HIGH PLACES 3 | MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE (2)

1. High Places

a) During Bible History, high places were usually natural (e.g. hills and mountains) but sometimes man-made (e.g. towers) places where people worshiped or made sacrifices. 

b) The only True God often appeared, or was sometimes worshiped, atop mountains (e.g. Mount Sinai) or hills (1 Samuel 9:19).

c) The Canaanite "high places" were notorious for pagan worship where various heathenistic idols, altars or buildings were located, and where some of the most wicked and horrendous behavior imaginable went on. As such, when the Israelites entered the Promised Land they were commanded by God not only to have nothing to do with high places, but to destroy them because they would be corrupted by their presence - a command that was largely disobeyed, to their regret.

2. Mentioned in the Bible

a) Bamah.

Ezekiel 20:29 
Then I said unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go? And the name thereof is called Bamah unto this day.

b) Aven.

Hosea 10:8 
The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.

c) Adorned with tapestry.

Ezekiel 16:16 
And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so.

d) Surrounded with groves.

1 Kings 14:23 
For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree.