2 Chronicles 26:1-23
Uzziah was a good and much loved king. He was careful to follow the Lord and, Scripture tells us, “Uzziah was marvelously helped by God until he was strong.” (2 Chronicles 26:15c) He made many improvements in the land and innovations in infrastructure. In addition, he built a huge army and equipped them with the best weapons of war. In fact, he became famous for the war machines he made.
God blessed him with wealth, success, and fame, however, when he became strong, he also became proud and acted unfaithfully. He wanted the power of the priests, and he took it upon himself to burn incense in the temple. Although it sounds as if Uzziah was simply serving God by offering a sacrifice, this act was off limits for the king. Uzziah was acting in direct opposition to God. He thought he could get away with it because he was king, but he found out differently.
God had called someone else to be the priest; Uzziah’s job was simply to be king. From that moment of defiance and disobedience, he was a leper.
It is amazing that a king as beloved as Uzziah could do such a dumb thing, but aren’t we just like him? Don’t we seek God’s face diligently when we encounter battles that are too much for us, then try to handle things on our own when we are strong? It is easy to venture into territory God never intended for us.
It is vitally important that we choose to be content with the tasks God has given to us. He has not called us to be a one-man (or woman) show. He has called us to work in the body of Christ as a team with each one having specific tasks. We need to be careful to follow His plan for us, and careful to remain humble even when He strengthens us.
For the rest of Uzziah’s life, when people looked at him, they saw his leprosy. The mark of his disobedience became the most striking part of his appearance. Let's be sure that, when people look at us, they do not see the scars of disobedience and rebellion, but the peacefulness of a life filled with obedience and faithfulness.
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