat God like a chump, like someone who can be managed with a little sleight of hand. Author and pastor Don McCullough writes, “It may well be that the worst sin of the church [during our lifetimes] has been the trivialization of God.”
Mercifully, God does not strike all of us dead. So why are Ananias and Sapphira singled out for this shocking moment of public accountability?
There are at least three historical precedents in the Old Testament. When God brought his people out of Egypt, he instituted specific instructions for leading worship. But two men, Nadab and Abihu – the sons of Aaron the high priest – casually decided to ignore them. God struck both of them dead.
When Israel was first entering the Promised Land, a man named Achan disobeyed God and kept some of the plunder from the city of Jericho. God struck down Achan and his entire family.
When David was bringing the Ark of the Covenant up to Jerusalem, and the ark began to slide off an ox cart towards the ground, a man named Uzzah put out his hand to stop it. God struck him down. Theologian R.C. Sproul suggests that Uzzah apparently believed his hand was more holy than God’s dirt.
What do these jarring events have in common?
In each case, a new spiritual era is beginning. In each case, certain people refuse to take God’s holiness seriously. In each case, God makes it clear that he will not be trivialized.
So it is with Ananias and Sapphira. They became an enduring object lesson for the early church. As Acts 5:11 reminds us, ”Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.”
The Bible repeatedly tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. This kind of fear means profound respect. We acknowledge that God, for want of a better word, is dangerous.
So is the electricity that comes into my house. If my power goes off because a limb has fallen onto a power line, I would never say to Mary Sue, “Piece of cake, I’ll be back in ten minutes.” In all likelihood I would not be coming back at all. It’s not that electricity somehow has it in for me. Instead I need to be seriously respectful of the power of electric current.
So what can we do to shape our minds and hearts around the holiness of God? We can remember what we were taught about traffic safety back in elementary school: Stop, Look, and Listen.
Our first task is to Stop. As we noted in Psalm 46:10 earlier this week: “Be still and know that I am God.” In our insanely cluttered worlds, where multitudes of distractions threaten to co-opt every spare second, this remains a major challenge. But as we choose to put on the brakes, we are reminded that God is God, and we are not. And that’s an exceedingly helpful reminder.
Next, we Look. Look at Scripture. God tells us about himself through the words of both Old and New Testaments. The psalms in particular acquaint us with God’s nature and holiness. A good place to start is by pondering two special blocks of psalms: numbers 92 through 100, and 145 through 150.
Finally, Listen. Turn off the TV. Silence your phone. Cultivate silence. Let God gently speak to you not just about his holiness, but his matchless mercy and grace.
Stop, Look, and Listen: What difference does it make?
That’s the formula for safety – not just for walking to school, but for walking with God the rest of our lives.