High Place

            “He removed the high places…”

            Hezekiah did what no other king dared to do before him:  Destroy all the high places in Judah.

            These “high places” of worship were used by many nations since the days of antiquity.  The ancient Trojans, Greeks and Persians had their high places. These “holy” and “sacred” locations were used primarily for pagan rites and to offer sacrifices to false gods.

            The Israelites adopted these idolatrous and abominable practices in their own high places all across Palestine, although some believers used them to worship Yahweh.  Nevertheless both were disobeying God, especially since the Jerusalem temple had already been finished.

            Today we worship our Lord in “…spirit and truth” (John 4:24) and in almost any place.  Nevertheless he has established local churches, where believers can worship Jesus in the context of fellowship.  God rejoices when his people gather together in his name, and in humble adoration and joyful praise.

            You can worship the Lord almost everywhere, including your home, but don’t turn your house into a high place.  If you are not a member of a Bible-believing church, find one soon and become an active disciple as well as a dedicated servant. You need to be exposed to the faithful exposition of God’ Word.  There is no substitute for the local church; this is the highest place I know, because our Almighty Lord is there and He will take us high in his wings of love, mercy and grace.