Uzziah's Pride

Uzziah, also called Azariah, became king of Judah when he was sixteen years old. He reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, as his father Amaziah had done. In the days of Zechariah, Uzziah set himself to seek God, and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper.

God’s help could be seen through much of Uzziah’s reign. He fought against enemies, strengthened Jerusalem, built towers, dug many cisterns, and cared for livestock, farms, and vineyards. He also organised a large army and prepared weapons for defence. His name spread far and wide because he was marvellously helped until he became strong.

Yet not everything in Judah was put right. The high places were not removed, and the people still sacrificed and burned incense there. Then, when Uzziah had become strong, his heart grew proud. He went into the Lord’s temple to burn incense on the altar of incense, even though that work belonged to the priests, the sons of Aaron.

Azariah the priest went in after him with eighty valiant priests of the Lord. They stood against the king and told him that burning incense was not his task. Uzziah became angry while holding a censer in his hand. Right there in the house of the Lord, leprosy broke out on his forehead beside the altar of incense.

When the chief priest and the other priests saw this, they hurried Uzziah out, and he himself also left quickly because the Lord had struck him. Uzziah remained a leper for the rest of his life and lived in a separate house, while his son Jotham governed the people. When Uzziah died, they buried him in a burial field belonging to the kings, and Jotham became king after him. What can this teach us about strength and pride?