Israel's "High Places"

From: Josiah and Revival By: William Woldridge Fereday

• 7 min. read • grade level: 9

At the age of sixteen (as we have seen) Josiah turned to God. Then followed four years of spiritual exercise concerning the condition of things around him. His position as king made Josiah feel that it was not sufficient for him to be right with God personally; he also felt that he must purge the land of its abominations, and lead the people back to God. In this day we are not called upon to be iconoclasts. It is not our duty to go round with axes and hammers and destroy images and other things which we know to be hateful to God. All this will be dealt with by the Lord Jesus when He shows Himself from heaven in Kingdom-power and majesty. Our present duty is two-fold: (1) to get our own souls right by testing all our ways and associations by the written Word; and (2) to use our influences to help others to return to the “old paths” (Jer. 6:16¹⁶Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. (Jeremiah 6:16)). The latter we can do by personal conversation, and by definite public ministry if God has qualified us for such work. Mere addresses, carefully planned, with points, divisions, anecdotes, and alliterations may be entertaining; but it is doubtful if they reach hearts and consciences concerning the evils from which men should purge themselves. Time was when many Christians carried in their pockets a supply of booklets, some suited for Christians and others for unbelievers. We wonder if this is done to any extent today?

At the age of twenty Josiah began to move. Five verses in 2 Chronicles 34:3-7³For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images. ⁴And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them. ⁵And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. ⁶And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about. ⁷And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem. (2 Chronicles 34:3‑7) are packed with the Holy Spirit’s record of his courageous deeds. Although surrounded by people whose attitude was doubtful, he went forward energetically. Images were smashed, altars were broken down, and the bones of idolatrous priests were burnt upon their altars. Thus the young king expressed his abhorrence of evil practices and of the men who led the way in them. Josiah did not limit himself to the territories of Judah and Benjamin, although he commenced there. At all times the servants of God should first testify near home. Having done this, Josiah pushed northward, and acted with vigor in Manasseh, Ephraim, etc. The ruling power in the North must have been weak for such action to be possible; but the young king took risks, confiding in God. Bold testimony in regions where the truth is most needed is called for today; but how far are we willing to move away from the warm shelter of gospel halls and other places of comfortable service? Yet why should “evangelists” abandon their earthly calling if they are unwilling for pioneer work such as the Apostle speaks of in Romans 15:18-24¹⁸For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, ¹⁹Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. ²⁰Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation: ²¹But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand. ²²For which cause also I have been much hindered from coming to you. ²³But now having no more place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come unto you; ²⁴Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company. (Romans 15:18‑24)?

