January 19th, 2021
Psalm 86; 1 Samuel 15:10–31; Acts 5:1–11
Today we get not one, but two deeply troubling passages in Scripture. Saul is rejected as king because he spared animals in order to offer an offering to the LORD and Ananias and Sapphira die as a result of lying about their offering gift.
By way of preface, I want to first say that I don’t deny that these events occurred in some fashion historically. That being said, the Bible is not a history book and so it is not trying to merely relay facts about events that have passed. So instead of embarking on some sort of investigation into what “really happened” we must instead humble ourselves and ask what is the Bible trying to teach us with these troubling stories?
These stories are a recapitulation of the events of the first sin I think. In the garden, the humans decided not to trust God’s definition of good and bad, but rather seized the knowledge for themselves that they might rise to the place of God and define good and bad themselves. Saul similarly hears the clear voice of the LORD through Samuel, but decides maybe he knows a better way to serve God. We find out later in the story that Saul was afraid of going against his men. The humans in the garden likewise did not think of the plan themselves, but rather listened to an animal, a serpent. An animal who they had been given authority over already, who they ought not listen to. And Saul, supposedly the king of these men, was afraid of them, instead of having fear of the LORD.
The problem with Ananias and Sapphira is not that they didn’t give all of the money from the property to the church, this isn’t a lesson about how we should give more money to the church. Peter explicitly says that the money was at their disposal after the sale, but they chose to lie and say that it was the whole amount of the property which they gave. They intentionally tried to both gain spiritual favor and reputation with the church as well as keep money for themselves. They thought they could redefine good and bad to what best suited them. Their deaths cause fear in the church.
So what does this mean? What is the Bible trying to teach us? These passages both have a retelling of the primeval story of the garden, humans believing they can maneuver their way around God’s desire for their life. The garden story also has fear in it. The man and the woman were afraid when they heard God walking through the garden and so they hid. This fear is a fear of the LORD, but it comes too late. Saul was afraid, but of the wrong one. The church in Acts sees that this faith they have is not some opportunity or way to rise in power, wealth, or reputation. They have the fear of the LORD, which properly understood leads to wisdom and understanding. It gives perspective and is a sign of maturity.
