The opening paragraph of 2 Kings 15 introduce us to the reign of Azariah, also known as Uzziah. Several things were said of him in verses 1-7. Firstly. he became king of Judah in the 27th year of Jeroboam II, the king of Israel. Secondly, he started reigning at the age of 16. Thirdly, he ruled Judah for 52 years. Fourthly, his mother was Jecoliah from Jerusalem. Fifthly, he like his father did what was right in the eyes of the Lord yet not completely. Like him, he also did not remove the high places, so the people continued to make sacrifices and burned incense on those high places. Sixthly, he was struck with leprosy by the LORD, and he was a leper till the day he died. His son Jotham was made to co-reign with him. Like the other kings of Judah, Azariah’s other deeds were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah. When Azariah died he was buried with his fathers in the city of David and Jotham was the obvious choice to succeed him.
This
passage only tells us he was struck with leprosy by the Lord but did
not give us the reason why. The reason he was stricken with leprosy was
provided by 2 Chronicles 26. There we find a description of him as a
successful nation builder. He won wars, build a strong military force, and
honed skillful men for wars. So we are told that he was successful and was a
great builder of the nation. Then 2 Chronicles 2:16 has this to say about
him, “But 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.”
This
is how 2 Chronicles 26:18-21 describe the situation. “They
(the priests) 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.” But
Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while
he was enraged with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead before the
priests in the house of the LORD, beside the altar of incense. Azariah
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. King
Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death….”
The
key lesson: pride goes before a fall and a haughty spirit before destruction.
Pride makes a person stubborn even when in the wrong. Such a person would be
hostile, defiant, argumentative, and unteachable. The Bible urges us to be
humble because God only gives grace to the humble, but He will resist the proud.
If we want to be greatly used of the LORD, deal with our pride. Don’t let pride stumble us,
stay humble!
gs were said of him in verses 1-7. Firstly. he became king of Judah in the 27th year of Jeroboam II the king of Israel. Secondly, he started reigning at the age of 16. Thirdly, he ruled Judah for 52 years. Fourthly, His mother was Jecoliah from Jerusalem. Fifthly, He like his father did what was right in the eye of the Lord yet not completely. Like him, he also did not remove the high places, so the people continued to make sacrifices and burned incense on those high places. Sixthly, he was struck with leprosy by the Lord and he was a leper to the day he died. His son Jotham was made to co-reign with him. Like the other kings of Judah, Azariah’s other deeds were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah. When Azariah died he was buried with his fathers in the city of David and Jotham was the obvious choice to succeed him.
This passage only tells us he was struck with leprosy by Lord but did not give us the reason why. The reason he was stricken with leprosy was provided by 2 Chronicles 26. There we find a description of him as a successful nation builder. He won wars, build a strong military force, and honed skillful men for wars. And we are told that he was successful and was a great builder of the nation. Then 2 Chronicles 2:16 has this to say about him, “But 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.” He became proud and went into the
This is how 2 Chronicles 26:18-21 described the situation. account of “They (the priests) 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.” But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, beside the altar of incense. Azariah 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. King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death….”
The key lesson: pride goes before a fall and a haughty spirit before destruction. Pride makes a person stubborn even when in the wrong. Such a person would be hostile and defiant and argumentative and unteachable. The Bible urges us to be humble because God only gives grace to the humble, but He will resist pride. If we want to be greatly used of the LORD, deal with our pride. Don’t let pride stumble us, stay humble!
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