How far had pagan worship penetrated the Jewish community according to Jeremiah 44?
According to Jeremiah 44, pagan worship had penetrated the Jewish community from top to bottom: it reached the cities of Judah and streets of Jerusalem, involving men and women, fathers, kings, princes, and the people of the land. Women were primary culprits, burning incense and pouring drink offerings to the Queen of heaven.
Les explains that Jeremiah 44 shows the Jews or Israelites speaking back to Jeremiah, saying that since they left off burning incense to the Queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, they had wanted all things and were consumed by sword and famine. They were not recognizing God's dealing but were claiming their problems came because they had quit worshipping the Queen of heaven, one of the primary goddesses of mythology. Verse 19 notes that women made cakes to worship her and poured drink offerings without their men, making the women the primary culprits. Then Jeremiah addressed all the people—men and women, and all who had given that answer—saying incense was burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem by them, their fathers, their kings, their princes, and the people of the land. Les then asks, "Now do you see from that verse right there, how far pagan worship had penetrated the Jewish, or the Israeli community?" This shows the penetration reached every level of the community.
Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him that answer, saying,
The incense that ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye, and your fathers, your kings, and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them, and came it not into his mind?
So that the LORD could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day.