There is an interesting line that emerges in the Bible five times in the lives of kings of Judah who reigned in Jerusalem. It is something like this. “King _________ did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. However, he did not remove the high places and the people continued to offer sacrifices there.” The casual reader may not know what is happening there. So, I will offer a brief explanation.
High places were holy sites for the people who had lived in the area now known as Palestine before Israelites lived there. People offered sacrifices to their gods there. High places were elevated, thus making them closer to the heavens. But, they were also places that were high above the rest of the land they represented. Sadly, children were often offered as sacrifices there. They unfortunately became, for God’s people, alternate sites for sacrifice and worship aside from the temple where sacrifices were specifically directed to be offered by the people of Israel worshiping Yahweh- their specific God. The people of God had sadly followed the pattern of other regional religions that were popular among the people whom Israel was specifically directed by God to drive out of the land. Whether they were driven out and to what degree is a matter of discussion. We know for certain that some groups remained in the land, most notably the Gibeonites (Joshua 9).
However, whether the locals or only their practices remained, it seems as though many people in Israel and Judah were bent on worshipping other deities which they clearly were forbidden to worship (Exodus 20:3-4; 34:14) in places that should have been destroyed (Numbers 33:52; Deuteronomy 12:2) to prevent them from being tempted to false worship. Nothing in the Bible is much more clear. It is, no less, front and center in the Ten Commandments themselves. And, we must remember that even while the Ten Commandments were being given, the people of Israel began worshipping false gods- post haste (Exodus 32).
The locals worshipped vigorously and with common attraction at the high places scattered throughout the land. Of all of the popular local deities worshipped there Ashtoreth was most notable. Nevertheless Baal, Molech and Chemosh were worshipped there as well. The high places were synonymous with people engaging in false worship. The folks who did this were many- people from Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Canaan, etc. Nevertheless, people of Israel were caught up in it all, worshipping as vigorously as the people who were driven out.
Back to the kings themselves. Many of them were convicted of the personal need to live righteous lives. Their commitment to God that was admirable. They lived good lives. They insured that justice was performed in their jurisdiction. They simply did the right things, as far as they were personally concerned affecting their personal lives. That is the point. Their commitment to God was not to reshape their culture, but just to manage their own lives and responsibilities well. You see, if they would have meddled with the religious zeal of their day, it would have been largely unpopular. And, one thing politicians loathe is to do something that is squarely unpopular, unless it has to do with raised revenue. Then survival kicks in and overtakes other necessities.
It was one thing to live with personal commitment. But, it would be something altogether intolerable to impinge upon the freedom of others to do likewise. It would have been the ultimate act of intolerance and scourge to any healthy understanding of diversity. Though the kings new that it was within their power and ability to do something about the false worship, they just did not see the benefit matching the cost. So, they did nothing. They said nothing. They simply tried their best to honor God in their own lives and let the chips fall where they may with the others. They were in a place to shape culture, but did nothing.
It is simply difficult to bring our convictions to bear upon the lives of others. It is equally unpopular to speak against someone else doing something. But, the statements are quite clear from the Biblical perspective. “They were good people-good kings in fact. However, their goodness didn’t penetrate their culture. Instead it stopped at personal practice.”
And God was clear in that regard. That is just not acceptable to him. If he has gone to all of the trouble to redeem us, empower us, fill us with his Holy Spirit it cannot be simply for our own edification. It must influence those around. We cannot sit idly by and hope that everyone gets their just desserts for their behavior- rewards or punishments. The more difficult yet more rewarding alternative to what we see with the kings of Judah today would be to hear God say to someone, “She was a good person, deep in personal piety and full of integrity. She lived her life in a way that was pleasing to God. And, she so influenced those around her, that others were changed as well. She impacted her world. Some of her influences were appreciated. Others were deeply unpopular. But, she made a difference; the kind of difference that pleases God.”
There is something needed beyond our personal lives. It is the impact that our personal lives can make upon our culture and others around. God would prefer not to place an asterisk behind our personal piety.