1.
Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah.
2.
He built Eloth, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.
3.
Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.
4.
And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah did.
5.
And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.
A GRAND EPITAPH
‘Who had understanding in the visions of God.’
2 Chronicles 26:5
I. Never was there a grander epitaph than this.—There are visions which are but worthless dreams—the wild flight of an unbridled brain; and there are those, like the night thoughts of Daniel, which bring revelations of the Divine. All Nature shows visions of God. These are witnessed by the wise man and the fool, and possibly by the unobservant cattle of the fields. And the true difference of men is not in giving all things names—which is science; but in discerning their import and understanding them as the visions of God. In the speculations of human thought and the manifold love of the human heart there are visions of God. A philosophy which fails to apprehend that is but vain deceit. The Holy Spirit is promised to those who believe in the Son of God as the great Revealer. It is His work to give understanding of the visions of God.
II. God has not shut the door of the Temple of Nature, locking Himself out, and lost the key.—He dwells therein not entirely concealed. The Great Teacher has told us that it needs purity of heart to see God. Through the disease of sin multitudes are Deity-blind. Hence the counsel of our Lord, bidding us to seek from Him eye-salve that we may see. To the pure soul there is constantly the vision of God, and to the wise soul there is given the understanding of that vision. And this is the noblest attainment of his faculties possible to man.
Illustration
‘A strongly religious man, like Zechariah, may exert a most salutary influence on public affairs. By all means get your “visions of God”; but be equally careful to link them with practical service, influence, and advice. Emerson talks of hitching our wagon to a star. Even a wagon will move swiftly then! How much blessing would come to the world, if those who have visions of the Unseen and Eternal would give them practical exemplification! The vision-seer is apt to become visionary; the so-called practical man is apt to look only earthward. There should be a combination of these two attitudes. Raphael’s Transfiguration picture combines the glory on the mountain-top with the miracle on the demoniac child.’
6.
And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and brake down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines.
7.
And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians that dwelt in Gur-baal, and the Mehunims.
8.
And the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad even to the entering in of Egypt; for he strengthened himself exceedingly.
9.
Moreover Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate, and at the valley gate, and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them.
10.
Also he built towers in the desert, and digged many wells: for he had much cattle, both in the low country, and in the plains: husbandmen also, and vine dressers in the mountains, and in Carmel: for he loved husbandry.
11.
Moreover Uzziah had an host of fighting men, that went out to war by bands, according to the number of their account by the hand of Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the ruler, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king's captains.
12.
The whole number of the chief of the fathers of the mighty men of valour were two thousand and six hundred.
13.
And under their hand was an army, three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred, that made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy.
14.
And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the host shields, and spears, and helmets, and habergeons, and bows, and slings to cast stones.
15.
And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong.
16.
But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
17.
And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the LORD, that were valiant men:
18.
And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the LORD God.
19.
Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incense altar.
20.
And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the LORD had smitten him.
21.
And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD: and Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land.
22.
Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, did Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, write.
23.
So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial which belonged to the kings; for they said, He is a leper: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.