Sunday: The King is Dead. Long Live the King!
Isaiah 6:1 talks about the death of King Uzziah. Read 2 Chron: 26:1-23 and then answer this question: What is the significance of King Uzziah’s death?
Image © The Classic Bible Art Collection – Formerly Standard Publishing at Goodsalt.com
Different perspectives can be given regarding the death of this king.
- Although Uzziah’s reign was long and prosperous, “when he had become strong he grew proud, to his destruction” (2 Chron: 26:16, NRSV) and attempted to offer incense in the temple. When the priests rightly stopped him because he was not authorized as a priestly descendant of Aaron (2 Chron: 26:18), the king became angry. At this moment, when the king refused reproof, the Lord immediately struck him with leprosy, which he had “to the day of his death, and being leprous lived in a separate house, for he was excluded from the house of the LORD” (2 Chron: 26:21, NRSV). How ironic that Isaiah saw a vision of the pure, immortal, divine King in His house/temple in the very year the impure human king died!
- There is a striking contrast between Uzziah and Isaiah. Uzziah reached for holiness presumptuously, for the wrong reason (pride), and instead became ritually impure, so that he was cut off from holiness. Isaiah, on the other hand, allowed God’s holiness to reach him. He humbly admitted his weakness and yearned for moral purity, which he received (Isa: 6:5-7, NRSV). Like the tax collector in Jesus’ parable, he went away justified: “for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted” (Luke 18:14, NRSV).
- There is a striking similarity between Uzziah’s leprous body and the moral condition of his people: “ … there is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and bleeding wounds” (Isa: 1:6, NRSV).
- The death of Uzziah in about 740 B.C. marks a major crisis in the leadership of God’s people. The death of any absolute ruler makes his/her country vulnerable during a transition of power. But Judah was in special danger, because Tiglath-Pileser III had ascended the throne of Assyria a few years before, in 745 B.C., and immediately went on the warpath that made his nation an invincible superpower that threatened the independent existence of all nations in the Near East. In this time of crisis, God encouraged Isaiah by showing the prophet that He was still in control.
Read carefully 2 Chronicles 26:16. In what ways does each one of us face that potential for the same thing? How can dwelling on the Cross protect us from that pitfall?
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Uzziah became king at 16 years of age when his father fell out of favour and was assassinated. He ruled for over 50 years and from all accounts was pretty successful. He kept the local opposition in check, and built up the agriculture of the region with flocks and herds, vineyards and orchards. Further he defended the country pretty well. He had an army of over 300,000 fighting men, He also had a whole armaments industry going making swords, spears and sling-shots. Not only that, he developed the "big guns" of the day - devices on towers around Jerusalem to shoot multiple arrows at a time and throw large rocks great distances.
To put this is perspective, the modern Israeli army has about 170,000 personnel (men and women) and a reservist army of around 500,000.
Uzziah was not a peace-loving proto-Adventist. He was a fighting man commanding a large army. He started out "fearing the Lord" and taking advice from Zechariah, the prophet. His downfall as a leader was that at some stage, success when to his head and he became proud and boastful of what he had done. He thought he could act like a priest and that is where it all became too much and God taught him a lesson.
Success is an active breeding ground for pride. You don't have to be a big-shot leader to find yourself on the same shaky ground. Even in the local church I have seen deacons defending their territory, Sabbath school superintendents reading the riot act about finishing times, visual arts directors getting their noses out of joint, church organists and singing groups with guitars standing at ten paces with swords drawn, and so on. We get so bound up in what we do that we think we are important. That is when we become tainted with the leprosy of pride.
Pride was the first sin and causes the downfall of Lucifer. Someone once quipped that age cures all sins except pride, and having reached that certain age I am beginning to understand that its no joke,
And it is in this context, at the end of the reign of Uzziah, that Isaiah received his call.
Paul has this to say:
Whenever pride exists in one's mind, the effect is usually negative. For Lucifer it was to change from being arch-angel to the devil, thrown out of heaven, and changing of the name to Satan. For King Uzziah it was to develop leprosy, being cut from the house of the lord and live in a separate/isolated house (2 Chron 26:21). I don't what will be yours/mine as leaders of today in different positions. We should be more intelligent in that we don't allow the devil to develop this character within ourselves or else God is more ready to give us the consequences we deserve. If you had already developed this character, fortunately, you hadn't received your result yet then glory to God but take time to do what he tells you in Isaiah 1:18 or else you'll not like what is going to happen next. I Conclude that in whatever you/i do this should be remembered "Those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted"(LUKE 18:14)" Peace Be Upon You.
