In
the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne,
high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
This
was a momentous day for Judah, the southern kingdom. King Uzziah had
prospered them greatly during his fifty-two year reign. He assumed
leadership at the young age of sixteen after his father, Amaziah, was
killed. Uzziah successfully led military campaigns, fortified
Jerusalem, built cities, brilliantly equipped an army of over 300,000
men, and even employed skillful inventors who crafted defense
machines (2
Chronicles 26:5-15).
In short, he oversaw wonderful years in Judah. But, unfortunately for
both King Uzziah and his people, he did not head the “fear of God”
in which he had been instructed (2
Chronicles 26:5; 2 Chronicles
26:16).
Uzziah
seemed able to accomplish anything he set his hand to, 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” (2
Chronicles 26:16).
While this may not seem a crime, it was exactly contrary to
God’s command that Aaron and the priests after him would be set
aside to worship God in that way (Exodus
30:7,8).
But Uzziah, he was a builder of cities and the master of a great
army, and he believed himself to be above God’s Word. Uzziah
entered arrogantly into the Temple and was struck with leprosy until
the day he died. He lived in an infirmary alone and couldn’t even
be buried with his lineage and family, only near them.
No
matter how great we perceive men to be, they are never above the Word
of God. Though he ruled an entire nation for half a century, his
throne was much smaller than God’s, and he forgot that. This day,
in the “year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah “saw the Lord sitting
upon a throne, high and lifted up”. Even though the people of Judah
would mourn the loss of their renowned king, and leadership passed to
his son Jotham, there was One who remained on an everlasting throne.
And ultimately, King Jesus’ reign is the one that we should find
our security and direction in. Remember, even kings die, don’t put
your stock entirely in men.
Prayer
for Meditation
Heavenly
Father - Teach us to recognize the brief and seasonal nature of all
of our pursuits. Help us to grasp that no matter how great our
ambitions, or our attachments to people, possessions or
positions, these too will eventually fade away because "even
kings die". Help us to, like Isaiah, really SEE you, so
that we can really SEE our need for you, and the priority-setting,
life-transforming wisdom that comes from you. Thank you for
reminding us that you are the only King who is Eternal.
Forgive us for forgetting that ultimately and always, it is
ALL about YOU! May you REIGN as KING of KINGS in our
lives today. AMEN
To
every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the
heaven. Eccclesiastes 3:1
The
grass withers, the flower fades, When the breath of the LORD blows
upon it; Surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the
flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever. Isaiah
40:7,8.
Teach
us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.
Psalms 90:12
The
fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the
Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10
Further
Reading: Isaiah 6:1 - 8
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