Again, today, we hear of a king who began by doing what was right and then did something that was not in accordance with the will of God.
Uzziah let his ego get the best of him. Maybe he felt that the LORD favored him so much that he could do anything he wanted to and get away with it. Or... maybe he just wanted to honor the LORD. But, if that was the case, he would have honored Him, by having the priest burn the incense for him. He did not. He usurped the authority of the priests and did it himself, bringing upon his head the consequences of his actions. He became leprous.
Seems God has some pretty hard and fast rules in the Old Testament. I wonder how many we break everyday. I often wonder at the audacity of people who break them intentionally. It's not that I think God is going to inflict anyone with leprosy. It's more that I wonder how it is that when God is so willing to freely forgive us when we do break the law, when we do sin, that we ignore and cannot acknowledge His grace. Sin has become nothing or maybe something like a matter of opinion. Grace has become very cheap, indeed. The cost of our forgiveness was very great, indeed. Jesus died that we might be forgiven our sin.
Fact is: everyone sins. Uzziah did. We do. Our egos will get the upper hand at times (often), even our greed and self-centeredness will. But, the thing to do when that does happen is to acknowledge our sin and receive the forgiveness that is so freely given to us for the sake of Jesus Christ, our LORD.
May God, our Father, help us to follow in the way of His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, doing what is right and pleasing to the LORD, by the power of Holy Spirit.
Uzziah let his ego get the best of him. Maybe he felt that the LORD favored him so much that he could do anything he wanted to and get away with it. Or... maybe he just wanted to honor the LORD. But, if that was the case, he would have honored Him, by having the priest burn the incense for him. He did not. He usurped the authority of the priests and did it himself, bringing upon his head the consequences of his actions. He became leprous.
Seems God has some pretty hard and fast rules in the Old Testament. I wonder how many we break everyday. I often wonder at the audacity of people who break them intentionally. It's not that I think God is going to inflict anyone with leprosy. It's more that I wonder how it is that when God is so willing to freely forgive us when we do break the law, when we do sin, that we ignore and cannot acknowledge His grace. Sin has become nothing or maybe something like a matter of opinion. Grace has become very cheap, indeed. The cost of our forgiveness was very great, indeed. Jesus died that we might be forgiven our sin.
Fact is: everyone sins. Uzziah did. We do. Our egos will get the upper hand at times (often), even our greed and self-centeredness will. But, the thing to do when that does happen is to acknowledge our sin and receive the forgiveness that is so freely given to us for the sake of Jesus Christ, our LORD.
May God, our Father, help us to follow in the way of His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, doing what is right and pleasing to the LORD, by the power of Holy Spirit.
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