2 Chronicles 26:1-15
Uzziah gets a lot more attention from the chronicler than the writer of 2nd Kings offered. Uzziah followed after the kings before him in that he started well but faltered toward the end of his reign. Uzziah started his reign at sixteen years old. He did right in the sight of God, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. Amaziah had not doen so with a loyal heart. Should we assume there were problems with Amaziah's heart also? Uzziah soulght God in the days of Zechariah. We can see that Uzziah's reign and pursuit of God was directed in some meaningful way by Zechariah.
Uzziah went to war against the Philistines and was successful because the Lord was with him. His reputation spread across the land, all the way to Egypt. He was blessed and was able to repair the walls and fortify the previous damaged city. We can see God's prosperity and provision for the people in the building projects, digging of wells, livestock, farmers and vinedressers. Verse ten offers an interesting personal note in that Uzziah loved the soil.
God's blessing extended to an army that had the best provisions and weapons. They made catapults that, no doubt, got the attention of any army. They also built devices to shoot many arrows.
2 Chronicles 26:16-23
Verse sixten marks a turning point in the life of Uzziah; it begins with 'but'. When he was strong, pride entered his heart. This pride led to his destruction when he entered the temple and bruned incense as if he were a priests. Had he thought he was a king and priest? Did he think the guidelines of holiness were for others? King or not, the eighty priests, whose job it was to oversee the operation of the temple, saw fit to run the king out of the temple.
Had Uzziah received this rebuke and repented he probably would have been fine. But his heart was lifted up. He became furious with these priests. As a result, leprosy broke out on his forehead. This leprosy served as a visual indication of the defilement that had occurred. The priests said he had no honor from God; this served as God's confirmation this was so. This was Uzziah's last visit to the temple as he was a leper the remainder of his life. He lived in isolation and a leper was not allowed in the temple.
The king's son Jotham became acting king before the people.
©2017 Doug Ford
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