We commemorate the 26th Anniversary of Pilgrim Covenant Church today. The Lord has been very merciful to us, as a congregation, and kept us for a quarter of a century plus one year, and we are very thankful and grateful to Him. As we begin our journey into the next quarter of a century, I’ll like us to learn something important from the life of King Uzziah as we find it recorded in the 26th chapter of 2 Chronicles.
Uzziah, like his father, Amaziah, and grandfather, Joash, started off well. But sadly, like them, he did not end very well. In the case of Joash, he was faithful to the Lord for as long as Jehoiada, the high priest, was alive and exerted a godly influence over him. Once Jehoiada passed away, Joash went downhill under the influence of ungodly counsellors. In the case of Amaziah, he was largely faithful to the Lord until he defeated his enemies and became idolatrous and proud, and decided to pick a needless fight with the northern kingdom, which proved to be his downfall. We will briefly consider the life of Uzziah in two parts. First, we will see the good that Uzziah did, and then his downfall.
The Good that Uzziah did (26:1-15)
Uzziah must have been very popular and well-liked by the people for the chronicler begins by saying that all the people of Judah wanted him to be king. He goes on to tell us three important things about Uzziah. First, he reigned for 52 years, which makes him the second longest reigning king in Judah. Second, he built Eloth, which was a very important seaport city in the south, and restored it to Judah after Amaziah died. Third, he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah did.
Now this phrase “according to all that Amaziah did” immediately alerts us to the fact that Uzziah’s obedience and devotion to the LORD, while commendable, was not perfect. Back in chapter 25 verse 2, we read, “And (Amaziah) did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect (or whole) heart.” Amaziah’s problem was that he was divided in his loyalties and was not wholehearted in his devotion to the Lord. One part of him was pulling one way and the other part was pulling in the opposite direction, and he allowed himself to be torn asunder. Sadly, Uzziah followed in his father’s footsteps. He too stumbled at some point because his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord.
Verse 5 goes on to say, “And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.” This verse reminds us of what happened in the days of his grandfather, Joash, and Jehoiada.
In the case of Uzziah, he sought God, which means he turned to the Lord for guidance, counsel and help, and he did what the Lord required of him, but only during the days of Zechariah the prophet. Like Jehoiada, he exercised a positive influence over the king, and as long as he lived, Uzziah sought the Lord, and the result was that the Lord caused him to prosper in all that he did.
And so even in these early verses of Uzziah’s reign, we see the Chronicler connecting Uzziah to both Amaziah and Joash, and by doing so, prepares us for what is to come.
Next, we see three areas in which Uzziah did well and was blessed by the Lord. Firstly, he had success in his battles against the enemies of Judah, particularly the Philistines. He even achieved significant control over their territory. His accomplishments did not come about by human power or wisdom but by the help of the Lord (v. 7).
Then besides success in battle and becoming famous, we see, secondly, his success as a defender and developer of his kingdom. Uzziah engaged in many building projects throughout his land, some for defense and others for agricultural purposes.
Thirdly, he was also successful as an organizer of his army, which was both large in size and very well equipped. The last part of verse 15 says that his fame spread far for he was marvellously helped till he was strong. This statement connects his fame with the help that he received from God. The people in those days, including the nations around, not only knew about his many achievements, but they also knew that it was his God who helped him.
What a wonderful account of a godly king who did much good and who became known as one blessed by the LORD! He reminds us of Solomon and the golden era in Israel’s history.
Sadly, the story does not end there but goes on to record his downfall.
The Downfall of Uzziah (26:16-23)
Verse 16, “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.”
Like so many great men in history, Uzziah became proud and his pride led directly to his downfall. Perhaps, he imagined that since the Lord had been well pleased with him and had helped him in so many areas of his life, surely the Lord would not be displeased with him if he took it upon himself to offer incense in the holy place.
But he was wrong, and the LORD, in His mercy, informed him of his sin through His priests, who feared God more than their king. The priests knew that if they did not stop Uzziah from offering incense, they would incur the greater wrath of God, and their whole nation would suffer. And so they rebuked the king for transgressing the law and reminded him that the LORD had not appointed the king to do these things. The priests even concluded their rebuke with a prediction that Uzziah will not be honoured by the LORD if he continued to transgress His law.
Sadly, the king refused to humble himself and to take heed to their warning. Instead, he became very angry, and while raging at the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead. The Lord intervened at that crucial moment to prevent him from doing more harm to himself and the whole nation.
The priests were right – the king would not be honoured by the Lord if he continued to disobey His Word. Uzziah never recovered but died as a leper. This is the reason why they buried him in a field that belonged to the kings but not in the tombs of his fathers. What this suggests is that even in death, Uzziah did not lose the shame of leprosy, which he contracted as a direct result of his pride and foolishness.
Lesson
This passage reminds us of the danger of pride and of how much can be lost in a moment of folly. Uzziah was a very successful king because the LORD was with him and caused him to prosper. Sadly, he did not handle his prosperity very well. Instead of serving the Lord humbly and gratefully, he became proud and transgressed the Lord’s clear commandment.
The LORD could have struck him down right there and then like how he killed Nadab and Abihu, but He did not. Instead, He sent the priests to warn him, but he refused to listen. And so because of his pride and stubbornness leading to that one moment of folly, he lost a very great deal – his dignity, his reputation, his health, his authority, his community and so on.
One commentator puts it well when he wrote, “One thoughtless or untrue word, one act of marital unfaithfulness or sexual immorality, one dishonest action can have disastrous consequences. These actions will not rob the true child of God of his salvation…but they can rob him of the joy of his salvation; they can grieve the Holy Spirit and cause him to withdraw his fullness from us; they can divide churches and families; they can spoil our witness and waste our fruitfulness.”
Dear brethren, may the Lord enable us, as individuals and as a church, to be watchful, especially against the sin of pride, which has destroyed so many in history. Never ever think that we are above this sin or that, or that we will never fall into such and such a temptation. The key is humility and a humble reliance upon the Lord in all things, even in those areas of our life and ministry where we think we are strong and are doing well or have enjoyed some measure of success.
And let us press on, looking always to Jesus and holding firmly to the end. Blessed 26th Anniversary!
—Linus Chua