Today’s passage: 2 Chronicles 26:1-23
Helpful thoughts:
- King Uzziah followed the Lord until he started to think Judah’s success was his own doing. Pride came…and then a fall. (Proverbs 16:18)
- These priests who spoke the truth in love to their king are called men of valor (Verse 17). It takes much bravery to confront someone, perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).
- Uzziah suffered a consequence for his refusal to receive the rebuke. But even with his leprosy, God was showing him mercy.
- God showed him mercy by not taking his life (Exodus 30:9, Leviticus 10:1-3).
- God showed him mercy by teaching him to listen to the loving spiritual leadership of the priests, which he had just failed to do (Leviticus 13-14).
Questions to consider:
- How many of the Jewish people would have thought King Uzziah’s desire to burn incense at the altar was a good thing? If they had little knowledge of the Law, what would Uzziah’s action have looked like to them? Wasn’t he worshiping the right God?
- How did Uzziah’s pride effect his view of God and His standards? Who became the new standard writer? How can we rightly discern if the things we are doing are truly glorifying to God or if they just “feel right” to us?
- How does God show mercy to His children through the blessing of consequences? Christ has already taken our wrath and there is no condemnation for us before God (Romans 8:1), but what does God use earthly consequences to do in our lives? Why are they a blessing? (Hebrews 12:5-11)