King Uzziah perhaps personifies the spiritual state of Judah. He was
16 years old when he started to reign and continued for 52 years. At first
he did right in the sight of God. But after
Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful
to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense
on the altar of incense. Azariah the priest with eighty other courageous
priests of the LORD followed him in. They confronted him and said, "It
is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD. That is for
the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn
incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will
not be honored by the LORD God." Uzziah, who had a censer in his
hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests
in their presence before the incense altar in the LORD’s temple, leprosy
broke out on his forehead. King
Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house—leprous,
and excluded from the temple of the LORD. (2Chron 26:16-19,21)
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| 1:2 | I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. | Uzziah was only 16 years old at the beginning of his reign, started off well, but rebelled later in life. |
| 3:4 | I will make boys their officials;
mere children will govern them. |
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| 1:13 | Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. | Uzziah inappropriately offered incense. And also failed to remove the high places "the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there." 2Kings 15:4 |
| 1:21 | See how the faithful city has become a harlot! | Uzziah was unfaithful to the Lord |
| 1:23 | Your rulers are rebels | Uzziah tried to usurp a priestly role of authority |
| 5:24
5:25 |
they have rejected the law of the LORD Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel.Therefore the LORD’s anger burns against his people; his hand is raised and he strikes them down. | Uzziah was struck with leprosy by God's hand as judgement against his violation of the law of the Lord. |
| 2:17 | The arrogance of man will be brought low and the pride of men humbled | Uzziah was humbled |
| 5:9 | Surely the great houses will become desolate, the fine mansions left without occupants. | After being inflicted with leprosy Uzziah left the palace and lived the rest of his days in a separate house |
While reckoning himself spiritual and worthy of taking up the priestly
role, he didn't recognize that he was being rebellious against the law
of God, much as for example women today being completely oblivious to the
inappropriateness of taking upon themselves roles of authority over men
even becoming pastors of churches, or as for example some Christian leaders
who make too much of themselves dominating church meetings and suppressing
the giftedness of ordinary Christians. These are people who love to be
the head or love to be first as Diotrephes of 3John, "Diotrephes,
who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. So if I
come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously
about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers.
He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church."
While religously zealous, such people end up crucifying Christ.