What other scriptures warn against building "high places" for false worship? Setting the Scene • “High places” (Hebrew bamot) were elevated sites—natural hills, man-made platforms, or rooftop altars—where the nations worshiped idols and where Israel was repeatedly tempted to mix true and false worship (1 Kings 14:23; Jeremiah 19:5). • From the Exodus forward, the Lord commanded His people to tear such places down, not tolerate or refurbish them. Key Passages That Explicitly Warn or Command the Destruction of High Places • Leviticus 26:30 – “I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars, and pile your lifeless bodies upon the lifeless forms of your idols; and My soul will despise you.” • Numbers 33:52 – “You are to drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you, destroy all their stone images and cast idols, and demolish all their high places.” • Deuteronomy 12:2-3 – “Destroy completely all the high places on the mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree… Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, burn up their Asherah poles, and cut down the idols of their gods.” • Deuteronomy 16:22 – “And you shall not set up for yourself a sacred pillar, which the LORD your God hates.” • 1 Kings 13:32 – Prophecy that “the houses of the high places” Jeroboam built would be ruined. • 2 Kings 17:9-11 – “They built for themselves high places in all their towns… At every high place they burned incense, provoking the LORD to anger.” • 2 Kings 18:4 – “Hezekiah removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles.” • 2 Kings 23:8, 15 – Josiah “defiled the high places” and “smashed to pieces the pillar and burned the Asherah.” • 2 Chronicles 14:3 – Asa “removed the foreign altars and the high places.” • 2 Chronicles 17:6 – Jehoshaphat “tore down the high places and Asherah poles.” • 2 Chronicles 31:1 – After Hezekiah’s reforms “they destroyed the high places and the altars throughout Judah.” • Psalm 78:58 – “They provoked Him to anger with their high places and aroused His jealousy with their idols.” • Isaiah 57:7-8 – Condemnation of adultery against God practiced “on a high and lofty mountain.” • Ezekiel 6:3-6 – “I will destroy your high places… Your altars will be demolished.” • Ezekiel 20:28-29 – The Lord rebukes Israel: “They offered their sacrifices… and there they presented their fragrant offerings. So I asked them: ‘What is this high place to which you go?’” • Hosea 10:8 – “The high places of Aven will be destroyed.” • Amos 7:9 – “The high places of Isaac will be desolated and the sanctuaries of Israel ruined.” • Micah 1:3-5 – The Lord comes “to trample the high places of the earth… All this is for the rebellion of Jacob and for the sins of the house of Israel.” Why the Lord Treats High Places So Seriously • They replace God’s prescribed altar with human invention (Deuteronomy 12:5-14). • They invite syncretism—mixing truth with pagan practices—which God calls spiritual adultery (Jeremiah 3:6-9). • They shift worship from the Lord’s chosen place and substitute convenience for obedience (1 Kings 12:28-33). Patterns Repeated Across the Text 1. Command: “Tear them down.” 2. Disobedience: Generations leave some standing (1 Kings 15:14; 2 Chronicles 15:17). 3. Reform: Faithful kings remove them. 4. Relapse: Next generation rebuilds them (2 Chronicles 33:3). Take-Home Principles • True worship is defined by God, not personal preference or culture (John 4:23-24). • Leaving even “respectable” forms of idolatry untouched invites future compromise (Galatians 5:9). • Zeal like Hezekiah’s and Josiah’s—decisive, thorough, uncompromising—remains the model for confronting modern “high places,” whether physical, ideological, or digital (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). |
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