Skip to main content

Uzziah and Discipline


 

But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense. And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the LORD, that were valiant men: And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the LORD God.

2 Chronicles 26:16-18

            Uzziah, king of Judah, was certainly a breath of fresh air for a time, for the Scripture says that he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord (cf 2 Chron 26:4). He was a contemporary of the prophet Zechariah, and verse 5 tells us, as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper (cf. 2 Chron 26:5). The above passage gives us a proper example of what is not seeking the Lord.

            How does King Uzziah, who overall was good, honorable, and successful, end up dying in quarantine (cf. 2 Chron 26:21)? The Word tells us that his strength and his heart were lifted up to his destruction. This is where sin begins with most, but especially amongst those who would be leaders. Uzziah became convinced he was able to do something which he never was qualified to do. The Word says this was sin. This is not the first attempt of unauthorized worship in the Old Testament, nor will it be the last. However, notice how someone who was doing so great was punished for a great sin. He was struck with leprosy.

            Sin, even amongst good brethren, is still sin and will be dealt with. The priests understood this, and they withstood Uzziah. They spoke truth to power. They obviously knew their own history and that King Saul had priests executed (cf 1 Samuel 22:6-21). However, surely they remembered the Lord struck down Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron the high priest, over unauthorized fire (Lev. 10:1-2).  Out of love these priests were trying to save the king’s life.

            This offering was isolated to the priests, and no matter what power Uzziah thought he had, he still had no right.  Innovations destroyed the remaining days of a good king; they can cost you your soul. We must always return to the pattern that God has established for all the things we do. If we do not keep to the commandments of the Lord, I hope there are strong members of this royal priesthood that will be willing to withstand us in our day of folly.

Grace and Peace,

 

R.D. Beavers

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

At the Feet of Jesus

          How amazing it must have been to sit at the feet of Jesus. Have you thought much about that? What would it have been like to be around the Master? It was obviously life altering for His disciples, the majority of which (by historical accounts) would go on to violent deaths. Christians would go on to be persecuted throughout the centuries. Why? Jesus is worth the shame (Acts 5:41). Jesus is worth it all, because “there is no other name, under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). It is for this very reason we think about how amazing it would have been to personally sit at the feet of Jesus. To Talk to Him Must Have Been Tender           Talking to Jesus must have been so tender. We know that He would tell people what they needed to hear, and sometimes that was rather forthright (see Matt. 23), but he was loving and compassionate to those who wanted to learn from Him. Remember when parents were b...
Post a Comment
Read more

Don't Raise an Ahaz

           Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and he did not that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah his God, like David his father. But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations, whom Jehovah cast out from before the children of Israel.   And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree . 2 Kings 16:2-4                   When was the first time you drove a car? What about the first time you jumped off a diving board or gave a speech? After that first time, it certainly became easier. What about the first lie you told? Did it become easier? King Ahaz of Judah was evil and far from the example of David. Ahaz was the first to offer child sacrifices to t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage

Marriage, divorce, and remarriage, or MDR, is one of the topics of the utmost importance. We all know someone that has been married, divorced, and/or remarried. So there is great interest in our marriages for the overall good of the church and the world in general. Stronger marriages help to make the church stronger. Stronger marriages make the world a better place and help to prevent some of the lasciviousness we see presently. When it comes to marriage, divorce, and remarriage, we must look to God’s Word to find the answers concerning these very personal and often emotionally charged subjects.            Last year at Polishing the Pulpit, bro. Rob Whitacre brought out a very good way to describe what the Bible says with regard to DMR. I have adapted these points in my own words and I hope they will help you understand what God has said concerning the subject. God is the Only One that Can Authorize Marriage  God created marriage in the Garden...
Post a Comment
Read more