OASIS: UZZIAH
2 Kings 15:1-7, 2 Chronicles 26:3-5, 15-23
September 17, 2024
1. BACKGROUND
• Uzziah’s name means – “the Lord is my strength”
o Also goes by the name Azariah in 2 Kings 15
• Both his father, Amaziah, and grandfather, Joash, were assassinated
• Uzziah reigned as king of Judah for 52 years (second longest reign in Judah)
• Prophets during Uzziah’s reign – Hosea, Isaiah, Amos and Jonah
• Uzziah is listed in the Bible as a “good king”
2. UZZIAH’S STORY
2 Kings 15:1-7
1 In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah began to reign. 2 He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jekoliah; she was from Jerusalem. 3 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done. 4 The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.
5 The Lord afflicted the king with leprosy until the day he died, and he lived in a separate house. Jotham the king’s son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land.
6 As for the other events of Azariah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 7 Azariah rested with his ancestors and was buried near them in the City of David. And Jotham his son succeeded him as king.
Dr. R.C. Sproul in his series, “Knowing Scripture” "We must be careful to read the Bible holistically. We ought not to draw interpretations from the text that are against interpretations that the Bible elsewhere draws itself. The Bible interprets the Bible; the Holy Spirit is His own interpreter."
2 Chronicles 26:3-5
3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fiftytwo years. His mother’s name was Jekoliah; she was from Jerusalem. 4 He did what was
right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done. 5 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.
2 Chronicles 26:6-15
• Successful in battle against the Philistines, had been bullies for years (vs. 6)
• Rebuilt towns and expanded Judah’s territory (vs. 6)
• Became so powerful that the Ammonites brought him tribute (vs. 8)
• Fortified the city of Jerusalem, both offensively and defensively (vs. 9 & 15)
• Was strongly engaged in agriculture, he “loved the soil” (vs. 10)
• Was a powerful and creative military leader (vs. 11-15)
• His fame spread far and wide (vs. 15)
Part of Uzziah’s success came because of the people in his life (vs. 4 & 5)
Zechariah instructed him in the fear of the Lord.
3. THE FEAR OF THE LORD
Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
MARTIN LUTHER’S VIEW
1. Servile fear (slave) – fear of punishment from God
2. Filial fear (family) – fear of offending God
Romans 8:15
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
Psalm 147:10-11
His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.
For the believer, the fear of God is having such a high view of God that we would be afraid to hurt Him or disappoint Him.
For those who reject God…
Hebrews 10:31
It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
If we know Jesus as our Savior, we will meet God one day as our FATHER. If we reject Jesus as our Savior, we will meet God one day as our JUDGE.
4. UZZIAH’S DOWNFALL
2 Chronicles 26:16-19
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. 17 Azariah the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the Lord followed him in. 18 They confronted King Uzziah 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.”
19 Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry.
The problem…
Numbers 3:5-7, 10
5 The Lord said to Moses, 6 “Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him. 7 They are to perform duties for him and for the whole community at the tent of meeting by doing the work of the tabernacle 10 Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the sanctuary is to be put to death.” “Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the sanctuary is to be put to death.”
2 Chronicles 26:19-21
19 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. 20 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.
21 King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house leprous, and banned from the temple of the Lord. Jotham his son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land.
God’s judgment against Uzziah – LEPROSY
Japanese Proverb “A reputation for a thousand years may depend upon the conduct of a single moment.”
We each need to find a “Zechariah.”
HB LONDON STUDY…
Pastors who experienced a moral failure that excluded them from ministry.
Three common factors:
1. Very limited time alone with God.
2. Unresolved conflicts at home.
3. No one holding them accountable.
5. WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN YOUR “ZECHARIAH”
1. Someone you can trust.
2. Someone who will affirm God’s Words over your words.
3. Someone who will love you enough to speak the truth – even when it’s hard
Proverbs 27:6 & 28:23
Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy. In the end, people appreciate honest criticism far more than flattery.