Uzziah's Pride

“But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction.” – 2 Chronicles 26:16

Uzziah starts off sounding like a hero in some young adult novel. Crowned king at sixteen, he becomes a victorious warrior, demolishing enemy walls, garnering tribute, leading an impressively large, well-equipped, and fit army. He becomes a master builder, erecting numerous towers and outfitting them with innovative machines. He is hailed a lover of the soil, cutting cisterns and cultivating herds and vines. He seeks good spiritual mentors and sets himself to fear God. And he gains fame, which the author points out repeatedly: “and his fame spread even to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong… And his fame spread far…” This guy is a Judean rock star. 

But in the end all this detail, far more than we got in the parallel account in 2 Kings 15 (in which Uzziah goes by his other name, Azariah), is a warning. The source of Uzziah’s success is God (verse 5, “God made him prosper”; verse 15, “for he was marvelously helped”). But Uzziah eventually becomes proud, insisting on burning incense in the temple himself, despite knowing only the Levites are ordained to do so. When the priests dare to oppose him, rather than repenting, he becomes angry, and in that moment is touched with leprosy, remaining a leper until his death. Archaeologists have since found his tombstone, upon which is written in Hebrew, “The bones of Uzziah, king of Judah. Open not.”

This was a man who from a young age had everything going for him. But something about success made him forget who he was in the temple of God, made him overestimate his authority and reject criticism. His life became an encapsulation of Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Do I forget that the source of any success I may have is God? Do I care too much about position or influence? How do I react to criticism? Strength is a blessing but also a danger, for it so easily leads to pride, and there is no clearer warning of that than the life of Uzziah.