Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Kings 15:3-4, 28

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Kings 15:3-4, 28
"And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done;
Save that the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places.
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin."

In this history of the kings it's a constant back and forth, they either did right in the sight of the Lord, or did evil by not departing from the sins of Jeroboam. His sins were idolatry, worshipping a golden calve, changing God's ordained worship practices. His other sins included building high places for worship, appointing priests from outside the tribe of Levi, and altering the timing of religious festivals to align with his own political will. At this point I've lost count of how many generations and kings since Jerobaom I am at. This one wicked king is the standard all others are based after him. One thing I wondered is why when the king that does right in the sight of the Lord, doesn't take the opportunity to remove the high places so they can no longer practice idolatry? Then I thought about how just removing items of worship from among them doesn't remove them from their hearts. I wonder if when it says the high places were not removed it means the king could not change the heart of the people?

Day 3853