Uzziah was a great king who ruled in Judah. He accomplished many, many things that can be read about in 2 Chronicles. However, 2 Chronicles 26:15b reads, “…And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong.”

Till he was strong…

There was a change that came in King Uzziah’s life. And the change came quickly. King Uzziah became arrogant and unwilling to listen to the counsel of people around him. What happened to King Uzziah?

• He was struck with leprosy and lived with it for the rest of his life.
• He lived in quarantine for the rest of his life.
• He was cut off from the temple – the place of worship.
• He was buried near the kings, but not with them. Farrar writes, “Even in his death, his memory was dishonored.”

Two truths Farrar in Finishing Strong shares from the life and death of King Uzziah:

• External accomplishments can be false indicators of success. 

We all probably know better…but all of us to it anyway. We just by what we see. We evaluate by first impression. We form conclusions on the basis of outward appearance. God knows our tendency to make such judgments. That’s why He warns us consistently against it.

• We should beware of spiritual indifference. 

Blindness to spiritual things doesn’t come first. Arrogance and presumption don’t come first. There is something that comes before these things; there is something that provides the necessary soil for these poisonous plants to germinate and grow. And that something is spiritual indifference.

Do not read the account of King Uzziah and think, “that would never happen to me.” That would be unwise thinking. That would be a mentality that could very well lead you down the path of King Uzziah. Probably not being stricken with leprosy, but certainly destruction and shame. Ask God to give you an awareness of your pride, then kill it by the power of the Spirit in the message of the gospel.