2 Chronicles 26:1-23
Uzziah Reigns in Judah (2 Kings 14:21, 22; 15:1–3)
1 Now all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. 2 He built Elath and restored it to Judah, after the king rested with his fathers.
3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. 4 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 5 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 prosper.
6 Now he went out and made war against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath, the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities around Ashdod and among the Philistines. 7 God helped him against the Philistines, against the Arabians who lived in Gur Baal, and against the Meunites. 8 Also the Ammonites brought tribute to Uzziah. His fame spread as far as the entrance of Egypt, for he became exceedingly strong.
9 And Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate, and at the corner buttress of the wall; then he fortified them. 10 Also he built towers in the desert. He dug many wells, for he had much livestock, both in the lowlands and in the plains; he also had farmers and vinedressers in the mountains and in Carmel, for he loved the soil.
11 Moreover Uzziah had an army of fighting men who went out to war by companies, according to the number on their roll as prepared by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king’s captains. 12 The total number of chief officers of the mighty men of valor was two thousand six hundred. 13 And under their authority was an army of three hundred and seven thousand five hundred, that made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy. 14 Then Uzziah prepared for them, for the entire army, shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows, and slings to cast stones. 15 And he made devices in Jerusalem, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and large stones. So his fame spread far and wide, for he was marvelously helped till he became strong.
The Penalty for Uzziah’s Pride (2 Kings 15:4–7)
16 But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the LORD his God by entering the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17 So Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him were eighty priests of the LORD—valiant men. 18 And they withstood King Uzziah, 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 trespassed! You shall have no honor from the LORD God.”
19 Then Uzziah became furious; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the incense altar. 20 And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and there, on his forehead, he was leprous; so they thrust him out of that place. Indeed he also hurried to get out, because the LORD had struck him.
21 King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He dwelt in an isolated house, because he was a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD. Then Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.
22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, from first to last, the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz wrote. 23 So Uzziah rested with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of burial which belonged to the kings, for they said, “He is a leper.” Then Jotham his son reigned in his place.
Uzziah was the son of Amaziah whose boasting pride bested him in battle, and was succeeded to the throne as king after his father’s death by conspiracy for aligning with an idolatrous partner in battle. Uzziah was told he would prosper as long as he sought the LORD, likely a reminder and warning of how his father’s death began but did not end well in this pursuit. He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD as his father (2 Chronicles 25:2) had partly done. He, however, sought God and listened to the words of God delivered through the prophet Zechariah. This was seemingly doing good from a loyal heart completely His, unlike the divided loyalty of his father before him. Uzziah grew in strength against his enemies and became famous for his advanced military equipment designed by skillful men under him. God helped him tremendously until he fell into the trap of pride that overcame his father; in his prideful hubris he dared to burn incense in the temple that only the priests were allowed to do by the word of the LORD. Such pride lifted his heart to only fall in destruction as a consequence. He imagined himself strong in his own abilities instead of seeing ever he had and had done was in the power and enabling of God alone. By dishonoring God through disobedience, he was dishonored in return. This only angered him when he was told he was not allowed to do the work of the priests, and instantly leprosy broke out on his forehead to cool his wrath against God and His servants who exposed his sin and confronted him by expelling Uzziah from the house of the LORD. He was cut off from his people and never recovered, dying as a leper to mark his pride and its consequences. The good he did was recorded by Isaiah the prophet for us to read and consider what might have been if Uzziah had only humbled himself and followed God’s word and acknowledged His strength for victory and power in the battles. This is a sobering reminder for us to humble ourselves (1 Peter 5:5, 6-7, James 4:10) in the sight of the Lord and be lifted for His glory in serving Him and not feeding our own haughtiness. There is only true prosperity in seeking the Lord and honoring His glory by attributing all we do to Him and His enabling wisdom and strength. Remember Uzziah!
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