Acts 7:42

But God turned, and gave them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, Did ye offer unto me slain beasts and sacrifices Forty years in the wilderness,. house of Israel?

'GOD TURNED, AND GAVE THEM UP'-(Romans 1:24; Romans 1:26; Romans 1:28). God didn't stop them. He allowed them to go deep into idolatry. But many religious people today assume that God will prevent them from going into error. 'God gives men up to the due consequences of their settled choice..' (Bruce p. 153)

'TO SERVE THE HOST OF HEAVEN'-The worship of the heavenly bodies, including the Sun, moon and the stars. (Deuteronomy 4:19)

'AS IT IS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE PROPHETS'-Note, 'book', singular. 'The twelve minor prophets were commonly included in one book (one scroll).' (Reese p. 293) The following quotation is from Amos 2:25.

'In. single sentence he passes over all the apostasies of Israel, from the time of the calf worship at the foot of Mount Sinai, till the final announcement of the Babylonian captivity by the mouth of the prophet Amos, who he quotes.' (McGarvey p. 126)

'DID YE OFFER UNTO ME...FORTY YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS..?'-'Stephen backs up his accusation (of their idolatry) with. quotation from Amos 2:1 which dates from several centuries later, it nevertheless refers to the corrupt worship of Israel during their forty years in the desert. Their sacrifices and offerings were not in reality brought to Yahweh, whatever their claim may have been, but rather to pagan idols.' (Stott p. 137)

This verse reveals, that even during the years of the wilderness wandering (with Moses as their leader), they had. frame of mind which wanted to go after other gods.