Final answer:
The high places were not taken away under Jehoshaphat's reign because of a lack of religious reform, which may have been due to challenges and concerns over causing unrest. This failure had negative consequences as mentioned in 2 Kings 15:3-5.
Step-by-step explanation:
During Jehoshaphat's reign, the high places were not taken away because of a lack of religious reform. Although Jehoshaphat was known for being a righteous king who followed the Lord's commands, he did not fully remove the high places of worship dedicated to other gods. The high places were locations where people would offer sacrifices to idols and engage in idolatrous practices.
One possible reason for this is that Jehoshaphat may have faced challenges in enforcing religious reforms throughout the entire kingdom. It is also possible that he did not want to disrupt the religious practices of the people and risk causing unrest or rebellion.
The failure to remove the high places under his reign ultimately led to negative consequences, as it is mentioned in 2 Kings 15:3-5 that the Lord struck Azariah with leprosy for not removing the high places.