Independent or Dependent on God! Text: II Chronicles 26: 1- 5, 15
1 Now all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. 2 He built Elath and restored it to Judah, after the king rested with his fathers.3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. 4 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done.5 He 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 prosper. 15. And he made devices in Jerusalem, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and large stones. So his fame spread far and wide, for he was marvelously helped till he became strong.
Introduction: Uzziah was a descendant of King David. Judah made Uzziah King in place of his father when he was 16 years of age, and Uzziah was king for 52 years! God’s word also indicates that Uzziah did what was right in God’s eyes; he sought to please God! Uzziah was the king that Isaiah mentions in Isaiah 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.
I.II Chronicles 26:5 He 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 prosper.
A.He made war against the Philistines and he broke down the walls of Gath, the walls of Jabneh, the walls of Ashdod, and he built cities around Ashdod and among the Philistines.
B.The Bible say’s, God helped Uzziah, and he gained fame as far as Egypt. Uzziah built towers, dug wells and gained much livestock and land.
C.But then God’s word say’s, “Uzziah became strong. Then the next verse starts off by adding that his heart was lifted up!” (His overconfidence replaced his humility!)
D.Paul W. Powell once observed: “Pride is so subtle that if we aren’t careful we’ll be proud of our humility. When this happens our goodness becomes badness. Our virtues become vices. We can easily become like the Sunday school teacher who, having told the story of the Pharisee and the publican, said, ‘Children, let’s bow our heads and thank God we are not like the Pharisee!’”
E.Deuteronomy 8: 11“Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today.
F.Uzziah lost sight of his mission to serve and to love God! When we say, “I love the Lord, but we can’t serve others, we can’t love others, we can’t worship, we become unfaithful, narrow minded and prideful we have become strong! Listen to what Paul the great apostles said about being strong in our own eyes.
G. II Cor. 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
H.Listen unto the definition to the word ‘Strong’ /Strong and sure; "a firm grasp; Able to withstand attack; "an impregnable fortress; Having strength or power greater than average or expected.
I.Proverbs 13:10 By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom. Proverbs 16:18-19 Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. 19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.
J.Becoming strong or prideful brings perversion: 1. That person puts others down to elevate themselves. 2. They don’t handle advice well. 3. Self-centered. 4. No friends. 5. They take everything personal victories and losses and they usually enter into a life of sin!
K.II Chronicles 26: 16-21 16 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. 17 So Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him were eighty priests of the LORD—valiant men. 18 And they withstood King Uzziah, and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed! You shall have no honor from the LORD God.” 19 Then Uzziah became furious; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the incense altar. 20 And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and there, on his forehead, he was leprous; so they thrust him out of that place. Indeed he also hurried to get out, because the LORD had struck him. 21 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. Then Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.
L.When Uzziah became prideful did he become less religious or more religious? He became more religious because pride can hide in most churches.
M.It’s interesting that after Uzziah’s death is when we can read about Isaiah in chapter 6. After he saw the Lord high and lifted up and his train filled the temple. He said, “Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips!” (Revival couldn’t come until religion died.)
N.II. Cor. 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. (Listen church, “We must behold Him!”)
O.Andrew Murray: The truth is this - pride must die in you or nothing of heaven can live in you.
