"Lessons From the Life of King Uzziah"

by WXAN & KMHM General Manager, Doug Apple

What do you know about the famous Uzziah? I know he was famous because the Bible says so. He was famous during his time, and with good reason. You will find the story of his long reign as king in Jerusalem in Second Chronicles chapter 26.
One thing Uzziah had going for him was a good father. Verse four says, “He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done.” Let this be a lesson to all of us parents; children tend to walk the path blazed by their parents.

Not only did he have a good role model in Amaziah, but he also had a good mentor to help him mature spiritually. Verse five says, “Zechariah…instructed him in the fear of God.” Like Uzziah in his early days, we all need to surround ourselves with people who are truly Godly and who will encourage and strengthen us.

King Uzziah was aware that God has no grandchildren that he had to have his own personal relationship with God. This he nurtured by spending time truly seeking the Lord on his own. And God blessed him for it, as we read in verse five: “As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.”

This is a great lesson for us. God is the giver of success. He is the source of all true success. If we want any of it, we must go to Him for it…continually. As long as Uzziah did so, he was blessed.

Blessed in what way, you may ask. First of all he was blessed in battle, which the nation needed badly for the sake of peace with their neighbors. As Uzziah's army grew, the raids from people like the Philistines came to a halt. As the enemies withdrew, the people were safer and more free to move about and ply their trades. Did the nation grow in might because of Uzziah's military genius? In part, perhaps but verse seven completes the picture with this phrase, “God helped him…”
People like the Ammonites were soon making treaties with Uzziah and sending him tribute money. Verse eight says his “fame spread as far as the border of Egypt…” The nation was growing strong, and Uzziah was their leader. 
To his credit, as he sought the Lord and God granted him divine wisdom, he became more than just a military dictator. He built towers both in and outside Jerusalem, probably to both enhance safety and communication, as well as to beautify the country. Agriculture prospered. “He had much livestock in the foothills and in the plain. He had people working his fields and vineyards in the hills and in the fertile lands…” 

Things were hopping for Uzziah. He trained and raised up other leaders. He educated “skillful men” who created new weapons of war, making the country even safer and allowing the people to be more productive than ever. Uzziah then used the growing prosperity to provide more and more for his people. Soon “his fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped…” And then comes this haunting phrase, “…until he became powerful."  

That's when he slacked off on his “seeking of the Lord.” That's when he thought he could do things in his own strength and wisdom. Around here we would say, “He got a big head.” He forgot that his success came from God, and only “as long as he sought the Lord…” 

To make a long story short, Uzziah's pride cost him his position. You can read the details there in Second Chronicles. 
The lesson here for us is this never stop seeking the Lord. Keep praying. Keep studying the Bible. Maintain a deep commitment to the “body of Christ”, your local church, and it's various ministries. Never, never stop seeking the Lord!