The sacred pillars referred to in 2 Kings 17:10 were objects of idolatrous worship erected by the Israelites during the time of the divided kingdom. God had expressly forbidden the making and worshipping of idols, but the Israelites repeatedly disobeyed and adopted the idolatrous practices of the pagan nations around them. The pillars represented the syncretistic blending of Yahweh worship with Baal worship and other Canaanite religions. The pillars themselves likely represented false gods or set objects venerated in the place of the one true God. The erecting of pillars on high places and under green trees was tied to the worship of Asherah poles and other fertility cult practices. By building these pillars, the Israelites provoked God to anger and judgment.
2 Kings 17 documents the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel to the Assyrians in 722 BC. This occurred because of Israel’s idolatry and unfaithfulness to God. Verse 10 summarizes one of the key sins:
They set up for themselves pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree.
Here we see the Israelites building pillars and Asherah poles to false gods across the countryside. This was in direct violation of God’s commands against idolatry (Exodus 20:3-6). The pillars likely represented gods like Baal, Asherah, and others worshipped in Canaanite religion. The people syncretized this with the worship of Yahweh, angering the Lord.
1. The Sacred Pillars Violated God’s Law
God had clearly prohibited the Israelites from making carved images, idols, or pillars to worship. The second commandment states:
You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God (Exodus 20:4-5).
Likewise, Moses instructed Israel:
You shall not set up a pillar, which the Lord your God hates (Deuteronomy 16:22).
The pillars represented carved images or idols that the Israelites were to worship instead of the Lord. By building these pillars on high places across the land, they directly violated God’s commands. The pillars provoked God to anger because they sought to replace exclusive devotion to Him with idolatrous substitutes.
2. The Pillars Facilitated the Worship of False Gods
In the ancient Near East, pillars or standing stones were frequently associated with idol worship. Archaeological evidence demonstrates that Canaanite temples often housed standing stone pillars representing their gods. The pillars functioned as idolatrous symbols of deities like Baal, Asherah, and others.
For instance, we read that pagan altars often housed a sacred pillar or image:
Then Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments. Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, where I will make an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem (Genesis 35:2-4).
The people had pagan idols and likely sacred pillar images they needed to put away. The Israelites were building similar pillars associated with false gods. In erecting these pillars, they sought to worship Yahweh through the form of idols God had forbidden. The pillars facilitated synergistic worship of Canaanite gods alongside or in place of the Lord.
3. The Pillars Represented Fertility Cult Worship
The sacred pillars were likely objects of fertility cult worship tied to Canaanite practices like the veneration of Asherah poles. Asherah was a Canaanite goddess, and wooden poles represented her presence. These were erected on high places and venerated.
We see this sin addressed multiple times. For instance:
He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah (2 Kings 18:4).
Asa cut down the Asherim and broke down the pillars (2 Chronicles 14:3).
The pillars were closely tied to the Asherah poles. The people worshipped false fertility gods and engaged in immoral cultic practices under the guise of venerating Yahweh. But He expressly forbade adopting the abhorrent practices of the pagans.
4. The Pillars Demonstrated Syncretism
In erecting sacred pillars to Yahweh, the Israelites were attempting to merge the worship of the one true God with the worship of Canaanite deities. The pillars represented a syncretistic blending of religions God despised.
Syncretism seeks to combine different belief systems, often through finding common ground. But Scripture makes clear that following God requires pure, untainted devotion. The Israelites tried to worship Yahweh while also worshipping idols, merging truth with spiritual lies. The pillars embodied this syncretism.
For example, we read that Aaron blended worship of Yahweh with idolatry in constructing the golden calf:
So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play (Exodus 32:5-6).
The Israelites proclaimed the calf was devoted to Yahweh while also engaging in revelry and idolatry. The pillars represented the same kind of dangerous blending of religions.
5. The Pillars Were Products of Spiritual Compromise
The sacred pillars represented the spiritual decline and compromise of Israel. Rather than driving the idolatrous nations out of the land, Israel was lured by the sensual fertility cults of the pagans. They compromised and adopted pagan practices alongside the pure worship of God. The pillars embodied this compromise.
