In order to understand the problems of Pride and how it devastates us, we turn to 2 Chronicles 26:1-22, where we will draw lessons from the life of King Uzziah.
Background of King Uzziah
- King Uzziah in the Bible was one of the good kings of Judah.
- King Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for 52 years in Judah from approximately 790 to 739 BC.
- He “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord” as his father Amaziah had done (2 Chronicles 26:4). King Uzziah sought the Lord “during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God.”
- This Zechariah is most likely a godly prophet to whom Uzziah listened. As long as Uzziah made a point to seek God, God made him prosperous (2 Chronicles 26:5).
- Unfortunately, after Zechariah died, Uzziah made some mistakes later in his life.
- King Uzziah in the Bible is shown as a wonderfully intelligent and innovative king, under whom the state of Judah prospered (2 Chronicles 26:6–15).
- He was used by God to defeat the Philistines and Arabs (verse 7), he built fortified towers and strengthened the armies of Judah (verses 9 and 14), and he commissioned skilled men to create devices that could shoot arrows and large stones at enemies from the city walls (verse 15).
- He also built up the land, and the Bible says he “loved the soil” (verse 10). The Ammonites paid tribute to King Uzziah, and his fame spread all over the ancient world, as far as the border of Egypt (verses 8 and 15).
- Unfortunately, King Uzziah’s fame and strength led him to become proud, and this led to his downfall (2 Chronicles 26:16).
- There are 3 lessons we can learn from the life of King Uzziah that acts as a signpost to the consequence of pride.
- PRIDE MAKES YOU THINK YOU’RE THE BEST
- In 2 Chronicles 26:16-18 we can see that King Uzziah defied the law meant for the priests (see Numbers 16:39-40)
- With life’s achievement, comes along the temptation of pride, if heeded, leads to think of oneself to be the best.
- Ezekiel, in chapter 28:17, talks about the fallen angel in Isaiah 14:12, who was the most beautiful thing, but due to the arrogance and pride, was cast down to the earth. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, That they may see you. (Ezekiel 28:17)
- PRIDE DOES NOT LET YOU SUBMIT TO OTHERS
- 2 Chronicles 26:19 says Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry.
- The Bible says, Uzziah became angry when being corrected.
- Another problem with pride is that it will never allow you to become humble.
- Pride is the root of fights between husband and wife, between police and protesters, between teacher and pupil, between leader and those led, between supervisor and supervised. No one wants to submit to authority.
- PRIDE DOES NOT LET YOU ACCEPT YOUR FAULT
- When confronted with the truth, Uzziah became angry (2 Chronicles 26:19)
- When confronted with truth/facts, we tend to become defensive rather than accepting the truth
- Throughout the Bible we find instances where people blamed others for the mistakes.
- For example, take Genesis 3:12-13. After consuming the forbidden fruit, God confronted Adam for disobedience, but listen to how Adam and Eve replied- The man said, “The woman you put here with me- she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.
- Adam blames Eve for making him eat the forbidden fruit, and when God confronted Eve, she blamed the serpent. None of them had the sincerity to admit their fault.
- Uzziah had a great beginning as a ruler of his nation, but his success, achievements let him to become proud, which ruined his reign towards the end.
Now the question that we ask is how do we overcome the sin of Pride?
The Bible reminds us in the following verses that we need to work on this things in our lives in order that our problem of pride can be overcomed-
- James 4: 10 says “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
- Luke 14:11 says “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Proverbs 15:32 also reminds “Those who disregard discipline despise themselves, but the one who heeds correction gains understanding.”
