In Genesis 35, after Jacob’s daughter Dinah was raped by a Hivite named Shechem and Jacob’s sons took matters into their own hands by killing the people that had done this, in chapter 35, God gave this advice to Jacob because he was bitter with his sons, Simeon and Levi for destroying his reputation among the nations people. And the sons said to their dad, “Would you have us treat our sister as a prostitute?”
Well, this is what God said to Jacob after the whole ordeal was over. Jacob thought the blame should be placed upon his sons, but God had a different focus and I can’t emphasize this thought enough. Jacob, the problem isn’t just with your children, the problem is the home life that you’ve developed. God says, “Put away your foreign gods, which are among us, and purify yourselves and change your garments.” In other words, these heathen practices that you’ve accepted into you home environment have got you into the situation that you’re in so you need to cleanse your home. Would God say that of our home today? It needs to be cleansed? Guess what? Aside from the prayer that David offered for Bethsheba’s baby that God said would die, scripture gives no indication that David ever prayed for his family