Topical Bible: High Places: Hezekiah Destroys

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High places, known in Hebrew as "bamot," were elevated sites often used for worship and religious rituals in ancient Israel and surrounding regions. These sites were typically located on hills or raised platforms and were associated with both the worship of Yahweh and the veneration of foreign deities. The use of high places was a contentious issue in the history of Israel, as it often led to syncretism and idolatry, contrary to the centralization of worship that was commanded in the Mosaic Law.

The reign of King Hezekiah of Judah, who ruled from approximately 715 to 686 BC, is particularly noted for his religious reforms, which included the destruction of high places. Hezekiah is recognized as one of the few kings of Judah who earnestly sought to restore the worship of Yahweh according to the prescriptions of the Law of Moses. His actions are recorded in several passages of the Old Testament, highlighting his commitment to purifying the religious practices of his kingdom.

In 2 Kings 18:3-4 , it is written: "And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also broke into pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had burned incense to it; it was called Nehushtan."

Hezekiah's destruction of the high places was a significant move towards centralizing worship in Jerusalem, as prescribed in Deuteronomy 12:2-5, where the Israelites were commanded to destroy all the places where the nations they dispossessed served their gods. This centralization was intended to prevent the Israelites from adopting the idolatrous practices of the surrounding nations and to maintain the purity of worship directed solely to Yahweh.

The high places had been a persistent problem throughout the history of Israel and Judah. Despite the efforts of previous kings, such as Asa and Jehoshaphat, who also attempted to remove these sites, the high places often reemerged, reflecting the people's ongoing struggle with idolatry and syncretism. Hezekiah's reforms were more comprehensive and determined, reflecting his deep commitment to the covenantal relationship with God.

Hezekiah's actions were not only a response to the idolatrous practices associated with the high places but also a political and spiritual assertion of Judah's identity as a people set apart for the worship of Yahweh. By removing these sites, Hezekiah sought to eliminate the influence of foreign religious practices and to reinforce the centrality of the Temple in Jerusalem as the sole legitimate place of worship.

The account of Hezekiah's reforms is further corroborated in 2 Chronicles 31:1 : "When all this had ended, the Israelites who were there went out to the cities of Judah, smashed the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and demolished the high places and altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his own property."

Hezekiah's destruction of the high places was a pivotal moment in the religious history of Judah, reflecting a return to the exclusive worship of Yahweh and a rejection of the syncretistic practices that had plagued the nation. His reforms set a standard for future generations, emphasizing the importance of fidelity to God's commandments and the centralization of worship in accordance with divine instruction.

Nave's Topical Index

2 Kings 18:4
He removed the high places, and broke the images, and cut down the groves, and broke in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made: for to those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

The Greater Prophets.
... who abases the proud and destroys sinners as ... invasion and overthrow; of Hezekiah's
sickness and ... them in their extremity "rivers in high places, and fountains ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxii the greater prophets.htm

And ii.
... That the [Pg 431] five places, the mention of ... preceding reproof, we cannot entertain
very high notions), instead ... by the hand of Josiah and Hezekiah, yet there ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/chap i and ii.htm

The Woman and Dragon.
... to the use of the symbol in other places, must be ... in the distant future (John,
8:56); and Hezekiah lamented that ... 7:7), to the saints of the Most High; and his ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the woman and dragon.htm

Syria at the Beginning of the Egyptian Conquest
... and from thirty to thirty-six feet high, thus rendering ... plough still employed by
the Syrians in some places. ... which goes back perhaps to the time of Hezekiah. ...
/.../chapter iisyria at the beginning.htm

The Sixth Commandment
... Such as are placed in high power, are like the pillar ... Ministers who by their places
are nearer to God, should ... God commanded Hezekiah to lay a lump of figs upon ...
/.../watson/the ten commandments/2 6 the sixth commandment.htm

Book ii.
... spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places fight against us ... the changing
of the right hand of the Most High. ... 2 Kings xviii.3, 4, 7. Hezekiah did great ...
//christianbookshelf.org/jerome/the principal works of st jerome/book ii.htm

Light for them that Sit in Darkness;
... in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of ... 3:2,3). Aaron was his
type as he was high-priest, and ... gushed out, they ran in the dry places like a ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/light for them that sit.htm

The First Great Deception.
... ungodly and unrepentant, whom the Universalist places in heaven as ... to heaven, and
witness the high, the holy ... When, in answer to his prayer, Hezekiah's life was ...
/.../33 the first great deception.htm

The First Great Deception
... the ungodly and unrepentant, whom the Universalist places in heaven ... to heaven and
witness the high, the holy ... When, in answer to his prayer, Hezekiah's life was ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 33 the first great.htm

The Desire of the Righteous Granted;
... By all which places, the sinful flesh, the old man, the law of sin, the outward
man ... or no.4. Grace lies deep in the hidden part, but sin lies high, and floats ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the desire of the righteous.htm