Many, and I mean many, have lied openly and publicly.  So why does God strike this couple dead for lying?

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? 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.”

When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened.  Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.

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 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.”

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.  Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

It was a powerful time as the church was being birthed.  Thousands were becoming followers of Jesus and the Spirit was mighty among them.

Yet this couple sold property, and when asked about it, they said they were giving the full price of the property.

Peter makes it clear that they didn’t have to give the full amount.  They were free to give or not give as the money was theirs.  The problem was that they were lying about what they were doing.

And they were lying to God.

What’s interesting too is that God held them individually accountable.  Not corporately.  Reminds me of Adam and Eve.

Maybe Ananias had encouraged her in the lie.  But Sapphira was fully responsible before the Lord no matter what her husband had said.

Something to think about.  We are all responsible before God and have no excuses to blame others.

But the Lord struck them down.  And one asks… why?  Why did he strike them down when so many others have done the same.

What I’ve observed in reading throughout history and even in this story is that when God is moving powerfully, there is a heightened holiness.  That when the LORD is doing many things in a public and powerful way, rebellion has to be dealt with on a heightened level as well.