<p>7:42 <i>But <em>God turned and gave them up to serve the host of heaven</em></i>- On their journey to Canaan, the Israelites worshipped idols. Because of this, &quot;God turned, and gave them up (over) to worship the host of heaven... I gave them up to the hardness of their hearts&quot; (Acts 7:42; Ps. 81:12 AVmg.). God reached a stage where He actually encouraged Israel to worship idols; He confirmed them in their rejection of Him. And throughout their history, He encouraged them in their idolatry (Ez. 20:39; Am. 4:4). God will confirm us today in whichever way we chose to go. See on :39 <em>Turned back</em>.<br /><i><br /><em>&ldquo;Gave them up to serve&rdquo; </em></i>implies that God held them back from worshipping the idols they had carried with them. But then He withdrew this psychological restraint. This is evidence enough that God is able to work in the hearts of men in order to hold them back from sinning, as He did even with gentile Abimelech. This is one of the many functions of His Holy Spirit; their behaviour is specifically described in :51 as resisting the Holy Spirit.</p><p><i>As it is written in the book of the prophets: Did you offer to me slain beasts and sacrifices for forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?<em>- </em></i>Stephen pointed out, by the inflection which he gave to his OT quotations, that Israel's service of God was meaningless because at the same time they worshipped their idols: &quot;<em>Have you offered</em> to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?&quot;. This was a rhetorical question. They offered the sacrifices, but actually they didn't. And what is the difference between &quot;slain beasts&quot; and &ldquo;sacrifices&quot;? Aren't sacrifices only slain beasts? The point is that the animals they gave were only slain beasts; nothing more, not real offerings, not real, acceptable sacrifice. &quot;They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it; but the Lord accepteth it not&quot; (Hos. 8:13). And likewise we can dress up our devotions with the appearance of real sacrifice when there is nothing there at all.</p>