“But when
he (Uzziah) 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.” (v.16)
Pride comes before a fall, as we've seen time and time again in
2 Chronicles. In the exceptionally long (52 year) reign of Uzziah, we see the
same pattern we've seen before: good beginnings, followed by backsliding fueled
mainly by pride. Long before Israel had kings, God through the Law provided
guidelines and warnings for them. Perhaps the most important instruction was
for the king to study the Scriptures as a remedy against pride (Deut.17:14-20).
Uzziah began well. He sought the Lord and did what was right,
and had a godly adviser, Zechariah. As a result, Judah experienced military
successes and a time of peace. The turning point came when Uzziah entered the
temple to burn incense (putting himself on a priestly level), even though the
Law said only priests should do so. He arrogantly believed he could do the job
God had given to the priesthood, and that it would be accepted.
The story goes on to tell us that Uzziah was confronted by a
group of priests, but did not accept their rebuke, and for his blasphemy the
Lord immediately struck him with leprosy. He never entered the temple again and
had to let his son take over the day-to-day ruling of the kingdom.
Additionally, we have no indication he ever repented of his sin.
Pride can be a great stumbling block that keeps us from
receiving the grace of God in our lives because we won’t bend our will to His,
or ask for His forgiveness, nor receive a word from others. Instead, we do
what we want like spoiled children, and then suffer the consequences of our own
arrogance.
My prayer for you today is to let go of your pride, and let God
guide your life into His peace, and the fulfillment He has planed for you.
The Truth
“For all
that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the
boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” (1 John
2:16)