Israel was commanded to destroy Canaanite altars, pillars, and places of false worship (Deuteronomy 12:2-3). But they failed to drive the pagans out and fell into idolatry themselves. They adopted the sensual nature worship practices of the Canaanites and set up their own pillars.
ThisRepresented a complete collapse of pure devotion to God. The pillars were evidence of how severely Israel departed from God’s standards due to spiritual laziness and compromise.
6. The Pillars Resulted in God’s Judgment
Because the Israelites refused to destroy Canaanite altars and set up their own idolatrous pillars, God judged them severely. The divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah were both overthrown through foreign invasion as punishment for idolatry.
God promised that if Israel pursued idols, they would perish from the land (Deuteronomy 8:19). The Israelites provoked God to anger through the very practices He said would lead to judgment (Deuteronomy 32:16). The Assyrian and Babylonian invasions fulfilled these warnings concerning idolatry.
The book of 2 Kings draws a direct connection between Israel’s idol pillars, high places, and Asherah worship with God’s use of the Assyrians to punish them:
Yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.” But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the Lord their God. They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the Lord had commanded them that they should not do like them. And they abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made for themselves metal images of two calves; and they made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal. And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah only (2 Kings 17:13-18).
The sacred pillars were physical manifestations of spiritual unfaithfulness that led to God’s judgment. They demonstrated how far Israel had fallen into idolatry and syncretism.
7. Righteous Kings Destroyed the Pillars
Because the pillars were so offensive, righteous kings like Hezekiah and Josiah destroyed them. Hezekiah, one of Judah’s greatest kings, removed the high places, broke down the pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles (2 Kings 18:4). Josiah did the same, tearing down altars and Asherah poles throughout the land (2 Kings 23:12-14). They sought to restore exclusive devotion to God by removing the idols.
Destroying the pillars was an act of repentance and obedience for Israel. It demonstrated a return to pure worship of Yahweh. As long as the idol pillars remained, syncretism and false worship took place. Their removal represented spiritual revival.
8. The Pillars Caused Israel to Stumble
The very presence of the idol pillars caused Israel to stumble into further idolatry and immorality. They served as temptations and snares pulling people into Canaanite religious practices. Even righteous kings like Asa did not fully remove the high places and pillars from the land (1 Kings 15:14). Their continued presence led Israel into further apostasy.
This teaches an important lesson – compromise and tolerance of false worship inevitably leads to declining morality and falling away from God. Israel’s incomplete repair of idolatrous infrastructure left open doors for syncretism and spiritual corruption.
In leaving the pillars standing, Israel failed to fully eliminate pagan influences. This led to further embracing of Canaanite sensuality and worship. The pillars caused ongoing temptation and stumbling.
9. The Pillars Led to False Worship at High Places
The text says Israel erected pillars on every high place. These “high places” refer to raised platforms built as centers of pagan worship. Though directed to destroy them, Israel converted high places into worship centers blending Yahweh and Canaanite gods.
As long as the high places remained, idolatry took root. The pillars erected there promoted syncretistic worship. Again, this represented deep spiritual compromise. The pillars propagated false worship and corruption at the very sites God had forbidden.
10. The Pillars Corrupted Even Good Kings
Many of Judah’s righteous kings failed to fully remove the high places and sacred pillars early in their reigns. Even great kings like Asa (1 Kings 15:14), Jehoshaphat (1 Kings 22:43), and Amaziah (2 Kings 14:4) struggled to address these open doors to syncretism. They failed to experience the full blessings of obedience by neglecting to remove the pillars and high places where they facilitated counterfeit worship.
This reveals how even spiritual leaders can rationalize and accommodate idolatry. The pillars’ continued presence led to ongoing idolatry the kings failed to address. Though overall righteous, they allowed sin to remain rather than removing stumbling blocks. The pillars propagated corruption even among the godly.
Conclusion
The sacred pillars erected by the Israelites in 2 Kings 17 embodied deep spiritual compromise and idolatry. In defiance of God’s law, they set up symbols of false gods, practiced syncretism, adopted sensual fertility rites, worshipped at forbidden high places, and provoked God’s anger. The pillars demonstrated Israel’s apostasy, leading to judgment. Righteous leaders destroyed them to restore pure worship of God. Their negative example warns believers today regarding the dangers of idols and accommodation of sin.