Yahweh’s people often rise and fall with His favor or displeasure. Once again in 2 Chronicles 26 we see the pattern of a blessing for one who obeys, growing strong when he was not, and a curse for one who goes against the LORD’s ways, even when he was strong. The LORD can make or break us. He is ruler over all.
Uzziah Succeeds Amaziah in Judah
1And all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his father Amaziah. 2He built Eloth and restored it to Judah after the king slept with his fathers. 3Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Jechiliah of Jerusalem. 4He did right in the sight of the LORD according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 5He continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding through the vision of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God prospered him.
Uzziah Succeeds in War
6Now he went out and warred against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in the area of Ashdod and among the Philistines. 7God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who lived in Gur-baal, and the Meunites. 8The Ammonites also gave tribute to Uzziah, and his fame extended to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong. 9Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate and at the Valley Gate and at the corner buttress and fortified them. 10He built towers in the wilderness and hewed many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in the lowland and in the plain. He also had plowmen and vinedressers in the hill country and the fertile fields, for he loved the soil. 11Moreover, Uzziah had an army ready for battle, which entered combat by divisions according to the number of their muster, prepared by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the official, under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king’s officers. 12The total number of the heads of the households, of valiant warriors, was 2,600. 13Under their direction was an elite army of 307,500, who could wage war with great power, to help the king against the enemy. 14Moreover, Uzziah prepared for all the army shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows and sling stones. 15In Jerusalem he made engines of war invented by skillful men to be on the towers and on the corners for the purpose of shooting arrows and great stones. Hence his fame spread afar, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.
Pride Is Uzziah’s Undoing
16But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the LORD his God, for he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17Then Azariah the priest entered after him and with him eighty priests of the LORD, valiant men. 18They opposed Uzziah the king and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful and will have no honor from the LORD God.” 19But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests, the leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the altar of incense. 20Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous on his forehead; and they hurried him out of there, and he himself also hastened to get out because the LORD had smitten him. 21King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death; and he lived in a separate house, being a leper, for he was cut off from the house of the LORD. And Jotham his son was over the king’s house judging the people of the land.
22Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first to last, the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, has written. 23So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the grave which belonged to the kings, for they said, “He is a leper.” And Jotham his son became king in his place.
We can certainly point to wicked and worldly men who have much success in an earthly sense in terms of money and power. We see examples in the Bible as well. We may not always understand why Yahweh will allow some to prosper even when they are not walking with Him or why He may seem to punish those who are closer to Him when they sin. We do see a trend, however, where the closer someone is to walking with Him, the higher the LORD’s expectations. One way to think about this is a father who disciplines his own children rather than those who are not his.
A Father’s Discipline
4You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; 5and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,
“MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD,
NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE PUNISHED BY HIM;
6FOR WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES,
AND HE PUNISHES EVERY SON WHOM HE ACCEPTS.” 7It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. 11For the moment, all discipline seems not to be pleasant, but painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
Let us not focus on second guessing the LORD when we encounter situations like 2 Chronicles 26, but rather understand that we need to be vigilant to avoid pride and continue serving and seeking Yahweh with humility according to His ways. I will admit, however, that I am curious as to whether or not Uzziah ever repented and if he would have if his fate would have been different.
I invite you to pray with me:
Father, please help us as your people to continue to seek and serve You. Thank You for the Bible with Your holy instructions and for Your Spirit to lead and guide us. Help us to hold fast to a spirit of humility even when we seem to be strong and doing well. Help us to live lives that are pleasing to You. Amen.
Shalom
Devotion by John in service to Christ
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