Psalm 106:37-39 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils. And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood. Thus they were defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.
The children of Israel sinned against the Lord in the most abhorrent way imaginable: they sacrificed their own sons and daughters to demons. Worshipping other gods and idols was evil enough, but sacrificing one’s children to them is something else. Israel came into a new land and asked, “How do you get it to rain and grow crops here?” The pagan residents showed them how to sacrifice to the idol gods, which are actually demons.
This kind of response to the grace and salvation of God is a graphic example of how dark and ugly the sin in us really is. Our sins should be as abhorrent to us as child sacrifice and demon worship. When we see our evil sin nature to be as dark as it really is, then we are all the more thankful for the forgiveness of sin earned for us and given to through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. After we confess, we deeply appreciate the love of God for forgiveness and life.
”Religion” seeks to impress the supernatural with our own works, ideas and inventions, while the true and only religion tells us that God is only pleased with the sacrifice of His Son for us. No further sacrifice is required.