S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

High places, very simply, were places of worship on elevated pieces of ground or raised altars in low land such as a valley. High places were originally dedicated to idol worship (Numbers 33:52; Le...

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July 01 2013 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Billy P Eldred Supporter

It is no doubt that "high places" were areas of major sin. Many kings of Israel were judged at least in part by their willingness to destroy the "high places". Why?

I had often wondered this question to myself. During a recent read through of the Bible, I suddenly felt that I understood the answer to this question. High places were probably where children were sacrificed. God abhorred this. 

This was one of the main reasons God drove out and destroyed the nations from the promised land ahead of the Israelites. 

Leviticus 20: 1-4 shows the contempt God had for those who committed these horrific acts, even from Israelites. Leviticus 20:1-5 NIV:

[1] The Lord said to Moses, [2] “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing in Israel who sacrifices any of his children to Molek is to be put to death. The members of the community are to stone him. [3] I myself will set my face against him and will cut him off from his people; for by sacrificing his children to Molek, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name. [4] If the members of the community close their eyes when that man sacrifices one of his children to Molek and if they fail to put him to death, [5] I myself will set my face against him and his family and will cut them off from their people together with all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molek.'"

At the very least we know that there were things that were taking place at these "high places" that God hated. Idol worship is another possibility, as well as worshipping other gods.

I believe that the same spirit of Molek is present in the world today, especially in the United States. Child sacrifice is going on in the millions by abortion. We need to abolish these "high places"!

August 30 2024 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jeffrey Johnson Supporter

What is the significance of high places in the Bible?

When you read through the Old Testament, the phrase high places keeps showing up. At first, I found that a little confusing because it sounds like the Bible is simply talking about hills or mountains. But the more you read, the more you realise these places carried a lot of spiritual weight.

High places were usually elevated areas where people built altars and worshipped. In the ancient world, people often felt that being on a hill or mountain brought them closer to the divine. So worship naturally happened there. The problem wasn't always the location itself. The bigger issue was what was happening on those hills and who was being worshipped there.

What's interesting is that high places are not always presented negatively. Before the temple was built in Jerusalem, some people genuinely worshipped the Lord at these sites. Solomon, for example, offered sacrifices at Gibeon:

"The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place." (1 Kings 3:4)

But as Israel's history unfolds, the phrase starts taking on a different feel. Again and again, the people used high places for worship that mixed God's commands with the practices of surrounding nations. That pattern keeps repeating. It is one of those things you notice throughout Kings and Chronicles—people turning aside, then reforming, then drifting again.

One detail that stands out is how often the Bible says a king did what was right in God's eyes, but then adds, almost like a warning note, "the high places were not removed." It comes up so many times that it feels deliberate. The reforms were real, but they were incomplete.

"Nevertheless the high places were not taken away." (2 Kings 15:35)

The high places became symbols of divided loyalty. People still wanted God, but they also wanted worship on their own terms. They held on to places and practices that God had not asked for. In that sense, the issue wasn't really the hill. It was the heart behind it.

That's why kings like Hezekiah and Josiah are remembered for tearing down the high places. They understood that faithfulness to God required more than surface changes. It meant removing what continually pulled people's hearts away from Him.

"He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars." (2 Kings 18:4)

For me, the significance of the high places is that they represent a recurring struggle in Scripture. They are physical locations, yes, but they also point to something deeper. They show how easy it is for people to compromise, to mix true worship with other influences, and to keep certain things in their lives that compete with God.

So when the Bible talks about high places, it is talking about more than geography. It is telling a story about worship, obedience, compromise, and the constant call to give God our full devotion rather than just part of it.

Summary of the question

When I read about the high places in the Bible, I get the sense that they were about more than just hills. People often went there to worship, and sometimes they were worshipping the Lord. But over and over again, those places became connected with compromise and drifting away from God. That's why the Bible keeps mentioning that certain kings did what was right, yet "the high places were not removed" (2 Kings 15:35). That little detail comes up so often that it feels important. To me, the real issue wasn't the location—it was the heart. The high places reminded me that people wanted God, but often on their own terms. They really highlight the ongoing struggle between wholehearted faith and holding on to things that pull us away from Him.

August 20 2026 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report