In the Bible, sacrilege refers to the violation or disrespect of sacred things, often manifesting as the misuse of holy objects or the contempt toward religious practices. It is condemned in passages such as Exodus 20:7, which warns against taking the Lord’s name in vain, highlighting the seriousness of treating the sacred with irreverence.
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14 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
15 “If anyone commits a breach of faith and sins unintentionally in any of the holy things of the Lord, he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued in silver shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering.”
16 He shall also make restitution for what he has done amiss in the holy thing and shall add a fifth to it and give it to the priest. And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he shall be forgiven.
17 “If anyone sins, doing any of the things that by the Lord’s commandments ought not to be done, though he did not know it, then realizes his guilt, he shall bear his iniquity.”
18 He shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent for a guilt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for him for the mistake that he made unintentionally, and he shall be forgiven.
19 It is a guilt offering; he has indeed incurred guilt before the Lord.”
Biblical Definition of Sacrilege
The concept of sacrilege in the Bible encompasses not only the transgression against physical sacred items but also represents a broader disrespect toward God’s holiness and the divine relationship between humanity and the divine. Exodus 20:7 cautions against taking the Lord’s name in vain, emphasizing that such behavior diminishes the sacredness of God’s identity and authority. This violation can manifest in many forms, including idolatry (as seen in Deuteronomy 5:8-10) and irreverent attitudes during worship (Isaiah 1:11-13). Each of these acts indicates a failure to honor what is set apart by God for His purposes, underscoring a lack of reverence that ultimately harms the believer’s spiritual integrity.
Moreover, sacrilege is not limited to isolated acts but reflects a deeper misconception of the nature of holiness itself. In Matthew 12:31-32, Jesus speaks about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit as an unforgivable sin, highlighting the grave consequences of such irreverence. This idea extends to the church, where believers are called to be temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), reinforcing the notion that sacrilege can also occur through actions that defile the body and spirit. Ultimately, the biblical understanding of sacrilege calls individuals to recognize both the sanctity of God and the need for a genuine response of reverence and obedience in their lives.
The theme of sacrilege is further underscored in the biblical narrative through acts that not only disregard God’s commandments but also disrupt the intended order within the community of believers. In the Old Testament, the story of Uzzah touching the Ark of the Covenant illustrates an acute example of sacrilege—Uzzah’s seemingly well-intentioned act of steadying the Ark resulted in his immediate death, as recorded in 2 Samuel 6:6-7. This incident illustrates the seriousness with which God regards His holiness and the appropriate reverence needed in handling sacred objects. Uzzah’s act signifies a failing to understand the boundaries established by God regarding divine encounters and highlights the potential for human error when approaching that which is sacred.
Similarly, in the New Testament, the temple incident involving Jesus demonstrates sacrilege in a communal context. Upon observing merchants and money changers profaning the temple (Matthew 21:12-13), Jesus reacts not only with anger but with profound authority, asserting the temple’s purpose as a house of prayer rather than a den of robbers. This confrontation illustrates how sacrilege can manifest through the commercialization and trivialization of worship spaces, stressing that sacred places should reflect a genuine connection to God rather than exploitative practices. Through these passages and narratives, the concept of sacrilege emerges as a crucial element in understanding the covenant relationship between God and His people, urging a profound respect for both sacred things and sacred moments in daily life.
The Violation of Sacredness
In the biblical context, sacrilege refers to the act of treating sacred things with irreverence or disrespect. This encompasses not only the misuse of holy objects and places but also the failure to honor the divine presence in worship and community. Such actions undermine the sanctity of what is considered holy, leading to a broader understanding of the importance of reverence in spiritual practices.
The Consequences of Disrespecting the Divine
Sacrilege is often associated with severe consequences, both spiritually and communally. In biblical narratives, acts of sacrilege can lead to divine judgment or societal repercussions. This highlights the belief that disrespecting the sacred can disrupt the relationship between humanity and the divine, as well as harm the community’s spiritual integrity.
The Call for Holiness and Reverence
The concept of sacrilege serves as a reminder of the call for holiness and reverence in the lives of believers. It emphasizes the need for individuals and communities to approach the sacred with a sense of awe and responsibility. This broader meaning encourages a lifestyle that honors God and the sacredness of life, fostering a deeper connection to faith and spirituality.
