Why did the people not remove the high places despite Jehoshaphat's reforms? Setting the Scene—Jehoshaphat’s Zeal for the LORD 2 Chronicles 20:33: “The high places, however, were not removed; the people had not yet set their hearts on the God of their fathers.” Jehoshaphat was a reformer (2 Chronicles 17:6; 19:4). He sent teachers of the Law throughout Judah, rooted out idolatry in the cities, and organized justice and worship. Yet one stubborn pocket of compromise remained: the rural high places. High Places—What Were They and Why Did They Matter? • Elevated sites or man-made platforms where sacrifices and worship rituals were offered. • Forbidden by God once Israel entered the land (Deuteronomy 12:1–5; 16:21). • Often mixed the LORD’s name with Canaanite practices (syncretism). • Looked harmless—“still worshiping Yahweh, just closer to home”—but quietly undercut the purity of covenant worship centered on the temple (Deuteronomy 12:13–14). Why Were They Not Removed? Key Factors 1. Cultural Inertia • Generations had used these sites (1 Kings 22:43). Tradition can feel safer than change. 2. Convenience Over Conviction • Temple worship required travel to Jerusalem three times a year (Deuteronomy 16:16). High places offered “local options.” 3. Partial Hearts • “The people had not yet set their hearts” (2 Chronicles 20:33). Reform from the top cannot replace personal surrender (Jeremiah 24:7). 4. Leadership Limitations • Jehoshaphat led nationally, yet every village needed local follow-through. Some elders simply looked the other way (2 Chronicles 17:7–9 contrasted with 20:33). 5. Compromising Alliances • Earlier ties with Ahab (2 Chronicles 18:1) and later with Ahaziah (2 Chronicles 20:35) dampened moral authority to enforce total purging. 6. Spiritual Warfare • Demonically energized idolatry resists eradication (1 Corinthians 10:20). The enemy fights hardest where worship is contested. 7. Fear of Social Backlash • Uprooting cherished shrines risked unrest. Jehoshaphat may have prioritized civil peace over complete obedience (cf. John 12:42–43). Scripture’s Ongoing Verdict on Partial Reform • Asa: “the high places were not removed” (2 Chronicles 15:17). • Joash: “people still sacrificed on the high places” (2 Kings 12:3). • Amaziah, Azariah, Jotham—same refrain (2 Kings 14:4; 15:4, 35). • Only Josiah swept them away fully (2 Chronicles 34:3–7), illustrating what wholehearted obedience looks like. Lessons for Today—Guarding Modern “High Places” • Traditions must bow to Scripture, not the other way around. • Corporate revival requires individual repentance. • Convenience can never replace commanded worship. • Alliances that dilute biblical conviction sap reform momentum. • Spiritual strongholds fall only when God’s people renounce them completely (2 Corinthians 10:4–5). |
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