He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.
2 Chronicles 26:5 (ESV)
Uzziah reigned as king of Judah for 52 years, one of the longest reigns of any king of Judah or Israel. And Uzziah got off to a good start. The chronicler tells us that Uzziah set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah.
We do not know who this Zechariah was. But he was a good counselor for Uzziah. Zechariah instructed Uzziah in the fear of the Lord. He taught him to reverence the Lord, instructed him in the Torah, and to obey the word of God. And Uzziah responded positively to Zechariah’s instruction.
And we are told that as long as Uzziah sought the Lord, God made him prosper. The following few verses tell us some of what Uzziah was able to do with God’s blessing on him. He was a good and strong king. But this verse also has an ominous note. “As long as he sought the Lord” warns us that he did not always seek the Lord.
But When He Grew Strong
But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. – 2 Chronicles 26:16a (ESV)
And, sure enough, we are told that when Uzziah became strong, he grew proud. And it did not end well for him. Uzziah took it upon himself, in his pride, to offer incense in the temple, something only the priests were allowed to do. And, as a result, he developed leprosy and lived the rest of his life in isolation, with his son governing in his place.
Uzziah’s story should serve as a cautionary tale for us. When we seek the Lord, we can trust that He will lead us and bless our service to Him. But if we grow proud, taking credit for what God is doing through us, we should not expect Him to continue to bless and use us.
