As a nomadic desert people, the Israelites trusted God as the God of wilderness. But as they settled in fertile areas like the Jezreel Valley, they became attracted to the promises of Canaanite fertility cults.
The Israelites gradually made Baal worship a part of their lives. Seeking personal success and fertile land, they participated in temple prostitution and Baal worship. Both King Ahab and Manassah were so immersed in pagan religion that they sacrificed their children to Baal.
But even as they committed these detestable acts, the Israelites still worshiped God in the Temple. Through the prophets, God expressed his anger: ?On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated it? (Ezek. 23:39).
God hated to see innocence and purity destroyed by his very own people: Instead of fighting against evil, they were participating in it. The Israelites eventually paid the consequence for shedding innocent blood: Foreign powers invaded and brought Israel into captivity.
