We are almost done with II Chronicles. We have just read a couple of pretty intense stories and are now in chapter 26. Uzziah! The name didn't sound familiar to me. He became king at 16 years of age following his father's murder.
The Bible told us right away that Uzziah reigned for 52 years. Of course, I had to pause right there for my little guy to add 16+52 and inform me that Uzziah was 68 when he died. Well, that is what we presumed anyway.
Uzziah got right to work building cities and conquering enemies. He built towers and dug wells. He planted vineyards and raised cattle. King Uzziah employed some very talented inventors. They built what the KJV Bible calls "engines". The engines shot arrows and huge stones from the towers of the city wall. This part really captured our imagination. What do you think this engine looked like?
Soon people from as far away as Egypt knew who King Uzziah was. The Ammonites sent him gifts. It seemed everyone wanted to be friends with this guy. He was good at everything he did. He was strong and God blessed him.
One day his heart was filled with pride. He had succeeded at everything he had done, so far. But, there was one thing he had never done. So, he walked into the temple. He walked right up to the altar of incense. He began to offer incense, he reached for the holy censor.
Suddenly he was surrounded by about 80 priests. "What are you doing here?" they asked him. "You have no business here. God has consecrated us, the Levites, to serve in the temple."
"You are trespassing!!"
"You need to go, now!"
Uzziah got angry. He held up the burning censer. He glared at the priests.
Immediately, on his forehead appeared a white sore. It was leprosy! The High Priest, Azariah, began to thrust him out of the temple, and this time King Uzziah went. In fact, he ran! He wanted out of there! He ran all the way home, but he wasn't allowed inside. They didn't want leprosy!
He was no longer King.
He went to a house for lepers and lived there for the rest of his life. Evidently, we were wrong about him dying at 68. That is how old he was when he lost his kingdom. We don't know how long he lived suffering from his affliction.
His son, Jotham, became King instead of him. Jotham continued the good that his father had done, and also learned from his mistakes.
When Uzziah died he was buried as a leper. For, "when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction."
I have heard it said that it is hard to stay strong for God during times of trials and persecutions. But, someone else said that it is even harder to stay strong for God during times of prosperity. Why? Because we think we don't need to rely on God and we can do it all ourselves.
I thought I would just tell the story this time and not end with a lesson. I didn't think there really was much of a lesson in this story, but I guess I was wrong!
So, if next year, or even 53 years from now, finds us healthy and strong. Let's not forget 2020 and the God who brought us through. Let us never presume that we can do everything in our own power. May we never get to the place where we don't need God or our brothers' and sisters'. Instead, may we be like Uzziah's son, Jotham, who became mighty because he asked God to guide him in all he did!
Yes, instead of being good like Uzziah, may we be mighty like Jotham!
