What Does The Bible Really Say?
What is, Has Been
Eccl 3:15 (CEV) Everything that happens has happened before, and all that will be has already been– God does everything over and over again..
There is nothing new under the sun.
Tiger Mom
Whenever God births a new dimension of His purposes, He defends it ardently to communicate the gravity of the responsibility associated with it. Later on down the line, it almost appears as though He does not mind. This is not so. It is just another depiction of an attribute of the invisible God observable from the visible realm. The attitude of a parent about their young in the animal or human kingdom is much more aggressive due to the helplessness and ignorance of their young that requires protecting. Time always seems to soften this concern.
Don’t Mess with My Name!
Ananias and Sapphira are the new covenant equivalent of Nadab and Abihu under the old covenant. What God said to Aaron about their death is the reason that this couple died. Peter did not kill them. God did!
Leviticus 10
1 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each took his own censer, placed fire in it, covered it with incense, and brought it into the LORD’s presence as unauthorized fire that he had never prescribed for them.
2 As a result, fire came out from the LORD’s presence and incinerated them. They died while in the LORD’s presence.
3 Moses spoke with Aaron about what the LORD had said: “Among those who are near me, I’ll show myself holy so that I’ll be glorified before all people” So Aaron remained silent.
Acts 4:21…so when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.
Acts 2:45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47 Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
God likes to be glorified among people through obedience to His instructions. Those who deprive Him of His glory become persona non grata —an unacceptable or unwelcome person. Only with time, when many people make a choice to disregard his commands, will He seem to ignore that dishonour for a long time as in the case of Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli the high priest. This is simply because by then there is rejection across board! So why select a few to punish? (100 years after the actual event, Achan may have stolen from Jericho and gotten away with it. Or if he stole from Conquered City No.25. But stealing from the Conquered City No.1? Nah.)
When there’s general disobedience, prophets begin to be sent in to call everyone back to the honour of God or all be punished typically by an invasion, plague, or famine). (See Judges, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings-2 Chronicles, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Matthew, and Revelations for endless specific illustrations.) But when the majority are exalting God and somebody begins to gather firewood on the Sabbath…
Give and Take
As a thought, and there’s a lot more proof in the Book, consider the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the household and friends of Cornelius. Is it Peter that baptized them?
Acts 11
15 “When I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as he was first given to us.
16 Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’
17 Now if God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, who was I to try to stop God?”
If this was God giving, then the Ananias case administered also through Peter, was just God taking!
Romans 11
21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare you.
22 Notice therefore the kindness and harshness of God — harshness toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness toward you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.
The Hear and Fear Principle
Lev 17:12 The person who pays no attention to the priest currently serving the LORD your God there, or to the verdict – that person must die, so that you may purge evil from Israel.
13 Then all the people will hear and be afraid, and not be so presumptuous again.
Lev 20:19 …in this way you will purge evil from among you.
20 THE REST of the people will hear and become afraid to keep doing such evil among you.
Acts 5:
5 When Ananias heard these words he collapsed and died, and great fear gripped all who heard about it.
11 Great fear gripped the whole church and all who heard about these things.
13 None of THE REST dared to join them, but the people held them in high honour.
14 More and more believers in the Lord were added to their number, crowds of both men and women.
What Happened?
Matthew 10
26 “Do not be afraid of them, for nothing is hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing is secret that will not be made known.
27 What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops.
28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.
Stop blaming Peter. The fellow was just obeying his master and declaring openly what the Holy Spirit whispered in his ears. As he proclaimed it, the One who can destroy soul and body, caused them to fall to the ground in the Father’s will.
No scriptural evidence to the contrary exists.