In Exodus and Leviticus you find chapter after chapter of the details for the tabernacle and what was to be done in it. It was at the center of the encampment of Israel, with the 12 tribes arrayed around it. When the time came for the Grand Opening of the tabernacle, God gave even more detailed instructions for the offerings necessary to begin the worship. It came down to more than a week that the High Priest Aaron and his assistants were quarantined from everyone else, and they had to get everything perfect, from their clothing to the sacrifices. After endless details, we read about Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 9:23-24, Leviticus 10:1-3).
Fast forward about 40 years. A generation has died for their unbelief. Only Joshua and Caleb survived to enter the Promised Land. The first fortified city they came to was Jericho. God miraculously brought down the walls of the city and delivered it into the hands of Israel. And He gave another specific instruction in Joshua 6:17-18, and we see the consequences of disobedience and dishonesty in Joshua 7:1 and Joshua 7:25-26.
Do you see a pattern? When God begins a new work in a new era, He says what He requires of His people, and He expects them to obey. In the early days of the Church, God showed how important it is for His people to be honest and to honor Him.
- Ananias: The Aberration (1-6)
- Sapphira: The Sycophant (7-10)
- Congregation: The Concerned (11)
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