Things That Are Honest…

What do the names Achan, Ananias, and Sapphira have in common? They all came to an untimely death because of dishonesty. Achan retrieved and hid some of the spoils of the war in Jericho. God had commanded all of it to be left alone when Joshua and his army marched around the walls for seven days. Everyone heard God’s command.

And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. ¹⁸ And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. ¹⁹ But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD. Joshua 6:17-19

Achan got away with his deception, at first. His family must have known what he did when he brought it in and buried his treasure within his tent. Then, a small battle in a nearby town led to thirty of Achan’s fellow soldiers’ deaths. God told Joshua the loss was a direct result of someone’s dishonesty. Achan said nothing. He quietly went on with his life as if he had done nothing wrong. He fought alongside the men who died and he still pretended everything was fine. When Joshua lined up all the leaders of each family to demand answers, he still hoped he would get away with his deception. The King James Bible calls this silent pretense dissembling.

¹¹ Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Joshua 7:11

DISSEMBLE

1. To hide under a false appearance; to conceal; to disguise; to pretend that not to be which really is.
2. To be hypocritical; to assume a false appearance; to conceal the real fact, motives, intention or sentiments under some pretense. [1]

Achan and his entire family paid a high price for some trinkets hidden in his tent.

Though the word “dissemble” is not used in the account of Ananias and Sapphira, their situation fits into its pattern perfectly. At the end of Acts 4, in the early church days after the ascension of Jesus, Barnabas set a precedent. He sold his land and laid all the money from its purchase at the disciples’ feet to use as God’s people needed. For some reason, Ananias and his wife decided they would sell their land too. However, instead of placing it all at the disciples’ feet, they kept back a part of it. It was their money to do with as they pleased. They could have only given some of it if they had wanted to do so. Unfortunately, this was not what they did. Ananias laid part of the money at Peter’s feet pretending that it was everything.

Barnabas must have gotten some praise for doing such a selfless act for His Savior. He must have been talked about for days. Barnabas’ gift influenced many to sell their properties for offerings to the early church. Ananias and Sapphira desired that praise too. They wanted to be seen as selfless and compassionate. They hoped that their names would be counted among the leaders of the church because of their gift. In the same way Achan pretended that all was well, Ananias and Sapphira pretended that their offering was given out of a pure heart of sacrifice. Sadly, they did not confess what they had done.

¹ But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, ² And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. ³ But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? ⁴ Whilst it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. ⁵ And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. ⁶ And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. ⁷ And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. ⁸ And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. ⁹ Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. ¹⁰ Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. ¹¹ And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. Acts 5:1-11

How do these ancient stories still relate to the modern day? Well, we all still happen to be human and given to deceptive practices. Pretense weaves itself into the fabric of churches still today. It can look like something as simple as being on our best behavior at church, then cursing and jesting about crude things around the water cooler on Monday morning. It can look like pretending to love that lady across the aisle while talking about her on the weekly gossip “prayer” text line. It can be singing praises to Jesus in worship and then being mean as Scrooge to the waitress at the restaurant after church. It can also appear as a loving relationship with your family on social media while things are really falling apart on the home front.

He that hateth dissembleth with his lips,
and layeth up deceit within him;
²⁵ When he speaketh fair, believe him not:
for there are seven abominations in his heart.
²⁶ Whose hatred is covered by deceit,
his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation. Proverbs 26:24-26

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. ²⁸ Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity Matthew 23:27-28

Honesty requires that we follow through with what is true in actions, thoughts, and words. When we know our heart is not being honest, we can ask God to cleanse our wrong thinking and align our thoughts with truth. Sometimes we do not even know how wrong our thinking is until we have said something unkind or reacted to something in a less than godly way. Those failures serve as wake-up calls that we need to repent and be reconciled back to the Lord.

Honest thoughts mean we align our thought patterns with what God’s Word says. This is why James 5 instructed the believers to confess their faults to one another. Their honesty allowed their prayers to be heard and allowed others to pray specifically for them. This is how community in the church is meant to encourage and help us.

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16

Dissimulation pretends to love. Honesty confesses that we need Jesus’ help to love as He loves. Dissimulation wears a mask. Honesty transparently relates where we are and what we need in the moment.

Dissimulation covers personal sin to make things appear to be good on the outside. Honesty confesses and forsakes sin so that things really are good on the outside.

Dissimulation lies and deceives for personal gain. Honesty gains trust by its personal integrity.

Dissimulation gossips loudly about sin. Honesty goes to the person who has sinned and lovingly corrects.

Dissimulation grumbles with a pious smile on its face. Honesty aligns thoughts with truth so it can act without doublemindedness.

Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. ¹⁰ Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; ¹¹ Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; ¹² Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; ¹³ Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Romans 12:9-13

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: ²³ Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever 1 Peter 1:22-23

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[1] https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/dissemble