Ananias was a sort of new Achan. You remember him. When Israel marched and shouted the walls of Jericho down, they were told to destroy everything. But Achan liked what he saw too much. He took a robe, some silver and some gold. He hid them under his tent... where he could really enjoy them.
Both stories come in the midst of a time of great idealism, a time when things could hardly be better. Israel in Achan's day and the church in Ananias' day were both moving together in perfect faith.
Both times we have these feel-good stories interrupted by a harsh punch to the gut. Achan and his wife and kids must have stones throne at them until they die. Ananias and his wife are killed by the hand of God through the voice of Peter. How jarring.
Why is God so stern? Why must all these people die?
From this I learn that obeying God is serious. I learn that he is bigger and more complex than we assumed. He is not just a big cuddly Abba. I learn what a big deal pardon is in my life.
Both times, it seems, these public accounts serve as a reminder to a newborn faith community that God is not one to be fooled with.
I suppose we should take this opportunity to check under our tents.
1 comment:
Good post Shannon
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