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Due to the large amount of sermons and topics that appear on this site I feel it is necessary to post this disclaimer on all sermons posted. These sermons are original to the author and the leading of the Holy Spirit. While ideas and illustrations are often gleaned from many sources including those at Sermoncentral.com, any similarities and wording, including sermon titles, that may appear to be the same as any other sermon are purely coincidental. In instances where other minister’s wording is used, due recognition will be given. These sermons are not copyrighted and may be used or preached freely. May God richly bless you as you read these sermons. It is my sincere desire that all who read them may be enriched. All scriptures quoted in these sermons are copied and/or quoted from the Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible.
Pastor James May
UZZIAH’S DEATH
2 Chronicles 26:1-5, "Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah. He built Eloth [Elath], and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers. 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. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah did. 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."
Uzziah is also called Azariah in 2 Kings 14:21
The Southern Kingdom of Judah was at a critical time in history. King Jeroboam II of the northern kingdom had died without a successor to his throne that was able to bring peace. The Northern Kingdom had fallen into anarchy and that same spirit threatened to engulf Judah as well. Amaziah had risen to the throne of Judah and began his reign by doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. It wasn’t long though until he became involved in idol worship. As a result of his idolatry, Amaziah was ran out of Judah, chased into Lachish and there he was killed.
Then upon the scene comes a popular boy-king of only 16 years of age. He was the son of Amaziah and heir to the throne of Judah. His reign is marked by some great accomplishments and some great victories that he won for Judah and the kingdom prospered greatly under his rule.
2 Chronicles 26:6-15 tells us of some of the things that Uzziah was able to accomplish.
He defeated Judah’s arch enemy, the Philistines.
The Ammonites paid tribute toUzziah: and his name spread abroad even to the entering in of Egypt
He built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate, and at the valley gate, and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them.
Also he built towers in the desert, and dug a lot of wells because he had a lot of cattle, both in the low country, and in the plains: people worked for him who raised livestock and others who kept his vineyards in the mountains, and in Carmel: for he loved raising animals and livestock.
Uzziah had a huge army with 2600 captains who commanded 307, 500 highly trained and well equipped fighting men.
Uzziah had shields, and spears, and helmets, and body armor, and bows, and slings to cast stones. And he made siege engines, to be on the towers and upon the walls, to shoot arrows and great stones at any enemy.
Then, verse 15 tells us that, “… his name spread far abroad; for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong."
Uzziah was the “hope of Israel”. Here was a king who had the intelligence to know what to do to make Judah a great nation and, with God’s help, the wisdom to use that knowledge. Their whole future looked bright under the leadership of Uzziah. Each day they would awaken and look forward to what great things the new day would bring.
Their land was productive, their homes were safe from their enemies, their lives were happy and there was much to look forward to because the king was on his throne and he would see to it that their every need was met. We can trust Uzziah. He has our best interest at heart. He is a man of wisdom and integrity. He is our provider and we can put our lives in his hands.
Everything was going great until we read in 2 Chronicles 26:16, "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."
Pride is a powerful, destructive force! God’s Word does not mince words when he says that Pride goeth before a fall and a haughty spirit before destruction.
- It was pride that caused Samson to believe that he could outwit and outmaneuver the Philistines until that pride brought his downfall.
- It was pride that caused Belshazzar to see the handwriting on the wall and die in his sins.
- It was pride that caused Pharoah to pursue after Israel and force God to break the power of the Egyptian Pharoah’s once and for all.
- It was pride that caused Ananias and Sapphira to think that they could fool the Holy Ghost.
- I was pride that has been the downfall of many of our modern preachers and evangelists and caused the ruin or near ruin of once flourishing worldwide ministries that reached millions of souls for Christ.
- I is pride that will destroy your effectiveness in your ministry as well.
- And it was pride that caused Uzziah to enter into the Temple of the Lord and offer incense upon the Altar of Incense and God struck him with leprosy until his dying day.
Uzziah had tempted God and lost. Azariah, the High Priest of Judah, and 80 anointed priests of the Temple had confronted Uzziah in his breach upon the Lord. The Bible says that they were valiant men. Thank God for those valiant men who will stand for what is right in the midst of great controversy and threats from those who are in authority.
