Acts 5:1-11
Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 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.
3 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? 4 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 just to human beings but to God.”
5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.
7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”
“Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”
9 Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”
10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
Learning to Despise Lies
It was never about the money—it was about the lie.
Ananias and Sapphira had undoubtedly witnessed some of their fellow believers selling a house or a piece of property and donating the money to the newly formed group of believers, so that everyone was financially looked after (Acts 4:34). Barnabas had just done this (Acts 4:36-37), and now this couple wanted to do the same. The trouble was, they wanted all the praise that went with an incredible act of generosity, but they also wanted to keep some of the money. Had they simply told the truth about what they were doing, all would have been well. But they did not. And the result was deadly.
After Peter exposed their lie, saying, “You have not lied just to human beings, but to God,” both of them fell over dead.
Secretly, we might wonder why God imposed such a harsh judgment on them. And yet we know how much God, who is spirit and truth, despises lies. “You shall not give false testimony” is one of the ten commandments (Exodus 20:16). A lying tongue listed as the second of the “seven [things] that are detestable to the Lord” (Proverbs 6:17). One of Satan’s titles and trademarks is the “father of lies” (John 8:44), and you can just sense Jesus’ outrage as He describes him in that way. The Psalms repeatedly lament about the lies of evildoers and how much God hates it, and the evil that comes from it (Ps. 12, 31, 120, and many more).
If we understand how wrong it is, why are we human beings so prone to lying? We might defend ourselves by saying we occasionally do it to protect someone else, but when we are being honest, we have to admit that lies are most often told to either escape negative consequences, or to get credit that we don’t deserve. It is about pride, self-protection at the expense of others, and, ultimately, a lack of trust in God. Instead of humbly admitting our weaknesses and bravely facing the consequences of our mistakes, limitations, and sins, relying on God’s mercy and grace, we dress ourselves up to appear like someone we are not. It hurts us in the end, and it so deeply grieves the Spirit of God.
Looking back at Ananias and Sapphira, we are sobered at the judgment that came on them in that particular time and place. God, in His divine sovereignty, had a purpose that was good, perfect, and just. While it does not seem to be a common way that He deals with lying, it is a very compelling reminder for us to learn to despise lies the way God does.
Prayer
God, by your grace, I make a clear decision today to be done with the spirit of lying, self-protection, and mistrust of Your mercy and love. I leave my reputation and my whole self in Your loving fatherly hands, and purpose, in the name of Jesus, to simply and humbly live in truth in whatever I do and say, today and always. Amen.
Author Bio:
Betty has been serving internationally with the Alliance Canada since 1998 in Europe (Poland), the Middle East, and Central Asia. Currently, she and Don are serving as Area Directors in the CAME region (Central Asia and Middle East). In Canada, before going overseas, they were involved in a church plant in rural Saskatchewan. They have two adult children, and two grandchildren.
Luke and Acts taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®
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