5/23/2011 9:49:16 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: Uzziah (Azariah), an illustrious king
Bible Reading
& Meditation Reference: 2Ki. 15:1-7; 2Chron. 26
Message of the verses: “1 ¶
In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah son of
Amaziah king of Judah became king. 2 He
was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in
Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. 3 He did right in the sight of the LORD,
according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 4 Only the high places were not taken away; the
people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. 5 The LORD struck the king, so that he was a
leper to the day of his death. And he lived in a separate house, while Jotham
the king’s son was over the household, judging the people of the land. 6 Now the rest of the acts of Azariah and all
that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of
Judah? 7 And Azariah slept with his
fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Jotham
his son became king in his place.”
“1
¶ And all the people of Judah took
Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his father
Amaziah. 2 He built Eloth and restored
it to Judah after the king slept with his fathers. 3 Uzziah 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. 4 He did right
in the sight of the LORD according to all that his father Amaziah had done.
5 He 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. 6
Now 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. 7 God helped him against the Philistines, and
against the Arabians who lived in Gur-baal, and the Meunites. 8 The Ammonites also gave tribute to Uzziah,
and his fame extended to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong. 9 Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at
the Corner Gate and at the Valley Gate and at the corner buttress and fortified
them. 10 He 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. 11 Moreover, 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. 12 The total number of the heads of the
households, of valiant warriors, was 2,600. 13
Under their direction was an elite army of 307,500, who could wage war
with great power, to help the king against the enemy. 14 Moreover, Uzziah prepared for all the army
shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows and sling stones. 15 In 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.
16 ¶ 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.
17 Then Azariah the priest entered after
him and with him eighty priests of the LORD, valiant men. 18 They 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." 19 But 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. 20
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. 21 King 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. 22 Now the rest of
the acts of Uzziah, first to last, the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, has
written. 23 So 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.”
The
text says that Uzziah ruled for fifty-two years which he did but the first
fifteen years he ruled with his father and during the last ten years of his life
when he was a leper he ruled with his son.
All in all he was a good king and his name is mentioned in Isaiah’s book
in the very famous sixth chapter where it starts out “In the year that king
Uzziah died---.” When Isaiah comes on
the scene the days for the kingdom of Judah are coming to a close, for soon
both the northern kingdom and then the southern kingdom will be captured with
the northern kingdom becoming a mixed breed of people, while the northern
kingdom comes back to rebuild the temple and the city of Jerusalem.
Warren
Wiersbe has two sub-points in this section on Uzziah, and the first one covers
2Kings 14:22; 2Chronicles 26:2, 6-15 and he entitles this section “Uzziah’s accomplishments.” The only verse that is not written above is
2Kings 14:22, “He built Elath and restored it to Judah after the king slept
with his fathers.”
Uzziah
had many accomplishments when he was king, but one of the things that he did
not do was remove the “high places” where the people would sacrifice to either
the Lord or to some heathen god. It was
easier for them to do this than to come to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord
where the Law said that they were to come.
Uzziah was a great military man, and also a great builder and he also
had many flocks and herds so he dug many cisterns in order for them to have
enough water. In all of his successes
there is one telling verse in 2Chronicles 26:5 that shows that Uzziah did not
finish strong, “He 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.” Then we read in verse
sixteen these words, “But
when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly.”
“Uzziah’s arrogance” is the next
sub-point in Dr. Wiersbe’s commentary, and it covers 2Kings 15:5 along with
2Chronicles 26:16-21 and these verses are written above.
“1
«A Song of Ascents, of David.» O LORD,
my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in great
matters, Or in things too difficult for me. 2
Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child rests
against his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me. 3 O Israel, hope in the LORD From this time
forth and forever.” This is the 131st
Psalm and it was written by David to be sung as the people ascended up Mt. Zion
to Jerusalem on the three times that they were to come to Jerusalem to worship
the Lord that is written about in the Law.
Uzziah should have memorized this short Psalm and heeded to what it
says.
Dr.
Wiersbe writes the following, “He had a wonderful beginning but a tragic
ending, and this is a warning to us that we be on guard and pray that the Lord
will help us to end well. A good
beginning is no guarantee of a successful ending, and the sin of unholy
ambition has ruined more than one servant of the Lord.
Uzziah’s
sin was surely pride for he wanted to be both priest and king and that was
something that only the Messiah would have, as Jesus Christ was Prophet,
Priest, and King. There were priests who
became prophets, but no king ever became a priest except the Lord Jesus Christ.
What
Uzziah did was punishable by death according to the Law "But you and your
sons with you shall attend to your priesthood for everything concerning the
altar and inside the veil, and you are to perform service. I am giving you the
priesthood as a bestowed service, but the outsider who comes near shall be put
to death" (Numbers 18:7.)
Spiritual meaning for my life today: There are a number of things that are going
through my mind and have been for a few days for some of them and a lot longer
for others. I have been thinking about
finishing strong for some time now and this section reinforces that thought. Humility is also something that has been
going through my head from time to time and this is a good reminder of that
too.
My Steps of
Faith for Today:
1.
Continue to learn contentment.
2.
Remember humility should be a part of my character.
3.
Remember the battle I am in and the need for the
spiritual armor.
4.
Give myself to the Lord for worship and for service.
5.
Trust the Lord to give me the desire of my heart.
6.
Remember the truth of Psalm 101:3.
7.
Remember the truth of Psalm 131.
5/23/2011 10:52:48 AM
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