It is particularly noted that Josiah “began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places” (2 Chron. 34:3³For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images. (2 Chronicles 34:3)). These were very offensive to Jehovah, because they were the expression of the people’s neglect and even contempt for His chosen center. He definitely commanded the people to destroy all the images of the Canaanites and to devastate their high places (Num. 33:52⁵²Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places: (Numbers 33:52)). At this point the reader would do well to lay down this book and read Deuteronomy 12. In that chapter Moses told the people before he died that they would find the land full of idols, with places of worship “upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree.” All this was the expression of self-will of people who knew nothing of God and who were under the blinding influence of Satan. But the people of God must not be like them. They must listen to His voice, and obey Him in all things, especially in matters relating to divine worship. He would choose His own center, and thither the tribes of Israel were to bring their sacrifices and offerings. Shiloh, in Ephraim, was Jehovah’s first dwelling-place (Jer. 7:12¹²But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. (Jeremiah 7:12)), later, he chose Zion (Psa. 78:60-68⁶⁰So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men; ⁶¹And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand. ⁶²He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance. ⁶³The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage. ⁶⁴Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation. ⁶⁵Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine. ⁶⁶And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach. ⁶⁷Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim: ⁶⁸But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved. (Psalm 78:60‑68)). The sin of the people, which caused the ark of the covenant to fall into the hands of the Philistines, threw the relationships of the people with Jehovah into confusion, for the ark never returned to the tabernacle. David brought it up to Zion out of the house of Obed-Edom to a tent that he had prepared for it (1 Chron. 15), but the tabernacle was at Gibeon (1 Chron. 16:39³⁹And Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the Lord in the high place that was at Gibeon, (1 Chronicles 16:39)). During the years of confusion, even pious people worshipped at “high places.” Samuel did this (1 Sam. 9:12-25¹²And they answered them, and said, He is; behold, he is before you: make haste now, for he came to day to the city; for there is a sacrifice of the people to day in the high place: ¹³As soon as ye be come into the city, ye shall straightway find him, before he go up to the high place to eat: for the people will not eat until he come, because he doth bless the sacrifice; and afterwards they eat that be bidden. Now therefore get you up; for about this time ye shall find him. ¹⁴And they went up into the city: and when they were come into the city, behold, Samuel came out against them, for to go up to the high place. ¹⁵Now the Lord had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying, ¹⁶To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me. ¹⁷And when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people. ¹⁸Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is. ¹⁹And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer: go up before me unto the high place; for ye shall eat with me to day, and to morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thine heart. ²⁰And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father's house? ²¹And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me? ²²And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlor, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which were about thirty persons. ²³And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set it by thee. ²⁴And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold that which is left! set it before thee, and eat: for unto this time hath it been kept for thee since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day. ²⁵And when they were come down from the high place into the city, Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house. (1 Samuel 9:12‑25)). But such irregularities became sin after the temple was built, and filled with the cloud of Jehovah’s presence. The very builder of the temple led the way in this great sin. Solomon built high places for Chemosh and for all the gods of his pagan wives (1 Kings 11:1-8¹But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; ²Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. ³And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. ⁴For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. ⁵For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. ⁶And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father. ⁷Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. ⁸And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. (1 Kings 11:1‑8)). From Solomon’s day onward, worship at high places became intermittent. Some kings sanctioned (or, at least tolerated) it; and others suppressed it. Sennacherib in his heathen ignorance, thought that Hezekiah had displeased his God by destroying the high places which the people had dedicated to His worship (2 Chron. 32:12¹²Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before one altar, and burn incense upon it? (2 Chronicles 32:12)).

Coming now to ourselves—have we learned to be obedient in all things to the Word of God, or are we in any degree held by the unscriptural practices of Christendom? It has been said that just as a man is entitled to choose his own lawyer and his own baker, so he is entitled to choose his own “minister” and place of worship! This is rank self-will. Not only is God dishonored by it, but it is injurious to the soul. The marvelous blessings and privileges which are characteristic of Christianity are to a large extent unknown to those who pursue such a course. Surely He has not left us to our own devices in matters of the utmost sacredness! Surely He has spoken! He who was so precise in the smallest details connected with the worship of His earthly people is not indifferent in His dealings with His heavenly saints! Shall we not, then, in the spirit of deep humility, search His Holy Word with care and seek grace from Him to obey what is written therein, cost what it may?

No more delightful unfolding of the subject of worship, with special reference to our own time, can be found than in our Lord’s words to the Samaritan woman in John 4:21-24²¹Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. ²²Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. ²³But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. ²⁴God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:21‑24). His pointed and heart-searching words made the woman feel the seriousness of having to do with God; and she desired to learn from Him where God could be found, for there was much controversy in the land concerning this subject. Her fathers had worshipped for centuries on Mount Gerizim, but the Jews affirmed that in Jerusalem was the place where men ought to worship. She was stating her difficulty to the One who could best answer it. He was the Father’s well-beloved Son, who had come from heaven to lead willing hearts into sweeter intimacies than had ever before been known. He said “Woman, believe Me.” Oh, that men had been willing then; oh, that men were willing now, to listen to the Son, and believe every word from His gracious lips! Instead, many listen to the voice of religious leaders, and follow them blindly. “Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh, when you shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.” The day for material religious centers is past. Those who point to a building and speak of it as the “house of God” are two thousand years behind the times in their thoughts. God being now revealed as Father, He will be satisfied with nothing but the overflowing of the heart from those who are in the conscious relationship of children. “Worship in spirit and in truth” is what He desires, and “the Father seeketh such to worship Him.” Costly buildings, gorgeous ritual, and elaborate vestments are an offense to Him, for they are relics of Paganism and Judaism. Any simple building, even a private house, will suffice as meeting-places for God’s saints during the Christian era. The true rallying center is indicated in Matthew 18:20²⁰For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20), “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” Let us beware of men’s “high places.” We are not called upon to destroy them, as Josiah did in his day; but it is our duty to reject them, and to be obedient in all things to the Word of our God.

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