Happy Enoch, to be led away by Satan many times is not just a strait path. I do not know how long you have been in the SDA church but let me give you some examples-
have you ever seen a bro/sis without any position in the church? The minute they are elected the following month they started to change rules, laws, and set up their own laws and policies. If people don't agree with them, then they will give up the position. You cant go in this office any more, you cant sit here or there any more, stipulated times for this or that. Uzziah started quite well in his reign, he got rich and comfortable as the head and power went to his head. Do you think its the same with many leaders today?
I remember some leaders from a church congregation came together and make it a rule for people to return 5% offering. Where is that biblically?
I quote this from a tract titled "How to Be Perfectly Miserable". It lists some things you can do that will not only make you perfectly miserable but also keep you that way. All of these things are indicative of pride in one's life. I think these are helpful warning signs to watch out for and so that we can be more specific with God in asking for help removing pride from our hearts and keeping us from falling (Prov. 16:18).
1. Think about yourself.
2. Talk about yourself.
3. Use the personal pronoun “I” as often as possible in your conversation.
4. Mirror yourself continually in the opinion of others.
5. Listen greedily to what people say about you.
6. Insist on consideration and respect.
7. Demand agreement with your own views on everything.
8. Sulk if people are not grateful to you for favors shown them.
9. Never forget a service you may have rendered.
10. Expect to be appreciated.
11. Be suspicious.
12. Be sensitive to slights.
13. Be jealous and envious.
14. Never forget a criticism.
15. Trust nobody but yourself.
Thanks very much Esther for all of the 15 blief points
Uzziah ruled 52 years, longer than king Solomon, even longer than king David each 40 years. Is the longer a person in a leadership position make them too confident, or overconfident and eventually being vulnerable to be careless?
Uzziah lived by the Principles of Life from the LORD via the prophet for 52 years, but when he became famous and powerful he thought he could change the Laws of the LORD to suit himself. He was cut off from ever entering the temple again, what were the implications for him in terms of eternal life?
How does that apply to me? Which of the Principles of the LORD can I change to suit me? Will that affect my eternal life?
Thanks Lyn Lew but, had you got my message well? For me i am talking to each of us who're Christians no matter whether you're a church leader in any position or you're just a leader of any group let it be your family,classmates,workmates name it we're supposed to be intelligent enough not to allow this character to develop within ourselves ie we should be more prayful because we cant manage if God is not for us.
King Uzziah’s life experience reminds me of Proverbs 16: 2, 25
“2All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes;
But the LORD weigheth the spirits.
25There is a way that seemeth right unto a man,
But the end thereof are the ways of death.“
All of his success came from the Lord. During a high point in his life, he let it slip from his mind and demeanor Who blessed him with what he had achieved . It wasn’t his intellect or ability alone that got him where he was.
We too are in danger of forgetting God in times of success. Even when we’ve been diligent and worked hard for what is achieved, God is the source of every good and perfect gift to us. As we learn to love Him throughout our lives, committing all we have and are to Him, He will shield us from human pride that comes with success, attention, prestige, power and human respect.
This is the first time I am reading this passage with the focus to study the “significance of King Uzziah’s death". Reading it carefully, it appears to be a straight forward rebuke by the LORD to a powerful King. The leprosy, unless healed, will preclude him from coming into the temple of God; and this might be the passage’s focus – God drew this very immediate, distinctive line between the authority of man and Himself, banishing Uzziah from spiritual blessings the humble could receive when participating in the temple rituals when honoring His authority.
2Chron.26:1-23 - By all accounts, Uzziah was a very effective and benevolent leader. Even “the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah” (v.8,9). He was able to strengthen the might of Judah because “he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all hat his father Amaziah did. And he (Amaziah) 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.”
As I see the biblical account unfold: at the height of Uzziah’s success, when he felt invincible and in authority and might above all other leaders in the surrounding lands, then it was that he *stepped over the line*. He wanted to merge state, his kingly power with religious, spiritual power; but God did not allow this.
The Scripture states “his heart was lifted up” (v16). What does a ‘lifted-up' heart look like? His heart might have been filled with all the confidence of a successful and beloved ruler, experiencing the pride of life, and so lost sight of under who’s authority he accomplished this success.
Yes, we all are prone to use self-righteousness to commit acts of power that elevate *self*. That’s why God asks for a humble heart.
James4:1-17KJV – (v.5-8) “Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, ‘The spirit that dwelleth in us (the worldly spirit) lusteth to envy(enviously)? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” (v.10) “Humble yourselves in the sight of the LORD, and HE shall lift you up.”