“He removed the high places, broke the sacred pillars, and destroyed the Asherim. He also shattered the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because until then, the Israelites had been offering incense to it and called it Nehushtan” (Second Book of Kings, ch. 18, v. 4*)
Have you ever encountered in the Bible, and specifically in the Old Testament, the term “high places”? These are cult sites where an altar is built or a stone or wooden pillar is erected in honor of a deity. They are called “high” because the altar is situated on a hill or a man-made platform. Another idea conveyed through the name is the grandeur or divinity of the idol. The Canaanites and other pagan tribes around Israel followed such religious traditions and practices — building “high places” for their gods. God's people were so influenced by the cultures of these nations that before King Hezekiah built the altar in Jerusalem and commanded that worship to Yahweh be performed only there, the people served God at high places while simultaneously offering sacrifices to other deities. The above verse specifically speaks about King Hezekiah and his religious reforms. The quoted passage also reveals another intriguing thing — the Israelites worshipped the bronze serpent which Moses had crafted by God's command, so that the Israelites bitten by snakes could look at the statue on a pole and be healed. (Numbers, ch. 21)
What does this term “high places” mean for us today? We do not have home idols to incense in our homes, nor do we follow the religious traditions of the ancient Israelites. Does this mean that for us, modern Christians, there is no danger of having a “high place”? Another question we might ask ourselves is: Can an aid slowly and gradually replace the Helper and become a “god” in our hearts?
If an unexpected obstacle suddenly appears in front of a moving car and the driver reacts sharply by steering the car into a ditch, there is no doubt he has strayed far from the road and must return. What happens, however, when the deviation is gradual and barely noticeable? If the driver is talking to someone in the car, becomes distracted, or is looking at something off the road, the deviation from the straight line can happen very imperceptibly and he may realize he is driving in the oncoming lane only after he hears a horn or sees the headlights of an approaching car. Is there something that slowly and unnoticed leads you away from the pure service to the Lord Jesus Christ? Perhaps it runs parallel to your faith in God, and so far you haven't sensed it to be wrong or problematic, but as we see with the Israelites, it can be something beneficial, commanded by God Himself, which we have placed in God's stead. This question should not frighten or discourage us, and it's beneficial to keep it in mind whenever we breathe a sigh of relief, saying: “It's good that we belong to God.” Indeed we are, but we see that even God's people, Israel, subtly succumb to the influence of all the neighboring tribes around them, who serve thousands of fictitious gods and idols. The pagans have no problem serving Yahweh as well, offering sacrifices to Him at high places. For them, He is one of many, and if He is mighty, it’s wise to appease Him and 'make' Him work for them. The same people of God, who experienced the reality and power of the Lord as He led them out of Egypt and through the wilderness via Moses, now worship Yahweh and all other deities they have heard of, or on things that work (the bronze serpent). Have you heard the expression: “I do it because it works”? Well, apparently we humans rarely care why or through whom we get what we crave, as long as we obtain our desires. This easily confuses us and shifts the focus from worship and gratitude to the One who gives onto self-gratification and the pursuit of gaining what we want, regardless of how and whom we “incense.”
A “high place” in our lives could be anything that displaces the Lord as the dearest to our hearts, that places Him as “one of many,” equating Him with idols. A “high place” could even be something beneficial or something that sounds and looks right. We cannot worship Yahweh at “high places,” He is not merely one of the many gods in our lives — He is the One and Only. We should not mix our faith in God with trust in everything else — He is the Security. God is a jealous God, and we should consider ourselves more than fortunate because He is jealous for us: “Be careful not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, for it could become a snare among you. Tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and cut down their Asherim, for you must not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is 'Jealous,' is a jealous God.” (Exodus, ch. 34, v. 12-14*)
Challenge of the week: Could Facebook, Instagram, the news on television, the afternoon drama, Sunday morning time, food, the dog, your job, or even a person play the role of a “god” to you? This is a question for us too. If you feel that even something good and beneficial has risen so high that it obscures God from your view, steals time from your relationship with God, and has turned into a “high place,” be brave enough to tear it down. This doesn't always happen at once. Often it requires conscious and prolonged effort of will to change your habits. According to some studies, a new habit is formed in 3 weeks. Start now.
*The biblical quotes are according to the text of the Bible, new translation from the original languages © Bulgarian Bible Society 2013.
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