The Pilgrim Path---Second Chronicles 26: 16 – 21 (2—28—24)

But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the LORD his God and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. But Azariah the priest went in after him, with eighty priests of the LORD who were men of valor, 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. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the LORD God.” Then Uzziah was angry. Now he had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and when he became angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of the LORD, by the altar of incense. And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead! And they rushed him out quickly, and he himself hurried to go out, because the LORD had struck him. And King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death, and being a leper lived in a separate house, for he was excluded from the house of the LORD. And Jotham his son was over the king’s household, governing the people of the land.

“…HE GREW PROUD, TO HIS DESTRUCTION”

Our opportunities are never meant to separate us from the LORD. King Uzziah’s gifts made him think he was more important than God. Talents and resources are intended to put us at the feet of Jesus Christ and make us ask---“Savior, what would you have me do?”

From Charles Haddon Spurgeon: It must be a hard matter to be a king and to be a saint at the same time. The combination has seldom occurred, and when it has, it has been a prodigious triumph of divine grace. Do not ask for an eminent position. Let our prayer rather be, “Do not bring me into temptation” (see Mt. 6: 13). An eminent position always has a measure of temptation connected with it, so we are justified in praying to be preserved from it. Still, if the position is one that is our duty to take, we should take it and trust God’s grace to keep us there in safety. Jotham dwelt in the midst of people who were corrupt and yet was himself not corrupt because he resolved to do what God commanded him…

Grace & peace in Jesus, The Only Redeemer of broken and wretched souls, Pastor Jason