2 Kings 23:8
And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beer-sheba, and brake down the high places of the gates that were in the entering in of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on a man’s left hand at the gate of the city.
Josiah gathered the priests out of the cities of Judah and made the high places where they had burned incense unfit for worship from Geba to Beer-sheba, and he tore down the high places of the gates at the entrance of the city gate. The work reached beyond the temple and beyond Jerusalem to uproot idolatrous worship through the whole land, putting away at least ten forms of idolatry and iniquity centered on Baal and the worship of the sun, moon, and stars. He was a devoted and zealous reformer whose work fulfilled the prophecy recorded in 1 Kings 13, yet the last obedient king of Jerusalem before the kingdom fell. The cleansing was meant to turn the people from false mountain refuges and sensual worship back to repentance, righteousness, and the true worship and honor of God. A heart that has found the Bible will therefore have nothing to do with compromise but will uproot evil to the root and allow no rival to God.
Reform Throughout Judah
Josiah brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah and defiled and destroyed the high places where they had burned incense, from Geba in the north to Beer-sheba in the south. The priests were removed from the towns, the idol altars and sites were defiled, and all existing relics of idolatry were destroyed so the shrines and altars of false worship were put away and could no longer serve idolatrous worship. The work reached from limit to limit of Judah and belonged to the thorough removal of idolatry and restoration of the worship of the Lord.
He also broke down the high places of the gates at the entering in of the gate of the city, including those at the gate of Joshua the governor of the city on a man's left hand. Those gate shrines were torn down into ugly deformity, with shrines and statues broken, so that places used for idolatrous worship could no longer serve that purpose. The defiling and tearing down extended to high places in the towns and at the city gates alike.
The reform reached beyond the temple and beyond Jerusalem to uproot idolatrous worship throughout the land. Josiah himself led it as a sweeping, uncompromising work with the hammer of an iconoclast against Baal and Astarte, while priests and Levites only followed him. He went through the land despite curses, social upheaval, and pleas of art, beauty and antiquity.
The cleansing belonged to the greatest reformation recorded in Hebrew history, putting away at least ten forms of idolatry and iniquity. Among them were the offering of incense in high places, objects and places devoted to Baal and the sun, and images, houses and worship sites of the sun, moon and stars. It came after false worship and honor of the sun had displaced the worship and honor of Jehovah.
In this reform Josiah degraded priests of Jehovah who had corrupted His worship. He thrust priests and servitors of temples, chapels, shrines and gate shrines out of office penniless. Shrines and statues were broken into deformity.
History and Prophecy
The cleansing came after God spoke through Huldah, and the king then ordered the removal and destruction of objects and places devoted to Baal and the sun, including the high places. It was carried forward under godly priests and counselors who stood with him. Josiah himself led it at twenty, and again at twenty-six after the long-lost Bible was found, when he drew new knowledge and strength from it to go through the land from limit to limit of Judah.
He was a good king and a devoted, zealous reformer. His work fulfilled the prophecy recorded in 1 Kings 13. He was the last king of Jerusalem who obeyed the Lord's commandments and statutes. His reign ended in 607 BC, which marked the end of the Jewish years of release and jubilees. Afterward the people, their rulers, and their land could not be redeemed, and the land lay desolate while the people were in enemy territory.
Even so sweeping a reform could not check the downward trend, because the people loved the low, sensual religions of sun and Baal worship. Such a turning back to God by removing places of false worship could later be undone when another king restored idolatry. After Josiah's sad death the kingdom of Judah soon fell before Nebuchadnezzar.
Meaning and Application
The high places were hill and mountain altars holding the polluting symbols of idolatrous worship to Baal and Ashteroth. They were put there because the heathen looked upon mountains as protectors, deliverers and places of refuge and gave that idea religious significance. That heathen practice was carried out throughout Israel under wicked, sensual kings, and the people went after Baal and Ashteroth.
Josiah's throwing down of the idolatrous temples so that God Himself was recognized means nearness to God is marked by the least outward display in stone and wood. What God desires is beauty of character in souls, not architectural beauty.
The breaking down of places used for idolatrous worship helped turn the people from sin toward repentance and reformation and back to God. He brought the priests from Judah's towns and defiled the high places where idolatrous worship and burning of incense had taken place, from Geba to Beer-sheba, while tearing down high places at the city gates, so his reform reached beyond Jerusalem and beyond the temple. This destruction of the high places turned the people from false mountain refuges to learn righteousness and seek the true place of refuge. It belonged to a time when false worship and honor of the sun had displaced worship and honor of Jehovah, and it illustrates the need to reject idolatry and restore true worship and honor to God. Such reforms could later be undone when another king restored idolatry.
This purge of heathen worship illustrates the need to eliminate heathen elements and relics of sun-worship and establish true worship.
The verse means a heart that has found the Bible will have nothing to do with compromises, will pluck up root and fibre, see danger where the blinded soul feels secure, guard against incipient evils, crush the eggs of the serpent, and be zealous for the Lord God. Josiah himself led a sweeping, uncompromising reform from limit to limit of Judah, from Geba to Beer-sheba, with priests and Levites only following him. At twenty and again at twenty-six after finding the long-lost Bible and gathering new knowledge and strength from it, he went through the land with the hammer of an iconoclast against Baal and Astarte, thrust priests and servitors of temples, chapels, shrines and gate shrines out of office penniless, defiled the high places where they had burned incense, and broke shrines, statues and gate high places into ugly deformity. No plea of art, beauty, antiquity, curses or social upheaval justifies a rivalry with God.