Paganism had its place in the southern Kingdom of Judah. God focuses far more on the high places built, destroyed, or left alone by various kings of Judah. Judah had more of a love-hate relationship with its high places. King Jehoash of Judah did not quite have the fortitude to rid the kingdom of its high places. During the reigns of his father and grandfather, high places had been constructed that Jehoash failed to destroy. Jehoash did what was right in the sight of the LORD all the days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him, but the high places were not taken away. Upon Jehoiada's death, Jehoash began listening to foolish advice and even succumbed to re-instituting idolatry. The high places built during his father's and grandfather's reigns were not destroyed because they were not personally abhorrent to him.

During the reigns of Jehoash, Amaziah, and Uzziah the high places were not removed from Judah. These kings began their rules by doing what was right in the sight of the LORD yet regressed into idolatry. Jehoash gave in to idolatry once his guiding priest died. Amaziah turned to worshipping the gods of the people he had conquered. Uzziah rashly burned incense in the Temple. Jotham likewise did not remove the high places though he remained true to God. His tolerance of them contributed to his son Ahaz embracing idolatry and child sacrifice. The reluctance of these kings to rid Judah of the high places allowed an evil to endure that later resulted in the kingdom's destruction and captivity.

King Jehoash of Judah did what was right in God's sight only while Jehoiada the priest lived. He failed to remove the pagan high places from Judah. After Jehoiada died, leaders steered him into idolatry. Jehoash died an ignominious death at the hands of assassins. Amaziah his son also declined to remove the high places in his realm. The people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. Amaziah gathered the men of Judah and defeated the Edomites. He then put his trust in the gods of the Edomites and turned away from God. Amaziah rejected the Word of God through His prophet. God turned against him. Amaziah suffered defeat at the hands of the king of Israel. The Israelites ransacked the house of the Lord. Amaziah died a dishonorable death at the hands of assassins. Amaziah did what was right in the sight of the Lord but not with a loyal heart. Amaziah knew the right thing to do and for a time he did it. His heart was not in it. Amaziah's tolerance of the high places exposed what lived in his heart. His life came to match it.