Why did the high places remain according to 2 Kings 14:4? Setting the Scene Amaziah son of Joash ruled Judah sometime around 796–767 BC. Scripture summarizes him as generally upright, yet not on the level of David (2 Kings 14:3). Like several of his predecessors he allowed popular worship customs that contradicted God’s explicit directions in the Mosaic Law. What 2 Kings 14:4 Says “Nevertheless, the high places were not removed, and the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places.” The verse itself states two linked facts: • Amaziah did not remove the high places. • Because they remained, the people kept using them. The Core Reason: Partial Obedience Amaziah’s failure was not ignorance but incompleteness. 2 Chronicles 25:2 (parallel account) adds: “He did what was right in the sight of the LORD, but not wholeheartedly.” His heart was divided; therefore his reforms were partial, leaving forbidden worship sites intact. Contributing Factors Several overlapping realities help explain why the high places lingered: • Long-standing tradition – From Solomon onward, high places had become woven into Israelite life (1 Kings 3:3). Breaking centuries-old habits required determined leadership. • Convenience for the populace – Deuteronomy 12:5–14 commanded centralized worship in Jerusalem, but local altars were easier, saving travel time and cost. • Political caution – Removing popular shrines risked unrest. Some kings avoided confrontation to preserve civil stability. • Spiritual compromise – High places often blended Yahweh-worship with pagan practices (2 Kings 17:10–12). Tolerating them meant tolerating syncretism. • Lack of relentless zeal – Only kings with singular devotion (e.g., Hezekiah, Josiah) mustered the courage to tear them down completely (2 Kings 18:4; 23:13–20). Patterns in Kings Before and After Amaziah • Joash: “But the high places were not removed” (2 Kings 12:3). • Asa: “But the high places were not removed” (1 Kings 15:14). • Uzziah and Jotham: same verdict (2 Kings 15:4, 35). This repetition shows the entrenched nature of the problem. Amaziah simply followed the common pattern of stopping short of full obedience. Contrast With Kings Who Did Remove Them • Hezekiah “removed the high places, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles” (2 Kings 18:4). • Josiah “defiled the high places where the priests had burned sacrifices” (2 Kings 23:8-20). Their thoroughness stands out because it was rare; most kings, Amaziah included, left the job unfinished. Broader Biblical Principle God regards partial obedience as disobedience (1 Samuel 15:22-23). Amaziah’s story reminds believers that: • Leaving “high places” of compromise opens the door for ongoing sin. • True faith expresses itself in complete submission, not selective compliance (James 1:22-25). • Lasting reform starts in the heart and moves outward to visible action, removing anything God has declared off-limits. Takeaway The high places remained because Amaziah allowed them to remain. His half‐hearted devotion produced half‐measures, and the people naturally gravitated to the worship sites that leadership tolerated. Complete obedience—modeled later by Hezekiah and Josiah—was the only cure, and it is still the standard God calls His people to embrace today. |
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