The High Places

“They feared the Lord, yet served their own gods—according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away.”  II Kings 17:33. 

I’ve been reading about all of the kings in the Old Testament. It’s a good lesson in understanding why God didn’t want Israel to have a man as king—He wanted to be their King!

When each king is mentioned, we’re told that they either removed the high places or if they remained. And each king is compared to David—the king after God’s own heart.  Most of them let the high places remain. 

What are the high places?  It was man’s solution to worship. They worshipped idols on these high places. They even sacrificed their children there.  

As I read this verse this morning, I had to ask myself, “Do we still have high places?”  I believe we do. We fear the Lord, and yet serve Him our own way—not the way He asked to be obeyed. We add worshiping other things with worshiping God—ourselves and our desires, sports, jobs, family, cars, houses, social media, phones, etc.  And in the process of worshiping those things, our children are sacrificed.  Our children are left feeling confused, hurt, abandoned, alone, angry,  sacrificed. 

God honored the kings who tore down the high places. We (as prophets, priests, and kings) have a choice, too.  We can fear God and worship other things.  Or we can fear and worship God alone. It’s time to tear down the high places and quit sacrificing our children!