Tearing Down the High Places (of worship)
One particular word for a “High place” in Scripture is called the bamah. It/they were elevated sites used for religious worship in ancient Israel and surrounding cultures.
They were originally intended to bring worshipers “closer” to the GOD of Israel, but over time, these sites became associated with both pagan rituals, and, at times, worship of YHVH mixed with local customs.
Do High Places Draw Us Away from GOD? In short… undoubtedly!
The Scriptures are filled with references to the kings not tearing down the high places, and they often drew people away from GOD. These places were already in the Land of Canaan, and they were rarely removed by the people of GOD.
They became centers for idolatry, where sacrifices were made to false gods like Baal, Asherah, and Molech. Even when the Israelites tried to worship YHVH at these sites, they often blended His worship with pagan practices, which YHVH strictly forbade.
GOD Commanded that worship and sacrifices be centralized at the Tabernacle or Temple in Jerusalem, not at scattered high places. Over time, even “good” kings failed to remove them, leading to ongoing spiritual problems for Israel and Judah.
Worshiping elsewhere was seen as disobedience.
What are these high places again? They are locations that are symbolic of anything that distracts or draws people away from wholehearted devotion to GOD. They represent both literal and spiritual compromise.
Today, while we may not build physical altars on hills, the concept remains deeply relevant. “High places” symbolize anything in our lives that competes with or distracts us from full dedication to the King of Glory!
Let’s try to locate some modern high places. That should not be a difficult task.
Do my career ambitions override my ethical integrity or Sabbath rest?
What if I sought to get my identity or security in my possessions?
Entertainment and media Hmm…? Have I allowed media (video games and movies, sporting goods, etc., to dominate my thoughts and my schedule?
What of my relationships (romantic, family, or friendships)? Have they become my ultimate sources of meaning?
Has/does my church or religious tradition(s) or ministry associations or allegiances become more than loving obedience to the LORD GOD?
Have I become self-reliant on me, myself and I and started trusting personal wisdom, health, or personal savings instead of GOD?
NOTE: Anything we “elevate” above the LORD—physically, emotionally, or mentally can become a functional high place.
What type of actions does the Bible tell us were accomplished (practiced) on those high places?
Pagan Rituals: Sacrifices were made to deities like Baal, Asherah, Molech, and (Chemosh is an ancient Canaanite deity worshipped primarily by the Moabites, who regarded him as their supreme god). These often involved burning incense, animal sacrifices, and, in extreme cases, child sacrifice.
Immoral Practices: Many Canaanite high places featured cult prostitution as part of fertility rites.
Early Israelite Worship: Before the Temple in Jerusalem was built, some Israelites—including patriarchs like Abraham and later the prophet Samuel, used high places to legitimately sacrifice to GOD.
Why were they not torn down? Even "good" kings often failed to remove the high places for several complex reasons. Here are a few:
Entrenched Tradition: The people were deeply attached to these local sites by generations of habit and cultural custom.
Political and Social Pressure: Removing them was controversial and could provoke social unrest or opposition from local authorities.
Partial Reformation: Some kings, like Asa and Jehoshaphat, destroyed explicitly pagan altars but left up the ones supposedly dedicated to YHVH, believing they were less harmful.
Geographical Challenges: Judah's rugged, mountainous terrain made it difficult to identify and decommission hundreds of scattered rural shrines.
Economic Interests: Local Levitical families and priests often derived their income from these sites; removing them threatened their livelihoods.
Partial Obedience: Even "good" kings like Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah and Joash are noted for doing right "except" for the high places, suggesting their reforms were sincere but incomplete.
Spiritual Apathy: Over time, the presence of these sites became normalized, and even well-meaning leaders may not have seen them as a primary spiritual threat until later reformers like Hezekiah and Josiah took more radical action.
Signs You and I May Have High Places
1. Persistent Disobedience
Areas where you consistently struggle to obey GOD, despite knowing what’s right.
2. Bitterness or Anxiety When GOD Says “No”
If losing something (a relationship, possession, opportunity) causes deep resentment or fear, it may be a high place.
3. Time and Affection Consumed by Other Pursuits
Career, entertainment, social media, hobbies, or relationships that take priority over spiritual growth.
4. Dependence on Wealth, Status, or Self-Image
Relying on material things or reputation for identity and security.
5. Religious Tradition Over Heartfelt Devotion
Going through spiritual motions without genuine love or obedience.
