2 Chronicles 26:1–23 (October 16, 2025)

Uzziah Reigns in Judah

26 And all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. 2 He built Eloth and restored it to Judah, after the king slept with his fathers. 3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. 4 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 5 He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper.

6 He went out and made war against the Philistines and broke through the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod, and he built cities in the territory of Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines. 7 God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabians who lived in Gurbaal and against the Meunites. 8 The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread even to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong. 9 Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate and at the Valley Gate and at the Angle, and fortified them. 10 And he built towers in the wilderness and cut out many cisterns, for he had large herds, both in the Shephelah and in the plain, and he had farmers and vinedressers in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil. 11 Moreover, Uzziah had an army of soldiers, fit for war, in divisions according to the numbers in the muster made by Jeiel the secretary and Maaseiah the officer, under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king's commanders. 12 The whole number of the heads of fathers' houses of mighty men of valor was 2,600. 13 Under their command was an army of 307,500, who could make war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy. 14 And Uzziah prepared for all the army shields, spears, helmets, coats of mail, bows, and stones for slinging. 15 In Jerusalem he made machines, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and great stones. And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong.

Uzziah's Pride and Punishment

16 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. 17 But Azariah the priest went in after him, with eighty priests of the Lord who were men of valor, 18 and they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the Lord God.” 19 Then Uzziah was angry. Now he had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and when he became angry with the priests, leprosy[a] broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of the Lord, by the altar of incense. 20 And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead! And they rushed him out quickly, and he himself hurried to go out, because the Lord had struck him. 21 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. And Jotham his son was over the king's household, governing the people of the land.

22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, from first to last, Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz wrote. 23 And Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the burial field that belonged to the kings, for they said, “He is a leper.” And Jotham his son reigned in his place.

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 26:19 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13

Pride After Prosperity: When Strength Becomes a Snare

Summary

After the death of Amaziah, the people of Judah made his sixteen-year-old son Uzziah king. He reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. This was one of the longest reigns in Judah’s history. The Chronicler records:

Uzziah strengthened the nation militarily and economically. He rebuilt cities, expanded borders, and developed powerful defenses with “engines invented by skillful men” (v. 15). His fame spread far and wide. Judah enjoyed security, innovation, and prosperity unlike any since Solomon.

But success became his downfall.

In arrogance, Uzziah entered the temple to burn incense on the altar. God had set apart the priests for these duties, but Uzziah, feeling powerful, would cross the line. The high priest Azariah and eighty courageous priests confronted him, saying,

However, rather than repenting, Uzziah raged at them. Instantly, leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests. This was a sign of judgment. Uzziah's heart was already defiled, and now, God's judgment was revealing that fact.

They rushed Uzziah out, and he himself hastened to leave, for the Lord had struck him. Uzziah lived the rest of his life isolated, excluded from the temple, while his son Jotham governed in his stead. The Chronicler closes solemnly:

Who Is God?

God is the holy King who blesses the humble but opposes the proud. He graciously prospers those who seek Him, but He will not share His glory with anyone. The same God who “made Uzziah prosper” (v. 5) also struck him when he usurped the priestly office (v. 19). His holiness is not to be trespassed. We should remember that God’s blessing never cancels His holiness.

We should also remember that prosperity is a stewardship, not a right. As the prophet Zechariah instructed Uzziah, “in the fear of God,” so too must every generation learn that the fear of the Lord is the foundation of lasting strength.

Lastly, God’s discipline was also merciful. He could have destroyed Uzziah instantly, but instead, He marked him with leprosy, which was the condition of Uzziah's heart. Now, he was living as a testimony to the danger of pride and the seriousness of approaching God on our own terms.

What Is Our Guilt?

We share Uzziah’s sin when we confuse God’s blessings with our own achievements. When we experience flourishing, whether in our ministry, our reputation, or our influence, we easily shift from gratitude to entitlement. Pride creeps in, whispering to ourselves that we built what God alone sustained.

Uzziah’s story exposes the deceitfulness of success. His downfall did not begin in the temple; it started in his heart. We, too, may begin humbly, trusting God in weakness, yet once strengthened, we subtly trust in systems, strategies, numbers, and our own wisdom. We may say that we serve God’s house, but we approach it as though it were ours. The fact is that this kind of spiritual pride is more contagious than leprosy. It isolates us from the presence of God and the fellowship of His people. As Christians, we ought to remember that if "success" does not humble us, it will eventually harden us.

How Does Grace Shine?

Grace shines in God’s patience and His preservation of the kingdom despite the prideful king's failure. Even though the king was isolated, God’s covenant lamp continued to burn. The line of David endured.

More profoundly, grace shines in Christ, the true King and Priest, who never overstepped His Father’s will but perfectly fulfilled it. Where Uzziah unlawfully grasped at the priesthood, Jesus was appointed by the Father as the eternal High Priest (Heb 5:5–6). Where Uzziah’s pride brought leprosy and exclusion, Christ’s humility brought cleansing and reconciliation. At the cross, the Righteous Judge became the sin-bearer, and the Holy One became unclean. Through His wounds, the defiled are cleansed.

Let us remember that any "success" in the Christian life is never ownership but stewardship. It is not about control. It ought to be a continual dependence. For Christians, success is never the ultimate goal, but rather the circumstances are opportunities to test our faith. Grace is not a resource to be stored away but a lifeline to be sought anew each day.

Prayer

O Lord,

You are holy and exalted above all.

Forgive us for letting success breed pride and for taking credit for Your gifts.

Teach us to seek You as Uzziah once did and to fear You all our days.

Keep us from presumption and self-promotion.

Thank You for Jesus Christ, our true King and Priest,

who humbled Himself to cleanse us from sin and bring us into Your presence.

May every victory lead us to worship, not to pride.

In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.