2 Kings 15:35
“However the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and burned incense in the high places. He built the upper gate of Yahweh’s house.”
What does 2 Kings 15:35 mean?
King Jotham was doing many things right—he strengthened Jerusalem's walls, built cities, and constructed the upper gate of the temple itself. Yet there was something he couldn't or wouldn't change: the high places where people were sacrificing outside of the official temple worship. It's a reminder that even good leaders sometimes inherit systems so deeply rooted in their culture that removing them feels impossible, or perhaps they simply didn't prioritize that particular reform. For anyone trying to live faithfully today, this verse gently asks: where do we compromise? We might be doing genuine good in some areas of our lives while overlooking something that pulls us away from what matters most. Sometimes that's because the problem feels too big to tackle, or sometimes we just haven't noticed it yet. The encouraging part is that Jotham's partial obedience still counted for something, but the verse also hints that incomplete faithfulness leaves a door open.