The High Places Of Israel

by T.W. Fullerton, Melbourne, Australia | Category: General | Aug 1983

In his early years the present writer was deeply impressed by what was written in Needed Truth on this subject. There is teaching in the Old Testament which is being sadly neglected today by many beloved fellow Christians and looked upon as having no message for those who are children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. One has often asked fellow believers in Christ, "What do you know about the Old Testament?" and the honest reply is often given, "Very little." Some are well acquainted with its historical facts, but look upon it as simply past history; others have a knowledge of prophetic truth. But there is in it much "instruction in righteousness" having a bearing upon church truth under the New Covenant. This aspect of Old Testament teaching is largely neglected.

Before Israel entered the land of Canaan they were given clear and definite instructions that Jehovah had specified one place in all the land where He was to be worshipped. "The place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put His name there, even unto His habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come...Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest: but in the place which the LORD shall choose in one of thy tribes; there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee" (Deut. 12:5, 13, 14).

Mr. Vine, in his Expository Dictionary of Old Testament Words; writes as follows about it the high places, where some Israelites worshipped contrary to the divine order of worship:

"These were chosen as local sanctuaries for the purposes of worship, especially that of an idolatrous character; for example: Leviticus 26:30; Numbers 21:28, 33:52; Isaiah 15:2; 16:12). The high places thus became polluted; sacrifices and incense were offered on them, with the licentious rites associated with them (2 Kings 12:3; 14:4; 15:35; 23:9). They were condemned by God-fearing kings, but there was a certain amount of toleration by others, when the places were devoted to the worship of Jehovah (2 Chron. 33:17).

By the time of Jeroboam, the high places of Dan and Bethel had been in constant use by Israelites, even some who professed to acknowledge God. It became easy therefore for Jeroboam to persuade the people to forgo the journey to Jerusalem in order to fulfil the divine commands. He made in Bethel and Dan "houses of high places" (1 Kin. 12:31) and made "priests from among all the people, which were not of the sons of Levi." In the records concerning the high places in the reign of Asa, 1 Kings 15:14 states that they were not taken away; 2 Chronicles 14:3-5 states that Asa took them away, whereas 15:17 says they were not taken away. It seems probable that first a definite measure was taken to do away with them, but later on the general usage on the part of the people for the worship of the God of Israel led to a retention for such purposes. Where they were renewed or retained for idolatry, a godly king like Asa put them away entirely. Worship in the high places was so deep rooted that their removal by

Hezekiah was taunted at by Rabshakeh, as if such an act was derogatory to Jehovah's honour (2 Kin. 18:22). For centuries many Israelites had, without any word from the Lord, worshipped at the high places for no other reason than that their fathers had done so for centuries before them.

The present age commenced with the revelation given by the Lord and committed to His apostles. On His authority all who heard and obeyed the gospel received the free gift of God which is eternal life. It was their privilege and responsibility to express their identification with Christ in the waters of baptism. Apostolic teaching then commanded the adding together of such baptized ones into churches of God, where the "all things" of the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20, including the weekly remembrance of the Lord Jesus, were to be done. Such churches of God were part of God's dwelling place on earth, "each several building fitly framed together" (Eph. 2:20-22), "a spiritual house to be an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 2:4,5). Throughout the then-known world and wherever the gospel was proclaimed there was no divine authority for any other form of teaching. Each church was the same in character, doctrine and practice, forming on earth one dwelling place for God. Although subject to failure because of the human material of which churches of God are constituted, they are subject to the Lord in the pattern to which the churches of God seek to conform; led by a united oversight, they seek in the midst of religious confusion to present to men the way in which divine unity among believers can be manifested.

In contrast to this divine unity is the fragmented arrangement of independent assemblies, answering we believe, to the worship of God in the high places of Old Testament times. There are random companies of believers in Christ who hold a variety of beliefs; claiming the right to do and to teach them. In many cases they are willing to cooperate for gospel activity, irrespective of differing views on many vital doctrines of Scripture.

T.W. Fullerton, Melbourne, Australia | Aug 1983
General