2 Chronicles 26 Devotional

Strength That Forgot Its Source

“But when Uzziah became powerful, his arrogance led to his own destruction. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, for he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.”2 Chronicles 26:16 (BSB)

As long as Uzziah seeks the LORD, God gives him success (26:4-5). God helps him against the Philistines and others, his fame spreads to the border of Egypt, and he builds towers, digs cisterns, and equips a powerful army (26:6-15). He was wonderfully helped until he grew strong (26:15).

Then the strength turns to pride. Uzziah walks into the temple to burn incense on the altar, a task God had given only to the priests descended from Aaron (26:16-18). Azariah and eighty priests confront him. He rages at them, and at that moment leprosy breaks out on his forehead (26:19). He hurries out, and he lives the rest of his life in isolation, cut off from the house of the LORD (26:20-21). Uzziah grasped at a priestly access that was never his. Hebrews says believers now have a great high priest, Jesus, through whom they can approach God's throne of grace with confidence (Hebrews 4:14-16). What pride tried to seize, God freely gives in Christ to the humble.

To think about: In what area of life has success made it easier to forget that everything you have came by God's help?