Doing Right in the Sight of the Lord- (Part 2)

This is a continuation of 2 Chronicles 26:1-23. At the later part of King Uzziah’s reign something happened which did not please the Lord. 2Chro.26:16-23 tells us the later part of his life. v. 16 says, “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.”

Just like any movie that you watch sometimes has a sad ending. He was a great hero with a tragic end. After a long successful career as a king he became so proud and bullied the priests in the temple. He wanted to do the ministry of the priests and he had no right to do that. Uzziah got really mad at them. He shouted and screamed at them because the priests tried to stop him. The right to minister in the temple was exclusively for the priests. Because he was uncontrollable, the priest could not do anything because he was their king and were scared that they would lose their head. Therefore God intervened. Leprosy appeared on his forehead. V. 21 says, “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…” They isolated him physically and spiritually from the house of the Lord.

There are people like that. After a very successful career, pride and arrogance invade their lives. They think they know everything. A very sad ending. Self-glorification is a dangerous thing. It would mar your perspective in life, and that is the first step in going downward in your life. Arrogance and pride is just the beginning. Pride comes before the fall. It is easy to lose our focus and become proud, especially if you have ‘achieved great things.’ Some psychologist would say, ‘it is good for your ‘self-confidence, self-esteem.’

But from the Christian Biblical perspective, we are admonished to give God all the glory. It is easy to be arrogant. The Holy Spirit would always remind us to consider the ‘mind of Christ’ and the fruit of the Spirit as mentioned in Galatians 5:22-26, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (ESV) All by grace and by grace alone, through faith alone.