6. Secret or Celebrated Sins Excused as “Just My Weakness”
Patterns of sin you rationalize or hide.
7. Recurring Negative Patterns
Spiritual strongholds like fear, anxiety, unforgiveness, pride, or addiction that hinder your growth.
How do we identify our own High Places? There are some practical steps for Self-Examination:
Ask- “What do I instinctively run to for comfort before I pray?”
Ask- “What receives the first and best of my time, money, and attention?”
Ask- “What loss would make life feel empty or meaningless?”
Shine the Light of Scripture (let passages like Hebrews 4:12 expose motives and hidden strongholds)
Name Them Honestly (call the specific high place what GOD calls it—idolatry)
Ask- Spirit’s Insight (ask GOD to reveal anything that rivals Him—Ps139:23-24)
Spiritual Blindness and Separation from GOD— Idolatry, whether it’s worshiping physical objects, money, status, or even self—leads to spiritual blindness. When we focus on idols, we become less sensitive to GOD’s Voice and Truth, and our relationship with Him suffers. The Bible warns that idolatry separates us from GOD (Isaiah 44:18 & Ezekiel 14:4). When a person has moral decay, you know that compromised values are in play. You can rest in assurance that idolatry is not too far away. When anything other than GOD becomes our ultimate concern, it can lead to unethical choices, rationalized sin, and a loss of integrity. The apostle Paul lists idolatry alongside other destructive behaviors that keep people from inheriting GOD’s Kingdom (Galatians 5:19-21 & 1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
Emotional and Spiritual Emptiness— Idols, whether material possessions, relationships, or ambitions, cannot truly satisfy. They promise fulfillment but leave us empty and restless. As one resource puts it, “Idols can never satisfy, whether they’re idols of wood and stone, or what the prophet Ezekiel calls ‘idols of the heart’”. Throughout Scripture, persistent idolatry led to GOD’s judgment and loss of blessing for His people. The Old Testament recounts how Israel’s idolatry resulted in exile and suffering (2 Kings 17:7-23 & 2 Chronicles 36:14-20). We can easily define idolatry as spiritual adultery and the betrayal of the covenant relationship between GOD and His people. It’s not just a minor mistake; it’s a deep offense to GOD’s Love and faithfulness (Exodus 20:3-5 & Hosea 2).
Guarding Against Idolatry:
Prioritize the LORD GOD above all else in your heart and actions.
Regularly examine your thoughts, desires, and habits for anything that competes with the LORD GOD.
Seek accountability and community support to stay focused on the LORD GOD.
Remember that idolatry can be subtle—anything you love, trust, or serve more than the LORD GOD can become an idol.
Looking at the accounts of the Bible, a person can be a good king, leader or shepherd and still fall into idolatry. The Bible sets a clear standard: leaders—whether kings, shepherds, or spiritual guides—are called to wholehearted devotion to the LORD GOD. Idolatry, in any form, is a direct violation of this calling. The First Commandment is explicit: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). Leaders are to model exclusive loyalty to the LORD GOD, guiding others by example.
Spiritual Compromise will certainly happen when leaders tolerate or practice idolatry, they compromise their own integrity and the spiritual health of those they lead. The Old Testament repeatedly shows that even “good” kings who allowed high places or idols led their people into spiritual decline. When leaders who are “okay” with idolatry lose credibility, their example teaches followers that divided devotion is acceptable, undermining the call to holiness and obedience. When these things take place, you start to see a very noticeable change. When idolatry is tolerated at the top, it spreads through the community. The Bible warns that misplaced trust in leaders or things other than the LORD GOD leads to spiritual peril (Jeremiah 17:5 & Psalm 146:3).
Leaders are described as servants and stewards, not objects of worship or excessive adulation. Their role is to guide, teach, and shepherd the flock, but never to tolerate or promote anything that rivals the LORD GOD’s place in the hearts of the people.
Leadership communities sometimes value success over godly character, excusing or ignoring idolatry for the sake of results. This is dangerous and leads to spiritual and ethical failure. Even noble leaders can drift, using their position to pursue power, fame, or material things—subtle forms of idolatry that corrupt both leader and community.
Ezekiel 14:3-6
3 “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and have put right before their faces the stumbling block set up their idols in their hearts and have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. Should I be consulted by them at all? 4 Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will be brought to give him an answer in the matter in view of the multitude of his idols, 5 in order to lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel who are estranged from Me through all their idols.”’
6 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Repent and turn away from your idols and turn your faces away from all your abominations.