The High Places: Compromise and Consequences

I just finished reading through Kings and Chronicles, and there is one major theme throughout these books that stuck out to me, and that is the situation Israel and Judah had going on with their high places. 

This time of the kings was like a seesaw - there would be a good king who would honor the Lord, followed by evil kings, and on and on. But one thing that is continually mentioned is how different kings dealt with the high places. 

Let’s back up and take a look at what these high places were. The high places were altars and places of worship built on high ground that were used mainly for idolatry during this time. And guess who had a hand in building these high places? Solomon. For all his wisdom, we know there was still at least one major area of compromise in King Solomon’s life - that of his many foreign, idolatrous wives. And as compromise always does, it led to his downfall as his heart turned toward idolatry. The high places that would plague Israel for years came as a result of Solomon’s compromise. 1 Kings 11:7-8 says:

“So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not follow the Lord fully, as his father David had done. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, the abhorrent idol of Moab, on the mountain that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abhorrent idol of the sons of Ammon. He also did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.” 

I’m not sure there could be a better picture of the corrosion of compromise than this. The same Solomon who built the temple ended up building altars to idols in his final days. 

And as compromise and sin always do, it launched Israel and Judah into generations of struggle with idolatry, eventually ending with captivity.

One would think that the appearance of the high places would follow the type of king: good king, high places torn down, bad king, high places built back up. But this isn’t how things went the majority of the time. 

Instead, we see this phrase over and over again:

But the high places were not eliminated; nevertheless Asa’s heart was wholly devoted to the Lord all his days. (1 Kings 15:14

“Jehoash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all his days that Jehoiada the priest instructed him. Only the high places did not end; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.” 2 Kings 12:2-3

“He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not like his father David; he acted in accordance with everything that his father Joash had done. Only the high places were not eliminated; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.” 2 Kings 14:3-4

“He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, in accordance with everything that his father Amaziah had done. Only the high places were not eliminated; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.” 2 Kings 15:3-4

Only the high places were not eliminated. This phrase repeats over and over again throughout these accounts. They served the Lord except. 

This convicted me and prompted me to consider: what is my high place? Am I honoring the Lord except for something I just want to hang on to? A sin that I dress up with a fancy name because I just don’t want to tear it down?

We do this, don’t we? We give Him almost everything - except for that book or TV show we really like. Except for how we treat our family behind closed doors. Except for the way we talk, or the way we think about others we don’t like. We present a clean front, but tucked away, we keep our idol at the little altar we’ve built for it. Not a big one in the middle of the city that we worship every day, mind you- just a little one, tucked away to be used at our convenience. 

Compromise has consequences. One cannot read these accounts without seeing the strand of sin from Solomon to Babylon. And if the wisest man in the world could set off such destruction, I don’t want to think about what I could do. 

When you look at this history of Kings and Chronicles, Daniel 3 hits different. “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods nor worship the golden statue that you have set up.” (Daniel 3:17-18)

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego weren’t just standing up against King Nebuchadnezzar - they were standing up against generations of compromise that had gotten them into that situation to begin with. They were turning the tide. They were willing to give their lives to avoid compromising. 

So let’s not follow in the footsteps of Solomon. Let’s destroy our high places. Tear them down, never to be rebuilt again. 

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

References: 

https://www.gotquestions.org/high-places.html