Isaiah 1:1; 6:1; 2 Chronicles 26; Jeremiah 13:[15-17]
I have been studying the Captivity of God's people in the Old Testament. I find that Isaiah has more to say about the captivity of God's people more than any other book in the Bible. It also tells us a lot about God's promises of restoration and freedom that He gives to his people. Isaiah was God's primary spokesperson to the people of Judah. During this period of time in History Israel was a divided kingdom. It divided to the North and South after the death of King Solomon in 931 B.C.. Which then became the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom. The Northern kingdom continued to be called Israel while the Southern kingdom called itself Judah. The Southern Kingdom of Judah, in Jerusalem, the holy city, was where Isaiah mainly served. The meaning of Isaiah's name is an important fact to know while studying the pages of this book of the Bible. Isaiah means--"The Lord saves." And what is amazing to me is that the word salvation is mentioned at least 27 times in this book. God called Isaiah to preach to Judah about their rebellion against Him. Isaiah warned them of the Assyrians and the captivity they would face under their rule. God's people were facing personal and internal captivity.
To gain some insight into the captivity and spiritual state of God's people at this time in History, I began to examine the reign of the kings who ruled over Judah.
Isaiah 1:1--"The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah."
King Uzziah reined during Isaiah's ministry. I believe that when Isaiah was growing up he idolized Uzziah. I am sure that any time he saw a throne, his mind most likely pictured Uzziah sitting on it, instead of God. I believe that when Isaiah looked at Uzziah he saw a great and mighty man. He may have even called him his hero.
In 2 Chronicles we are able to examine King Uzziah's rule and learn about the pride that led to his captivity. 2 Chronicles 26:[1-15]--"Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. He was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his fathers. Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother's name was Jecoliah; she was from Jerusalem. He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done. He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success. He went to war against the Philistines and broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh and Ashdod. He then rebuilt towns near Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines. God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabs who lived in Gur Baal and against the Meunites. The Ammonites brought tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread as far as the border of Egypt, because he had become very powerful. Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate and at the angle of the wall, and he fortified them. He also built towers in the desert and dug many cisterns, because he had much livestock in the foothills and in the plain. He had people working his fields and vineyards in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil. Uzziah had a well-trained army, ready to go out by divisions according to their numbers as mustered by Jeiel the secretary and Maaseiah the officer under the direction of Hananiah, one of the royal officials. The total number of family leaders over the fighting men was 2,600. Under their command was an army of 307,500 men trained for war, a powerful force to support the king against his enemies. Uzziah provided shields, spears, helmets, coats of armor, bows and slingstones for the entire army. In Jerusalem he made machines designed by skillful men for use on the towers and on the corner defenses to shoot arrows and hurl large stones. His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful."
Much of Uzziah's rule was a reflection of His name. Uzziah means--"the Lord is my strength." During His rule the Lord was the source of His strength. Well, up until he became powerful. Uzziah became King at 16, and reigned for fifty-two years. He enjoyed great prosperity and protection. As much as this Southern Kingdom was fortified and protected by a great army Uzziah might have believed that he would have been invulnerable to captivity. I believe that Uzziah came to realize that He was captivated internally by pride before he was ever captivated externally. Isn't that true of us too? The pride in our heart captivates us internally which finally captivates us externally.
Uzziah had more power than anyone in the Southern Kingdom. He was well known among the nation for his fame was spread far and wide. The people loved and revered him for how he rebuilt Elath and restored it. The only Authority that was with held from Him was the authority given to the priests by God to serve in the temple. After he became powerful he became prideful. Pride led to Uzziah's captivity. His sin of pride proved to be his down fall. Pride precipitates a fall. Proverbs 16:18--"Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." In 2 Chronicles 26:[16-23], we are told of the penalty of Uzziah's pride.
2 Chronicles 26:[16-23]--But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. Azariah the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the LORD followed him in. They confronted him and said, "It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the LORD God." Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the LORD's temple, leprosy broke out on his forehead. When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the LORD had afflicted him. King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house--leprous, and excluded from the temple of the LORD. Jotham his son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land. The other events of Uzziah's reign, from beginning to end, are recorded by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. Uzziah rested with his fathers and was buried near them in a field for burial that belonged to the kings, for people said, "He had leprosy." And Jotham his son succeeded him as king."
It was against Gods law and forbidden in the Levitical code for anyone to burn incense in the temple except for the priests. I believe Uzziah became prideful to the point of usurping the role of the priest to burn insence because he allowed prayerlessness to come between God and himself. I see this in 2 Chronicles 26:[5;15b-16]--"He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success. His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful. But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense."
Uzziah was motivated more by power than by worship. Uzziah had not offended the priests, rather, he offended God. The priests confronted his sin. The priests were not motivated by pride, but by the reverent worship of God who had appointed them. I see by Uzziah's reaction to the priests correcting him that he knew what he was doing was wrong, it wasn't just a mistake in his judgement. He became furious when he was confronted. As a consequence for disobeying God, God struck him instantly with leprosy. After his face broke out with leprosy, in verse 20--"Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the LORD had afflicted him."-- Uzziah himself was eager to leave the temple. Our first response to our sin being confronted is to become angry. But when we see our sin for what it is we repent and want to get as far away from it as we can. Just as Uzziah did.
God hates pride. Pride can lead to captivity. Jeremiah 13:[15-17]--"Hear and pay attention, do not be arrogant, for the LORD has spoken. Give glory to the LORD your God before he brings the darkness, before your feet stumble on the darkening hills. You hope for light, but he will turn it to thick darkness and change it to deep gloom. But if you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly, overflowing with tears, because the LORD's flock will be taken captive."
God hates pride because it involves dethroning Him and making us the center of our lives instead of Him. It robs Him of the glory that is rightfully His. We need to thank God for our wonderful victories and point people to Him as the source of our success. God is the one and only Sovereign victorious. We need to thank him all the time for His strength, victory, and deliverance not just in the beginning. This is a very sobering reminder to all of us of what happens when we do not seek to cultivate our relationship with the Lord on a daily basis. This is also an example of what happens to us when we dethrone God and exalt ourselves.
We can learn a lot about God's great mercy from the life of Uzziah. God judged Uzziah for disobeying the law but was merciful to him in that He did not kill him. Now being struck with leprosy, Uzziah had to submit to the priests in a new way according to the laws given to them in Lev. 13 and 14 concerning leprosy. He also had to endure separation from the temple. When Uzziah died all that the people could say about him was that he, "He had leprosy." 2 Chronicles 26:23--"Uzziah rested with his fathers and was buried near them in a field for burial that belonged to the kings, for people said, "He had leprosy." And Jotham his son succeeded him as king."
"How like our human natures--both in our tendency toward pride when we are blessed with sucess and in our tendency to judge someone's entire life by a brief season of failure."--Beth Moore
We must seek to dethrone--humble--ourselves so that God can be exalted. It was only after Uzziah's death that Isaiah saw the Lord. Isaiah 6:1--"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple." Therefore, I believe that Uzziah had to be dethroned before the people of Isaiah's day would look to God as their King. Only after Uzziah's death would they see that he was only a man and come to believe in the King of Kings, God himself.
What is your spiritual state? Are you living in pride or humility? Is there sin in your life that is offending God? Are your decisions making captivity inevitable? Who is sitting on the throne in your life? God or self? Is there pride in your heart that is causing you to judge others by their failures? Are you motivated more by power or worship?
Serving Our Lord Together,
Michelle Harrison
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