34 Israel failed to destroy the nations in the land,
as the Lord had commanded them.
35 Instead, they mingled among the pagans
and adopted their evil customs.
36 They worshiped their idols,
which led to their downfall.
37 They even sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to the demons.
38 They shed innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters.
By sacrificing them to the idols of Canaan,
they polluted the land with murder.
39 They defiled themselves by their evil deeds,
and their love of idols was adultery in the Lord’s sight. NLT
As with the preceding verses in the chapter, the writer wants to remind God’s people how easy it is to forget all that the Lord has done. After reading verses 34-39, describe what the people of Israel had forgotten.
What did their forgetfulness lead them to do?
How do people who were once close to God become distant from him in their actions?
::::: DIGGING DEEPER :::::
If you’d like, to better understand the background of these details, read Judges 1:21-36 and 2 Kings 17:14-17. What surprises you the most about these historical events? Would you have participated had you been there? Why or why not?
::::: EQUIPPING CHALLENGE :::::
Would you have been guilty had you been there? What if God were to challenge you today with how well you “remember” what He has done— would you be guilty today? Take a moment to pray with God about your thoughts stemming from today’s study.