Title When it works and when it doesn't!
Contents
(2 Chronicles 26:1-8) 『[1] All the people of Judah appointed Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, to be king in the place of his father Amaziah. [3] Uzziah was sixteen years old when he came to the throne, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. [5] Zechariah, who lived up to the days of Zechariah, who was upright in the sight of the Lord, who knew the revelations of God, sought God and prospered while he sought the Lord. [6] Uzziah went out and fought the Philistines, and the wall of Gath and Jabne. And they demolished the wall and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities in the land of Ashdod and among the Philistines, [7] and God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabs who lived in Gurbaal, and against the Maonites. [8] The Ammonites gave Uzziah to Uzziah. After the tribute was paid, Uzziah became very strong, and his name spread to the borders of Egypt.”
Uzziah, the protagonist of today's text, is the ninth king of Judah, born to Amaziah, king of southern Judah, and Jegolaiah, queen, among the kingdoms divided into northern Israel and southern Judah after King Solomon. Also known as Azariah, he became king at the age of 16. He first developed the means of agriculture, raised a well-equipped army for national defense, fortified the walls of Jerusalem, supplied the city with military defenses, and successfully waged military wars against the Philistines and their cities to the west. did it His reign was a time of great material prosperity. The strong earthquakes during his reign are also remembered as famous events. But he dies of leprosy. The reason is that he as the leader of the country is a punishment for disturbing the consciousness within the realm of religious authority.
When Uzziah was helped by God, when he acted honestly, when he sought only the glory of God, he did well, and when he was proud, he did not perform acts of superiority.
When we live the life of faith, we should be able to look back on the good times and bad times, and enjoy the blessings of God.
I pray that Uzziah will receive instruction and admonition by comparing the times of good and bad.
Uzziah is a famous king of the Jewish nation. He was one of the most popular and respected kings in the world. He said he went on to the top at the age of 16. How much would a 16-year-old boy king know, and how much power would he have? However, he ascended to the throne at the age of 16 and sat on the throne for 52 years.
Even though it was the territory of the Jewish nation at that time, it was a country with a small territory that was not as large as the Gangwon-do of Korea. But, how great was Uzziah's leadership and statehood. In verse 8, it says, "The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah." Not only that, but how great his fame was, he said, "Uzziah became very strong, and his name spread to the outskirts of Egypt."
It can't be surprising. The country was small, and he was a humble young king who ascended to the throne at the age of 16. How did such a young king hold the staff of authority and rule famously for 52 years? Could the Ammonites have become great figures who pay tribute every year?
However, in the last years of his life, King Uzziah also lost his purpose and entered the altar and burned incense on the altar of incense that only priests could do. that was lost
I want to receive lessons and grace while thinking about when he is doing well and when he is not.
1. When things go well...
(1) It went well when God helped.
In verse 7 of the text, there is a saying, "God helped me...". The good news is that when God helped Uzziah, it went well. Yes. Money has to follow me. I don't have to die if I want to follow money.
Dear Paul Church members, I sincerely pray that God will be with you and help you by believing as well as when Uzziah is well and famous from now on.
Psalm 126:1-2 says, “We were like a dream when the Lord sent back the captivity of Zion; then our mouths were full of laughter, and our tongues were full of praise. 15:10 says, “But it is by the grace of God that I am what I am, and his grace that was given to me was not in vain. No, but by the grace of God who was with me.”
(2) It went well when Uzziah acted honestly.
Verse 4 says, “Uzziah did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done.” Blessed are the honest.
Coram Deo! Blessed are those who truly come before God.
(3) When Uzziah only sought the glory of God, it went well.
Verse 5 says, “As long as he sought the Lord, God prospered.” Eating, drinking, sitting, standing, and ruling over the people all went well for the glory of the Lord. You too, live your best life for the glory of the Lord.
Just as Uzziah went well, this kind of work will happen in your life as well.
2. When Uzziah Doesn't Work...
(1) It didn't work when Uzziah was proud.
It's sad and heartbreaking. When Uzziah, who had become famous and prosperous, became famous and his morals increased, pride came into his heart. As a result, incense was used on the altar only for the priests, but eventually it fell down.
The most dangerous obstacle to faith is pride. In the end, the proud will be broken by God. It is said that the proud resist the proud and give grace to the humble.
Pride is said to be the spearhead of destruction and the precursor of falling. The fact that there is no history of letting the proud in the Bible speaks for itself.
Beloved, please do not forget that the secret to long lasting grace and blessings is to always be humble. Also, I hope that you will always live a life of thanks to God. Please live a life of gratitude for everything, not Saeongjima.
(2) Uzziah was destroyed because he acted in excess.
In other words, he did an act of extravagance that violated the priesthood. He was a king who was anointed to rule over the people as king, and he exalted incense from the priestly duty of offering sacrifices on behalf of the people. Even in our lives, the thing God hates the most is that we do not seek God even though we are children of God, but rather belong to the world and lose our identity as a child of God. He hates a mixed life, that is, a secular life. This is an act of ignoring the authority of being a child of God, that is, an act of extravagance that ignores the power of God.
For this reason, at the end of his life, Uzziah failed, died of leprosy, and could not even go to the grave of his ancestors.
Dear Paul Church members, Through the life of Uzziah today, I hope that you will listen to the voice that God gives us and live a life of obedience. When things go well, it is when God helps you. It is also a time to seek only God. And it is always a time to live in gratitude for God's grace. I pray that you, too, take this as a lesson and live a victorious life of faith, enjoying the blessings that God wants to give to His children.