History · Chapter 26 of 36

2 Chronicles 26

Uzziah becomes king at sixteen and, seeking God under Zechariah's guidance, prospers greatly. He wins wars, builds towers and wells, organizes a strong army, and invents engines of war, his fame spreading far. But when he grows strong, pride leads him to enter the temple and burn incense, a priestly task. Confronted, he rages, and leprosy breaks out on his forehead. He lives isolated until death.

What happens in 2 Chronicles 26

Made king at sixteen, Uzziah reigns fifty-two years. As long as he seeks God under the instruction of Zechariah, God makes him prosper. He defeats Philistines and Arabians, receives tribute from Ammon, and his fame spreads to the border of Egypt. He fortifies Jerusalem with towers, digs wells for his livestock, loves farming, and maintains a large army with engines to shoot arrows and stones from the walls. He is marvelously helped until he becomes strong. But his strength breeds pride to his destruction: he enters the temple to burn incense, a role reserved for consecrated priests.

Azariah and eighty brave priests confront him, telling him it is not his place and urging him out. Enraged, censer in hand, Uzziah is struck with leprosy on his forehead. They hurry him out, and he himself hastens, for the LORD has struck him. He lives as a leper in isolation, cut off from the temple, until his death, while his son governs.

2 Chronicles 26 in context

Uzziah, also called Azariah, ruled a long and prosperous era, contemporary with the prophet Isaiah, whose call came the year Uzziah died in Isaiah 6. The Chronicler traces the familiar arc: a king blessed while he seeks God, then ruined by the pride that success breeds.

His attempt to burn incense violated the God-given separation between king and priest, and his leprosy enforced the boundary he transgressed, marking him unclean and barred from the temple he had entered.

Main themes of 2 Chronicles 26

2 Chronicles 26 (KJV)

1Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah. 2He built Eloth, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers. 3Sixteen 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. 4And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah did. 5And 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. 6And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and brake down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines. 7And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians that dwelt in Gurbaal, and the Mehunims. 8And the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad even to the entering in of Egypt; for he strengthened himself exceedingly. 9Moreover Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate, and at the valley gate, and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them. 10Also he built towers in the desert, and digged many wells: for he had much cattle, both in the low country, and in the plains: husbandmen also, and vine dressers in the mountains, and in Carmel: for he loved husbandry. 11Moreover Uzziah had an host of fighting men, that went out to war by bands, according to the number of their account by the hand of Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the ruler, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king’s captains. 12The whole number of the chief of the fathers of the mighty men of valour were two thousand and six hundred. 13And under their hand was an army, three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred, that made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy. 14And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the host shields, and spears, and helmets, and habergeons, and bows, and slings to cast stones. 15And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong. 16But 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. 17And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the LORD, that were valiant men: 18And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the LORD God. 19Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incense altar. 20And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the LORD had smitten him. 21And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD: and Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land. 22Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, did Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, write. 23So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial which belonged to the kings; for they said, He is a leper: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.

Verses to carry from 2 Chronicles 26

“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.”2 Chronicles 26:5

“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.”2 Chronicles 26:16

“And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the LORD God.”2 Chronicles 26:18

Reflection

Uzziah stood strong until his strength became his god. Where has success made you feel entitled to overstep boundaries God has set? Notice how you respond when someone corrects you; rage guards pride, while humility guards the soul. Seek God as earnestly in strength as you did in weakness.

A prayer from 2 Chronicles 26