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2 Chronicles 26:19&20 What was I thinking? - Day 356

Good morning friends,

As I am in the "mature" stage of life, I pay special attention to examples from scripture of people who don't finish well.  It is sad that this continues to this day.  So if you ever see me doing something foolish, please tell me and remind me Don't be like Uzziah!!!

Blessings,

Jeff

I think I see a pattern here. Another bad end for a good king.  

There are many questions and not many answers in this story:

Where did Uzziah get the idea that the king could perform priestly duties? God clearly established the Levites and the Aaronic priesthood as the only men who could minister to God.  Saul was condemned for sacrificing instead of waiting for Samuel.  Apparently Uzziah was not paying attention in school the day that these things were taught and he never read them for himself.  One of the reformation principles is that the Word preached and read is a means of our sanctification.  Any believer who ignores the Word puts himself in peril.

Did he tell anyone about his idea or did he just wake up one day and do it?  In either case, he did not act wisely.  A leader who doesn't ask and take the counsel of others is doomed to errors in judgment.  Think of David and his plan for a census.  While he told his advisors, he ignored their counsel.

Why did he become angry with the 80 priests?  While violating priestly duties is bad enough, he did not take forceful correction to heart.  I would hope that if 80 people told me that I was doing the wrong think, I would listen to them.  It was only when he became angry that God struck him.

So like the other kings who came to a bad end, I think the author is using the repetition of error as warning to the returning exiles "don't be like Uzziah at the end of his reign".

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