It took courage and commitment to the cause of Righteousness to stand and defy the king. But Uzziah would not listen. In his own eyes, he was better than the High Priest, and needed no one to tell him what he could or could not do. It was going to be his way or else.
Israel’s Hope had turned into a Benedict Arnold right before their eyes. The man that was their savior had become accursed by God and death was upon him. Who would lead them now? Where would they find anyone that could possible take his place on the throne.
When Uzziah was cursed with leprosy, his position as king and his ability to live among other people was forever ended. On that day, it was as though he had died to everything and everyone upon this earth. His life was over and he was just on a long steady march to his grave. He died and was buried, not in the place of Kings, but in the place that carried a warning for any who would enter that lepers and diseased people were buried there and it was unclean.
Have you ever felt as though something that you trusted in and something that you just knew would be your answer to all your troubles, just simply went away?
-Perhaps it’s a job that you were counting on to supply your financial needs that was suddenly taken away through downsizing or attrition.
-Perhaps it’s a spouse who has now gone and left you feeling alone and empty.
-Perhaps it’s a church where you attended that for some reason just didn’t feel like your church anymore.
-Perhaps it’s a preacher or pastor that you once admired so greatly and that you thought would always be there for you and suddenly, they aren’t your pastor anymore.
Illustration:
Just a few years ago my wife and I were involved in a business that we both felt at one time would be the answer to our financial future. We were absolutely convinced that we were to be involved and that we were to make it happen. We worked many long hours, spent and lot of money, learned a lot about dealing with people, traveled many thousands of miles in pursuit of that dream, but it was not to be.
Somehow I knew that this business would never be the answer we needed. It was fun to be a part of it, we met a lot of good people, and we learned an awful lot about human nature and why people act the way they do – but it all went away very quickly.
What now? Where will our answer for our financial future come from now? What should we do now and to whom shall we turn for answers? For 13 years our counsel came from other business people because there was no pastor that we felt comfortable in talking to. There were no close friends outside of our business associates and suddenly they are gone.
We all have those things in life that we tend to put too must trust and reliance upon. When those things are no more, then what next? Who or what do we turn to now? Is there anyone or anything that will take up that slack in our lives or fill in the gaping hole that is left in our heart and life?
The answer to all of those questions and the answer to your dilemma is found in the sixth chapter of Isaiah, so let’s look at that passage of scripture and see what Isaiah saw.
Isaiah 6:1-4, "In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke."
Isaiah saw the desperation of the people of Judah in the loss of their hope for King Uzziah. He saw the very vulnerable condition that existed where the enemies of Judah could invade at any moment and now the armies of Uzziah were no more. He saw that there was hopelessness in the hearts of the people because they had placed their trust in a man who had utterly failed them. But Isaiah was something that no one else could see. He saw that the future of Judah depended not upon the arm of the flesh, but upon the Lord, sitting upon his throne, who was high and lifted up.
God was in control, not Uzziah. God was Judah’s source, not Uzziah. God was Judah’s king, not Uzziah! And God is your source, not your job, your spouse, your business, your church, your pastor, or anything or anyone else.
Lord, help us to be ever mindful of the fact that it is you who directs our paths. It is the Lord who heals us, who is our Jehovah Jireh (our Provider). It is the Lord, high and lifted up, who keeps me by his power and has all things in his hands. He is the one who directs my every step and it is He who has all power in Heaven and in Earth and there is no other beside Him.
Isaiah’s vision was not found in the earth. It was not by any means of the flesh that Judah’s hope was still alive. Judah’s hope was in God and He was “high and lifted up”.
God’s power and provision is not diminished by man’s troubles. He lives above all things, where the power of the curse of sin does not reach. He is lifted up, and is above all the petty gods that man would try to place before him. His lifted up and he is King of all Kings, Lord of all Lords. He is the great I AM! He is:
Jehovah Elohim - LORD God: (Genesis 2:4).
Jehovah M’kadesh - The LORD Who Makes Holy: (Ezekiel 37:28).
Jehovah Yireh - The LORD Who Sees/Provides: (Genesis 22:14).
Jehovah Nissi - The LORD My Banner: (Exodus 17:15).
Jehovah Shalom - The LORD Of Peace: (Judges 6:24).
Jehovah Tzidkaynu - The LORD Our Righteousness: (Jeremiah 33:16).
Jehovah O’saynu - The LORD our Maker: (Psalm 95:6).
