High Places

1 Kings 22:43 And he walked in all the ways of his father Asa. He did not turn aside from them, doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Nevertheless the high places were not taken away, for the people offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places. NKJV

The spiritual evaluation of every king of Judah in the post David era includes reference of whether the high places were removed or not. The question did not end with whether the king of Judah did right in the eyes of the Lord or evil, but also whether or not he removed the high places.

High places were historically elevated areas where worshippers would erect idols and build altars to worship their gods. It was Solomon whose heart was turned from Jehovah by his pagan wives and and as a result built up the high places in Judah for the worship of their pagan gods . Every king thereafter would be judged by what he did with the high places. Even kings such as Jehoshaphat whom the LORD admittedly said did what was right in His eyes but yet also said about him, “Nevertheless the high places were not taken away, for the people offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places. 1 Kings 22:43 NKJV. All kings that followed Solomon, whether they did right in the eyes of the Lord or evil kept the high places until Hezekiah.

Why was this so important to the LORD? One cannot fully serve the LORD until all the high places are removed out of his/her life. Not only must the idols be destroyed but the very places where the idols are kept must be removed to avoid any temptation to return. Sadly, most Christians filling our churches today are like Jehoshaphat. They love the Lord and seek to do what is right. They are not evil, but they have not removed all the high places and thus have robbed themselves of the full blessings of Christ