How to Honor the Sacred in Daily Life
Honoring the sacred in our daily lives is a beautiful journey that invites us to see the divine in the ordinary. Start by cultivating a spirit of gratitude; take a moment each day to reflect on the blessings around you, whether it’s the warmth of the sun, the laughter of a friend, or the quiet moments of solitude. Incorporate prayer or meditation into your routine, allowing these practices to ground you and connect you with God. As you go about your day, treat every interaction as an opportunity to express love and kindness, remembering that each person is made in the image of God. Even in mundane tasks, like washing dishes or commuting, you can find sacredness by being fully present and mindful. By intentionally seeking the divine in the everyday, you not only honor God but also deepen your relationship with Him and those around you.
Bible References to the Definition of Sacrilege:
Leviticus 22:1-16: 1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
2 “Speak to Aaron and his sons so that they abstain from the holy things of the people of Israel, which they dedicate to me, so that they do not profane my holy name: I am the Lord.
3 Say to them, ‘If any one of all your offspring throughout your generations approaches the holy things that the people of Israel dedicate to the Lord, while he has an uncleanness, that person shall be cut off from my presence: I am the Lord.
4 None of the offspring of Aaron who has a leprous disease or a discharge may eat of the holy things until he is clean. Whoever touches anything that is unclean through contact with the dead or a man who has had an emission of semen,
5 or from a stranger’s hand you shall not offer the bread of your God of any of these, because their corruption is in them, and defects are in them; they shall not be accepted for you.”
6 The person who touches such a thing shall be unclean until the evening and shall not eat of the holy things unless he has bathed his body in water.
7 When the sun goes down he shall be clean, and afterward he may eat of the holy things, because they are his food.
8 He shall not eat what dies of itself or is torn by beasts, and so make himself unclean by it: I am the Lord.
9 They shall therefore keep my charge, lest they bear sin for it and die thereby when they profane it: I am the Lord who sanctifies them.
10 A lay person shall not eat of a holy thing; no foreign guest of the priest or hired worker shall eat of a holy thing.
11 but if a priest buys a slave as his property for money, the slave may eat of it, and anyone born in his house may eat of his food.
12 If a priest’s daughter marries a layman, she shall not eat of the contribution of the holy things.
13 But if a priest’s daughter is widowed or divorced and has no child and returns to her father’s house, as in her youth, she may eat of her father’s food; yet no lay person shall eat of it.
14 And if anyone eats of a holy thing unintentionally, he shall add the fifth of its value to it and give the holy thing to the priest.
15 They shall not profane the holy things of the people of Israel, which they contribute to the Lord,
16 and so cause them to bear iniquity and guilt, by eating their holy things: for I am the Lord who sanctifies them.”
Numbers 4:15-20: 15 And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, as the camp sets out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry these, but they must not touch the holy things, lest they die. These are the things of the tent of meeting that the sons of Kohath are to carry.
16 “And the appointed men shall come and take down the tabernacle of meeting, and they shall cover the ark of the testimony with a veil and put a covering of badger skins on it, and shall insert its poles.”
17 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
18 But do this to them, that they may live and not die when they come near the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint them each to his task and to his burden,
19 but deal thus with them, that they may live and not die when they come near to the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint them each to his task and to his burden,
20 but they shall not go in to look on the holy things even for a moment, lest they die.”
Numbers 18:1-7: 1 So the Lord said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your father’s house with you shall bear iniquity connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear iniquity connected with your priesthood.
2 And with you bring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may join you and minister to you while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony.
3 They shall keep guard over you and over the whole tent, but shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary or to the altar lest they, and you, die.
4 They shall join you and attend to the needs of the tent of meeting for all the service of the tent, and no outsider shall come near you.
5 And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar, that there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel.
6 Behold, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the people of Israel. They are a gift to you, given to the Lord, to do the service of the tent of meeting.
7 And you and your sons with you shall guard your priesthood for all that concerns the altar and that is within the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood as a gift, and any outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”
Deuteronomy 7:25-26: 25 The carved images of their gods you shall burn with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, lest you be ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to the Lord your God.
26 And you shall not bring an abominable thing into your house and become devoted to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest and abhor it, for it is devoted to destruction.
Deuteronomy 12:29-32: 29 “When the Lord your God cuts off before you the nations whom you go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land,”
30 take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.’
31 You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.
32 “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.
Joshua 7:10-26: 10 The Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face?
11 Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings.
12 Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction.
13 Up, consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the Lord, God of Israel, “There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you.”
