OT Characters: Uzziah (CLEAN Series)

<p>For additional notes and resources check out Douglas' <a href="https://www.douglasjacoby.com/clean-podcast-9/">website</a>.</p><p><strong>Scriptural study: 2 Chron 26:15b-21a</strong></p><ul><li>The highly successful king lets success go to his head (vs.15-16).</li><li>Pride goes before a fall. Prov 16:18. Deut 8:11-20 (please read Deut 8 if this is unfamiliar to you). The king becomes overconfident.</li><li>His specific sin:<ul><li>He disobeyed the law of priesthood (he is not a priest, as a king of Judah).</li><li>He <i>arrogated</i> to himself the priestly prerogative—thus his sin was <i>arrogance</i>.</li></ul></li><li>See the courage of Azariah (vs.17-18).<ul><li>His concern is for God’s honor—a strong contrast with Uzziah’s agenda.</li><li>If the priests had deferred to Uzziah, giving in to fear, how could the people have been expected to challenge their leader--to hold him accountable to the Torah?</li></ul></li><li>Though totally outnumbered (80:1), the king will not listen. See Prov 26:16.</li><li>His response is emotional (v.19). He is defensive. We could say he was "incensed." Yet his anger is misdirected anger.</li><li>Leprosy breaks out on his forehead (where strict Jews actually tied small boxes containing scripture).</li><li>This isn’t just a pimple… It’s leprosy!</li><li>The priests hurriedly escort the king out of the Temple (v.20).</li><li>Uzziah himself is eager to make his exit—but not so much because he is a humble man. Now the priests’ agenda and his own coincide—that’s all!</li><li>Excluded from the Temple – not just from serving as a priest, which was never his right, but excluded from going up to the Temple, as any Jew was expected to do at least three times a year.</li><li>His arrogant behavior affected him from that day till the day of his death!</li></ul><p><strong>CHALLENGE</strong></p><ul><li>Obey what is written! You are not an exception. The Torah did not allow Uzziah to serve as a priest, to march into the inner Temple—and there are places we are not permitted to go, either.</l