Defiling the Sanctuary

Ezekiel 5:11: "Because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your vile images and detestable practices, I myself will withdraw my favor."

When one studies the history of Jerusalem just prior to the Babylonian Captivity in 586BC, one finds that it was filled with people who had chosen to refuse to submit to God as their Sovereign Lord. Although they continued to perform their religious practices at the temple, their hearts were filled with debauchery, violence, and immorality. When God sent the prophet, Ezekiel, to warn the people of their sin, He referred to the people as "obstinate and stubborn" (2:4) who were committing "detestable" acts against the Lord (8:17).

Although the people of Jerusalem had started years before their practice of idolatry and immorality in private settings for fear that their deeds would be exposed (see John 3:20); now they were flagrantly worshipping their idols and enacting their filthy, licentious practices on mountaintops. They wanted to displace the true God with any substitute they could find, whether it was a sun god or the Sumerian god of vegetation, Tammuz, or gods depicting insects and animals . . . any other deity that could validate their wicked behavior. The people chose these inanimate "deities" because they would not challenge the people's evil behavior. Thus, these Judeans could commit any evil that they desired and could ascribe the behavior to the will of the gods. In effect, these rebellious Israelites were worshipping themselves . . . they now thought that they had free reign of their own lives. Neither God nor man would tell them what they could do. In time, God would enact His righteous wrath against these people; He specifically used the pagan Babylonians as the instrument of his vengeance against these obstinate Israelites. Many of the people of Jerusalem were either killed or sent into captivity for their corporate rebellion against the Lord.

For true followers of Jesus Christ today, we would do well to remember this historical account, namely, that debased, defiant sin against the Lord will bring His Holy response of wrath(Galatians 6:7-8). And since our bodies are considered the temple of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 6:19), we should examine how we are glorifying the Lord by our behavior. Are we submitting daily to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and are we demonstrating a life of purity consistent with that submissive spirit? For the person who would say that he has a relationship with Jesus Christ, yet does not follow His commands as found in Scripture is "a liar and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:4). True proof of a transformed, yielded follower of Jesus Christ is the evidential fruit that one displays in his day-to-day life experiences.