That’s My Story – Sapphira’s Story
God is merciful, loving, patient, and kind, but he is also jealous, a hater of sin, and intolerant of disobedience and deceit. In other words, don’t mess with God.
Sapphira’s Story
In a nutshell…
This husband and wife were believers and part of the first Church.
At this particular time, the Bible tells us that the believers were sharing all they had and even selling some of their possessions so they would have money to share with those in the church who were poor and in need.
Sapphira and her husband wanted to help, too, so they sold a piece of property. Instead of giving all the money they made from the sale of their property, however, they kept some of it for themselves; giving most of it to the church.
BUT…when asked if this was the full amount they received, Ananias said that it was. The lie was barely out of his mouth when God struck him dead.
A few hours later Sapphira came to the place where Ananias had been and was asked the same question by Peter.
She backed up what her husband had said (that’s code for she lied, too), and God caused her to fall down dead the same way her husband had.
Lessons from the story of sapphira
What We Can Learn From Sapphira
Sapphira is one of those women who teach us what NOT to do…
Lesson One:
Honesty really is the best policy. It’s never okay to lie.
You can be tactful by saying your friend’s new dress is a great color when she asks if you like it instead of telling her she needs to remember she is fifty rather than fifteen.
You can tell someone who asks that you are on the road to recovery when they ask how you feel rather than tell them you feel horrible (because you’re tired of talking about your condition).
You can instruct your children to tell callers you are unable to come to the phone rather than instructing them to lie by saying you aren’t home. You can…but you cannot lie and be pleasing God at the same time.
Lesson Two:
Honor God first before your husband.
Sapphira didn’t know what had happened to her husband when she spoke to Peter; something I’ve always found a bit strange since the Bible says a few hours had passed).
When she arrived, though, she didn’t hesitate to back up the lie with one of her own.
You should never feel you have to disobey God to be submissive to your husband. If this is the case, you need to be kind but firm in your refusal to do so and you need to seek counseling for your marriage.
FYI: This is another excellent example of why God’s desire is for his children not to marry outside the faith.
Ananias and sapphira story explained
Lesson Three:
Sapphira and her man didn’t have to give everything they had to the Church. No one said they did.
The land and money they got from selling it was theirs to do with as they pleased. God would rather them have given a small portion of the money truthfully than to give a larger portion in deceit.
Ananias and sapphira moral lesson
He also knows our spiritual growth is much like our physical growth happens in stages and over time.
That’s where the patient part of God’s personality comes into play. He is willing to wait for us to grow in him as long as we are genuine in our efforts to do so. Fake is NOT what he’s about.
To Sum It All Up
While you may be able to fool the people around you, you can’t hide anything from God so there’s no need to even try.