Ezekiel 23:39
For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of mine house. For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of mine house.
They slew their children to idols and then came the same very day into God's sanctuary to profane it, bringing idolatry and defilement into the midst of His house. Their pollution of the sanctuary was moral and not merely physical, born of human sin and violence to the law, and with it they profaned the Sabbath as well, even on the Sabbath day itself. Their idolatry and Sabbath-breaking persisted despite warning until Babylon's destruction of Jerusalem was at hand, until God could no longer dwell among them and declared He would profane His own sanctuary in judgment and give city and nation to ruin. Their unfaithfulness was turning from the worship of Jehovah to idolatry while still entering His sanctuary, for spiritual fornication is apostasy and worship joined to idolatrous or false religion, and the same guilt rests on professed churches today that forsake God to seek help and union from Egypt and the civil power. What was abomination to Him then is abomination to Him still, for God changes not and His prohibition of these idolatrous abominations is just as binding today as ever.
Sin and Sanctuary Defiled
The verse records that the people slew their children as offerings to idols and then came that same, very day into God's sanctuary to profane it. By entering God's house on the very day of child sacrifice they brought idolatry and defilement into the midst of it. Their worship was thus polluted by idolatry, with profanation of the sanctuary taking place side by side with idol worship.
The defilement of the sanctuary was moral and not merely physical, for it resulted from human sin. They polluted the sanctuary and did violence to the law, profaning God's house in the midst of it. That idolatry and profanation stood side by side shows how deeply the nation had fallen into sin.
The same conduct profaned the Sabbath as well. The desecration was done on the Sabbath day, when they killed their children as sacrifices to idols and then came the same day into the sanctuary to profane it. It may even have been that the Sabbath was deliberately chosen for this desecration.
The chapter to which the verse belongs exposes the fearful, awful sins of Judah and Israel. It portrays Samaria and Jerusalem as adulterous, lewd women who abandoned their covenant to seek the favor of foreign powers and their gods, and by that unfaithfulness joined themselves to Babylon. The corrupt woman is a symbol of a corrupt church. Because of its plain figures the chapter is best read in private, although some passages in it are properly read anywhere.
Warning Rejected, Judgment Came
Their idolatry joined with Sabbath-breaking persisted despite warning and rose to its height as Babylon's destruction of Jerusalem approached. On the Sabbath day they slew their children as sacrifices to idols and then came that same day into the sanctuary to profane it, and this was done just before destruction by Nebuchadnezzar. Judah had polluted the sanctuary and done violence to the law, profaning God's house in its midst, and had sunk to such depth of sin that God could no longer dwell among them. This profanation called forth His declared purpose to profane His own sanctuary in judgment and give it to destruction. Because they treated the Sabbath in this way, wrath came upon them to the uttermost in the destruction of their city and the ruin of their nation. Such conduct was their answer to His offer through Jeremiah to preserve their city and make it stand forever if they would hallow the Sabbath.
The judgment of the chapter brings the Babylonian king against Jerusalem and removes the diadem from Israel's profane, wicked prince. The kingdom is overturned until the rightful ruler comes. This judgment belongs to the scattering that began with the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem.
Spiritual Adultery Defined
The unfaithfulness in the verse depicts turning from the worship of Jehovah to idolatry and yet entering God's sanctuary to profane it. Spiritual fornication in this setting means apostasy and worship connected with idolatrous or false religious groups. It does not mean a church's use of civil laws for temporal affairs.
Forsaking God to seek help in Egypt was rebellion against Him. Samaria and Jerusalem are portrayed as adulterous women because they abandoned their covenant with God and sought the favor of foreign powers and their gods. That unfaithfulness joined them to Babylon and led them to profane what belonged to God. The same guilt belongs to professed Christian churches today that seek union with the civil power. God has furnished fullness of blessing in Jesus Christ and demands all from His church, and He will not divide His glory with another.
Israel in later times practiced these forbidden idolatrous abominations, including slaying children to idols and then entering God's sanctuary the same day to profane it, notwithstanding God's prohibition. The prohibition against these things is just as binding today as ever, because God changes not. What was abomination to Him in former time is abomination to Him still and ever will be.