2Ch 26:17-21 | KingComments | STEP | Man often does not know how to deal with adversity or prosperity. Uzziah forgets that he owes his prosperity and strength to the LORD. When he has become strong, his heart becomes proud ( ). And “pride [goes] before destruction” ( ). Pride leads to destruction. Uzziah thinks that he can enter the sanctuary and behave as a king-priest. Authority and power in the realm of the kingship given to him by God leads to the temptation to be able to exercise authority and power in a realm that God has not given him. In his audacity he moderates himself to the fact that he can burn incense. This happens in the sanctuary. He does so without having received any instruction from God. On the contrary, it is contrary to God’s statutes. God has determined that only priests may enter the sanctuary. God’s Word says he acts “corruptly”. Uzziah’s sin is different from that of his father and grandfather. Joash and Amaziah have transgressed by idolatry, removing, as it were, themselves from the sanctuary. Uzziah, on the other hand, enters the sanctuary and thereby becomes an offender. We are always inclined to fall into extremes. Uzziah is sooner in the sanctuary than the priests. But the priests, led by Azariah, follow him ( ). They are called “valiant men”. Men who stand up for the glory of God are valiant men, especially when they stand up against the most powerful man of Judah. No man, however distinguished, should be allowed to grasp what God has not given him. The pride of Uzziah manifests itself in the field of service to God. We can compare this to the revolt of Korah, Dathan and Abiram ( ). Uzziah places himself on a pedestal. This is happening today everywhere in professing Christianity where Christians adopt a religious position and conduct themselves in a religious manner, without taking into account God’s regulations. Boldly, the priests oppose Uzziah the king ( ). They point out to him what the LORD has determined about the incense. He should not go into the sanctuary and command him to leave. That he is there proves that he is unfaithful to the LORD. They will not be misled by all the good things Uzziah has done for the LORD. These good things are no excuse for the priests not to point out to Uzziah his unfaithfulness. This is a lesson for us. We are inclined not to blame one who has done much good. But it is not about how we look at someone and his actions, but about how God judges certain actions. There is praise for the good, and there is admonition for the wrong.

‏ 2 Chronicles 26:17-21

Uzziah Becomes Proud

Man often does not know how to deal with adversity or prosperity. Uzziah forgets that he owes his prosperity and strength to the LORD. When he has become strong, his heart becomes proud (2Chr 26:16). And “pride [goes] before destruction” (Pro 16:18b). Pride leads to destruction. Uzziah thinks that he can enter the sanctuary and behave as a king-priest. Authority and power in the realm of the kingship given to him by God leads to the temptation to be able to exercise authority and power in a realm that God has not given him.

In his audacity he moderates himself to the fact that he can burn incense. This happens in the sanctuary. He does so without having received any instruction from God. On the contrary, it is contrary to God’s statutes. God has determined that only priests may enter the sanctuary. God’s Word says he acts “corruptly”. Uzziah’s sin is different from that of his father and grandfather. Joash and Amaziah have transgressed by idolatry, removing, as it were, themselves from the sanctuary. Uzziah, on the other hand, enters the sanctuary and thereby becomes an offender. We are always inclined to fall into extremes.

Uzziah is sooner in the sanctuary than the priests. But the priests, led by Azariah, follow him (2Chr 26:17). They are called “valiant men”. Men who stand up for the glory of God are valiant men, especially when they stand up against the most powerful man of Judah. No man, however distinguished, should be allowed to grasp what God has not given him.

The pride of Uzziah manifests itself in the field of service to God. We can compare this to the revolt of Korah, Dathan and Abiram (Num 16:1-3). Uzziah places himself on a pedestal. This is happening today everywhere in professing Christianity where Christians adopt a religious position and conduct themselves in a religious manner, without taking into account God’s regulations.

Boldly, the priests oppose Uzziah the king (2Chr 26:18). They point out to him what the LORD has determined about the incense. He should not go into the sanctuary and command him to leave. That he is there proves that he is unfaithful to the LORD. They will not be misled by all the good things Uzziah has done for the LORD. These good things are no excuse for the priests not to point out to Uzziah his unfaithfulness.

This is a lesson for us. We are inclined not to blame one who has done much good. But it is not about how we look at someone and his actions, but about how God judges certain actions. There is praise for the good, and there is admonition for the wrong.

Uzziah Becomes a Leper

Uzziah is furious at the priests who reprimand him (2Chr 26:19). There he stands, with the censer in his hand and planning to do something beautiful. If he is busy there with a religious act, something he feels good about, he is told by a few ‘sharpeners’ that he must not do this! He, the great man, blessed by God! Where do they get the audacity from? For him, the priests are people who take the Bible far too literally. They leave you no room to experience faith in your own way.

Uzziah cannot be persuaded. In reality he resists God’s statutes. While he enrages with the priests, leprosy breaks out with him, on his forehead. The forehead speaks of the thinking of man, his mind. It symbolizes that the mind rules over the things of God. It represents the over-estimation of human reason in serving God.

Uzziah has his own thoughts about what he can do in the service of God and follows these thoughts. The conditions under which the leprosy breaks out are described in more detail. It happens “before the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the altar of incense”. The circumstances in which he sinned make his sin very serious.

God could have smitten Uzziah with all kinds of illnesses or even death, but He smites him with leprosy. Leprosy is a picture of the sin that breaks out in man. In the Old Testament we encounter three persons with whom leprosy breaks out. First there is Miriam. She moderates herself to have the same authority as Moses (Num 12:1-10). We also see it with Gehazi. Gehazi is not satisfied with being a servant; he wants to be lord (2Kgs 5:20-27). Here we see it with Uzziah. In all three cases, pride plays a role.

The chief priest Azariah hurry him out (2Chr 26:20). Also “all the priests”, with Azariah, turn against Uzziah. This is also how it should be if in the church self-will becomes public. All members of the church, all of whom are priests, should have the same aversion to sin as the Lord Jesus, the true Chief Priest. Because of the location Uzziah also realizes that he has committed a foolishness. He does not resist his eviction, but participates in it by rushing to leave the LORD’s house.

Azariah means ‘the LORD is my help’. Uzziah means ‘the LORD is my strength’. The name of his father Amaziah means ‘whom the LORD has strengthened’. The name of his mother Jechiliah (2Chr 26:3) means ‘fortified by the LORD’. Everything with Uzziah speaks of the power of the LORD. If he had remained aware of this and had not relied on his own strength, he would not have had to live in separation until the day of his death (2Chr 26:21). He is deprived of the service to God and also of fellowship with the members of God’s people (Lev 13:46). During this time of separation, he was able to think a lot about what he had done, in order to come to terms with God.