The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Chronicles 26:16,20,
"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... When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the Lord had afflicted him."
Uzziah was Judah's tenth monarch. We are told that when he was younger (he became king at sixteen years of age), "He [Uzziah] did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done. He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success." Verses 4-5.
Later, we see Uzziah succumbing to pride with all of his accomplishments which the Lord helped him to attain. He took it upon himself to do what was only allowed by God for priests - he entered the sanctuary to burn incense on the altar of incense. Due to this act, God struck Uzziah with leprosy, which he had till the day of his death. Following this act of arrogance, Uzziah lived the remainder of his life in a separate house with his disease until the day he died.
This account to me is a cautionary tale. It is best to recognize the successes in our lives just may have been at the Lord's hands. It certainly was with Uzziah. To take personal credit, for even personal triumphs, can very easily lead to a pride that brings God's opposition. When we get too big for our britches, the Lord can and just may bring us down to size.
The message of the cross is that we are totally dependent upon God in this life. This life leads directly to eternity and without the right standing before our Creator that Jesus Christ wrought for us, we are hopelessly lost. Hence, the important theme throughout the Scriptures is that we are always dependent upon God and the instant we become enamored with how great we are, we place ourselves in the great jeopardy of failing to seek him as our refuge, our salvation.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
"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... When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the Lord had afflicted him."
Uzziah was Judah's tenth monarch. We are told that when he was younger (he became king at sixteen years of age), "He [Uzziah] did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done. He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success." Verses 4-5.
Later, we see Uzziah succumbing to pride with all of his accomplishments which the Lord helped him to attain. He took it upon himself to do what was only allowed by God for priests - he entered the sanctuary to burn incense on the altar of incense. Due to this act, God struck Uzziah with leprosy, which he had till the day of his death. Following this act of arrogance, Uzziah lived the remainder of his life in a separate house with his disease until the day he died.
This account to me is a cautionary tale. It is best to recognize the successes in our lives just may have been at the Lord's hands. It certainly was with Uzziah. To take personal credit, for even personal triumphs, can very easily lead to a pride that brings God's opposition. When we get too big for our britches, the Lord can and just may bring us down to size.
The message of the cross is that we are totally dependent upon God in this life. This life leads directly to eternity and without the right standing before our Creator that Jesus Christ wrought for us, we are hopelessly lost. Hence, the important theme throughout the Scriptures is that we are always dependent upon God and the instant we become enamored with how great we are, we place ourselves in the great jeopardy of failing to seek him as our refuge, our salvation.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
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