2 Chronicles 26:16 (ESV) — But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his
destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple
of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.
2 Chronicles 26:19 (ESV) — Then Uzziah was angry. Now he had a censer in his
hand to burn incense, and when he became angry with the priests, leprosy broke
out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of the Lord, by
the altar of incense.
2 Chronicles 26:21a (ESV) — And King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death,
and being a leper lived in a separate house, for he was excluded from the house
of the Lord. …
NOTE: A number of
key phrases in this passage need to be noted. The first "when he was
strong, he grew proud." He really was "strong," it wasn't that
he thought he was strong, he had achieved quite a bit. So, the second phrase is
now key, "he grew proud, to his destruction." Pride is not a simple
sin. It is the sin of Satan. It destroys people just as surely as sexual
immorality. We believe the latter, we are not convinced of the former. Also,
the next phrase is key to recognizing pride, "Then Uzziah was angry, …, he
became angry with the …" This is the sign of pride, when people makes us
angry because they won't listen to us or won't let us do what we want to do or
think ought to be done. I see this in church where people become angry about
worship or music, because they are convinced that they know the right way to do
something. It really is rooted in pride if we were honest with ourselves. At
least it is for me. The last phrase is crucial, "… lived in a separate
house, for he was excluded from the house of the Lord." When our pride is
really bad, people begin to exclude us, and we find ourselves separated and
lonely.
PRAYER: Father,
protect me from my own stupidity. I think I know what is right but in most
cases, it doesn't really matter. Help me to let go of things that are not the
essentials of the Christian faith. Help me to teach truth clearly and
respectfully. People may disagree. It is okay, as long as it not a core belief
of the faith. Other things aren't worth being separated over.
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