El HaNe’eman - The Faithful God: (Deuteronomy 7:9).
El HaGadol - The Great God: (Deuteronomy 10:17).
El HaKadosh - The Holy God: (Isaiah 5:16).
El Yisrael - The God Of Israel: (Psalm 68:36).
El HaShamayim - The God Of The Heavens: (Psalm 136:26).
El De’ot - The God Of Knowledge: (1 Samuel 2:3).
El Emet - The God Of Truth: (Psalm 31:6).
El Yeshuati - The God Of My Salvation: (Isaiah 12:2).
El Elyon - The Most High God: (Genesis 14:18).
Immanu El - God Is With Us: (Isaiah 7:14).
El Olam - The God Of Eternity (Genesis 21:33).
El Echad - The One God: (Malachi 2:10).
If that’s not enough to let you know that God has it all under his control, then do your own study of the names of God found in the Bible. You will find that his name and variations of his name, and different meanings of his name are found thousands of times in God’s own Word in an attempt to let us know just who He is.
Isaiah saw that the Lord’s “train filled the temple”. There is no room in God’s house for anything other than God. No praise of man, no show of talent, no presentation of the arm of the flesh, no power of man – nothing at all, for God fills his house and will share his glory with no man.
We love to try push our “forms of worship” into the presence of God. We like to make our show of our talent and to entertain God and man and call it worship when that’s only one small part of worship.
Worship is not just lifting your hands, clapping, and praising God in song and in music. Worship is how you live your life before the Lord in everything you do. You are worshipping as you listen to his Word. You are worshipping as you live your life and let your life be a witness for him on the job, at school, at home and everywhere else you go. You are worshipping when you pray to Him, when you study his Word, and when you come to his house. Your worship should always be real, even when there is no one around to know it but God. Everything you do is a form of worship if it is done unto the Lord.
Above the Throne of God where the Lord was, Isaiah saw the Seraphims standing: …”each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.”
The Seraphims are angelic beings, created as personal servants of the Lord God. They have the appearance of burning fire or bright light, implying the burning zeal, dazzling brightness and the speed of their obedience in doing God’s service.
Since we, as Christians, are to be like them in our service and obedience to God, perhaps we can learn a lesson from these Seraphims.
They had the brightness and burning of the Lord upon them. So should we. We should let his light shine through us and not try to life ourselves up, but lift him up within us so that all men could see Jesus and not our own pride.
They had six wings that all served a specific purpose.
With two they covered their face. We should learn to cover ourselves that only Jesus is seen and not us. If the Seraphims hid their faces in modesty and humility, and looked upon themselves as less than the least of God’s creatures and hid their faces as though they were ashamed to look God in the face, should not that be a lesson to us as well.
Yet we dress and act immodestly, and shout with pride, and think that we are holy and acceptable to God just as we are. I shudder to think of how I would feel in the presence of our Holy God but one day we will all stand before him and answer for the pride of life.
With two of their wings they covered their feet for the Seraphims were conscious of the fact that they were imperfect, compared to God’s perfection, in their walk, in their conduct, in their conversation. They may appear beautiful, powerful and holy and they were, but compared to God they were nothing and they knew it. So why don’t we act the same way?
Even though we are full of the spirit of the Lord and we are anointed to bring forth his word to the world, we must never forget that we are imperfect in all our ways and it is only by His righteousness that we are made righteous and not by our own efforts.
With the other two wings the Seraphim flew. They were always ready and swift to carry out the will of the Lord who commanded them. We should learn from them and always be ready to do God’s will as well. We are to have our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace and then go and spread that gospel to everyone we meet.
Yes, Uzziah’s death may have meant the end of Judah’s earthly hopes and dreams for a while but God is still on the Throne and it is God who is our source of hope and dreams.
Let us worship him in Spirit and in Truth. Let us praise him with our lives in daily worship to Him. Let us, like the Seraphims, cry Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty.
Uzziah’s death, like the loss of everything else that we place our trust in, besides God, is nothing more than the judgment and working of the Lord to remove every idol from our lives.
Worshipping idols will only bring separation and spiritual leprosy with the wages of sin which is death. Serving the Lord, in righteousness and holiness, will bring life eternal.
Don’t worry about the death of your idols, praise the Lord in his temple. Praise him in your worship and service to him for your body is his temple and that’s your reasonable service to him.
