“But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall.”     -2 Chronicles 26:16

This verse not only accurately reflects the reign of Uzziah, it also could summarize the reign of his father, Amaziah, and his grandfather, Joash. Each of these kings had strong starts, trusting in the Lord to grant them success. But each one, after achieving military victories and wealth, fell into the trap of pride. They each took credit for the success the Lord had given them. They stopped listening to the prophets and trusted in their own advisors and wisdom to guide the nation.

Last month, we looked at Joash, today, we will see how Amaziah and Uzziah carried on the family tradition. In 2 Chronicles we are told of Amaziah, “He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not wholeheartedly.” For instance, when he went to war against the Edomites, he hired 100,000 additional troops from the northern kingdom of Israel. This displeased the Lord, for Israel’s king honored false gods. So, half-heartedly, Amaziah sent them away.

But since he obeyed, the Lord gave him success. However, instead of giving credit to the Lord, Amaziah took as plunder the idols of Edom and burned incense to them. In response, the prophet of the Lord sent this classic line, “Why do you consult this people’s gods, which could not save their own people from your hand?” But Amaziah’s success fueled his ego, and he would not listen. Later, he goaded the king of Israel into battle. Despite Israel’s attempt to dissuade Amaziah, they eventually attacked and Amaziah and Judah were defeated and the treasures of the temple of the Lord were carried off. Even this defeat did not humble him, and he was eventually killed by his own officials.

Following the death of Amaziah, his son, Uzziah (also known as Azariah in the book of 2 Kings), would take the throne at the age of 16. Like his father, Uzziah started by following the ways of the Lord and was blessed with military victories and economic success. However, as our opening verse states, as Uzziah grew in power, he grew in pride. He disregarded the commands of the Lord by performing the duties of the priest as well as the king. On account of this, Uzziah was struck with leprosy and lived out the rest of his days in isolation.

When things go well, it is also easy for us to take credit and forget to give thanks (and credit) to the Lord. As we grow in pride, it grows easier to disregard the commands of the Lord by doing things our way. Earthly success can lead us to begin to enjoy and crave earthly excess. To remain humble, we need to give thanks to the Lord at all times and rely on His wisdom to guide us in every situation.  

Blessings, Pastor Barry