In ancient times, the pagan cultures who inhabited Canaan and the regions surrounding the "promised land" were consumed with worshipping idols and gods they had created to represent the forces of nature they did not understand and had no control over.
The prophet Isaiah, describing their process of worship and creating their idols put it this way:
" He cuts down cedars for himself, and takes the cypress and the oak; he secures it for himself amount the trees of the forest. he plants a pine, and the rain nourishes it....
Then it shall be for a man to burn, for he will take some of it and warm himself; yes, he kindles it and bakes bread;
indeed he makes a god and worships it; he makes it a carved image, and falls down to it.....
and no one considers in his heart, nor is there knowledge nor understanding to say, 'I have burned half of it in the fire...and shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?'
He feeds on ashes;
A deceived heart has turned him aside; and he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, 'Is there not a lie in my right hand?' " Isaiah 4414, 15, 19, 20
The "high places" were the elevated locations (hills, mountains) where the people would set up their carved idols and place an altar and sacrifice to their gods. The sacrifices required were quite often the babies and children of the worshippers. In some cases it was the strongest male or the virginal female who would be sacrificed. Sometimes, "mini-idols" and places of prayer were set up under large trees in a flat area where people could easily step off the road to pray or place a gift or sacrifice. We still see this practice today all over Asia, especially in India where they have hundreds of gods they still worship. We also still see it all over Africa where Idols and their altars are placed on the tops of houses and they are called the "family gods." Some of these represent ancestors to which the people still pray.
As time went by, they built grand temples and pyramids with altars on the top...man-made "high places" with a great fire at the bottom and a slide upon which they would put their children and roll them down into the fire to be consumed. Yahweh declared these practices and the entire culture to be an abomination on the earth and strictly forbade the Israelites, the chosen ones, to interact, inter-marry, or to have anything to do with them.
His command was to come out and be separate from them, to keep stay pure and holy in God's sight. He commanded them to utterly destroy every last vestige of these cultures when they were victorious in battle, so none of His chosen ones would be tempted to worship these false gods of wood and stone.
Next time: specific gods/goddesses
Tess
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