14 In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes. And the tribe that the Lord takes by lot shall come near by clans. And the clan that the Lord takes shall come near by households. And the household that the Lord takes shall come near man by man.
15 And whoever is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel.’”
16 So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel near tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was taken.
17 And he brought near the clans of Judah, and the clan of the Zerahites was taken. And he brought near the clan of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was taken.
18 And he brought near his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.
19 Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel and give praise to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.”
20 And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel, and this is what I did:
21 when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent with the silver underneath.
23 Then they brought them up to the Valley of Achor.
24 And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor.
25 And Joshua said, “Why did you bring trouble on us? The Lord brings trouble on you today.” And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones.
26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.
1 Samuel 2:12-17: 12 Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord.
13 The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand,
14 The fat portions of the offering he would burn on the altar, but the breast and the right thigh Aaron’s sons shall eat.
15 Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give meat for the priest to roast, for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”
16 If the man said to him, “Let them burn the fat first, and then take as much as you wish,” he would say, “No, you must give it now, and if not, I will take it by force.”
17 Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord, for the men treated the offering of the Lord with contempt.
1 Samuel 6:19-21: 19 And he struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they looked upon the ark of the Lord. He struck seventy men of them, and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with a great blow.
20 Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?”
21 And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down and take it up to you.”
2 Kings 21:1-9: 1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hephzibah.
2 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel.
3 For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed, and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.
4 And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem will I put my name.”
5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord.
6 And he burned his son as an offering and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.
7 And the carved image of Asherah that he had made he set in the house of which the Lord said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever.
8 And I will not cause the feet of Israel to wander anymore out of the land that I gave to their fathers, if only they will be careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the Law that my servant Moses commanded them.”
9 But they did not listen, and Manasseh led them astray to do more evil than the nations had done whom the Lord destroyed before the people of Israel.
2 Chronicles 26:16-21: 16 But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.
17 But Azariah the priest went in after him, with eighty priests of the Lord who were men of valor,
18 And they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the Lord God.”
19 Then Uzziah was angry. Now he had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and when he became angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of the Lord, by the altar of incense.
20 Then Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead! And they rushed him out quickly, and he himself hurried to go out, because the Lord had struck him.
21 And Uzziah the king was a leper to the day of his death, and being a leper lived in a separate house, for he was excluded from the house of the Lord. And Jotham his son was over the king’s household, governing the people of the land.
Isaiah 1:10-17: 10 Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
11 “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.”
12 “When you come to appear before me,
who has required of you
this trampling of my courts?
13 Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil,
17 learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow’s cause.
Jeremiah 7:8-15: 8 Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail.
9 Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known,
10 and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations?
11 Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the Lord.
12 Go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel.
13 And now, because you have done all these things, declares the Lord, and when I spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer,
14 Therefore, I will do to the house that is called by my name, and in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh.
15 And I will cast you out of my sight, as I cast out all your kinsmen, all the offspring of Ephraim.
Ezekiel 22:26-31: 26 Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have disregarded my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.
27 Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain.
28 And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord has not spoken.
29 The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner without justice.
30 And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.
31 Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned their way upon their heads, declares the Lord God.
Daniel 5:1-4: 1 King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.
2 Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them.
3 Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them.
4 They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
Matthew 21:12-13: 12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.
13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
Mark 11:15-17: 15 And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.
16 and would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple.
17 And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”
Luke 19:45-46: 45 And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold,
46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”
Acts 5:1-11: 2 and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
2 and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?
4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.
5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it.
6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.
7 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
8 And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.”
9 But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”
10 Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.
Romans 2:21-24: 21 you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal?
22 You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery?
23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law.
24 For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
1 Corinthians 3:16-17: 16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
1 Corinthians 11:27-30: 27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord.
28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.
30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.
1 Timothy 1:8-11: 8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully,
9 understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers,
10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine,
11 in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.
Hebrews 10:26-31: 26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.
28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses.
29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?
30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Reverend Ogunlade is a seasoned Church Minister with over three decades of experience in guiding and nurturing congregations. With profound wisdom and a serene approach, Reverend Ogunlade has carried out various pastoral duties, including delivering uplifting sermons, conducting religious ceremonies, and offering sage counsel to individuals seeking spiritual guidance. Their commitment to fostering harmony and righteousness within their community is exemplified through their compassionate nature, making them a beloved and trusted figure among the congregation.