Covenanter Witness Vol. 54 - Rparchives.org

SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON
May 15, 1955
Rev. W. J. McBurney
(Lessons based on International Sunday School
Lessons; the International Bible Lessons for
Christian Teaching, copyrighted by the Inter
national Council of Religious Education.)
UZZIAH'S STRENGTH AND FAILURE
2 Chronicles 25-26
PRINTED: 2 Chron. 26:3-5, 9, 10, 16-21
MEMORY: Hab. 2:20 "The Lord is in
his holy temple: let all the earth keep
silence before him."
Joash, best known for his repairing of
the temple, was followed by his son
Amaziah. Again, we find the story of a
good beginning and a drifting away. In
trouble with the Edomites, descendents
of Esau, he hired a great army from
Israel, at a big price. Being warned by a
prophet that it was displeasing to God,
he did not use the hired army, but la
mented the loss of the money paid them.
By the help of the Lord, he defeated
Edom and took much spoil. With the
spoil there were many idols. Often de
feated nations adopted the gods of the
victors, because of the evidence of su
perior strength. Why bother with the
weaker gods of a defeated nation It is
likely that Judah took these gods as
souvenirs, play things, or perhaps be
cause of the value of the materials.
Eventually, those idols became a snare.
A Good Beginning
Uzziah came to the throne in a pros
perous, victorious, idolatrous nation. It
is reported that he did right, as his fath
er had done. This certainly does not
mean to endorse all that his father had
done. Rather that he did the right things
that his father had done; for Amaziah
had done some good things. That surely
is the meaning of the commendation
given to those who did right as David
had done.
Uzziah came to the throne at the age
of 16 and reigned 52 years. That was the
longest reign in Judah. The mention of
his mother, Jecoliah of Jerusalem, sug
gests that she exercised a good influence
in his youth. The prophet Zechariah also
was a good influence as long as he lived.
(Notice the parallel in lesson of two
weeks ago.)
The Influence of the King on Industrial
Prosperity, 2 Chron. 29:6-16
Uzziah was a strong leader. Along
with his moral reforms, he led the na
tion in useful labor. He fortified Jeru
salem, and built protective towers in
strategic places. He organized and
equipped a strong
army. God helped
against the Philistines, and the Amorites
sought peace by bringing presents.
These protective measures had to be
supported by productive industry. Uz-
268
ziah set them a good example in pro
ductive labor; he loved husbandry.
Farming
seemed to be his favorite re
creation. It was productive and set an
example of how to work productively,
and gather the fruits of their labor.
Farming is the only truly
essential in
dustry. It can live without any other.
All other industries combined would
perish without the farmer. We are told
that bombs can destroy all our cities.
They cannot destroy all our farms. As
long as there are farms and farmers,
our civilization can live and rebuild. A
month ago TV announced that Russia
had produced a weapon that antiquated
all others. Prosperity by destruction,
will eventually work its own disaster. It
seemed necessary for Uzziah to have a
strong defensive army. In developing
the industries that made the nation
prosperous, he provided food for the
stomachs that the army must travel oh.
Disregard of God's Law, 2 Chron.
26:16-21
Uzziah, in his zeal for the material
strength of the nation, seemed to forget
the need of national obedience to God's
law. He became proud of his power and
prosperity. Idolatrous practices were be
coming more popular, and it must have
been more in the spirit of idolatry than
of true faith, that he tried to take on
himself as king, the prerogative that be
longed to the priesthood. In presuming
to offer incense in the Temple, he was
not honoring God, but disobeying God's
instruction. When the priests interposed,
first, I suppose, with argument, then
when the priests persisted he became
angry and resisted by force. The priests
were in the process of removing the king
from the altar of incense, when the
Lord relieved them from a very embar
rassing situation by setting a mark on
the king's forehead that forever barred
him from the temple and all other gath
erings of the people. Evidently the
Church has some right to defend God's
law in civil affairs.
Not long ago the churches in America
were offended by what was looked upon
as a Presidential marriage of doubtful
morality. They could do nothing. Re
cently the English King offended in
marriage, and the Church compelled him
to abrogate the throne. At the present
time it is reported that the Princess
plans to marry a divorced man. Even
though it is declared that this man is
an innocent party in the divorce,
seems that the strict code of the church
demands that the Princess abandon her
plan, or renounce her claim to the
throne. The English code may seem se
vere in this case. We are glad that there
is one nation in the world that provides
that her rulers must be just, "Ruling in
it
the fear of the Lord," and that demands
a clean example in the family life of her
rulers.
Uzziah transgressed the law in the
province that belonged to the priests.
They withstood him even with force,
and the Lord gave visible evidence that
He disapproved of the King's presump
tion.
The Death of the King.
The King's folly was in about the 27th
year of his reign. That left about 25
years that he was a leper, and could not
leave his own house. It is evident that
his purpose in going into the temple to
offer incense was for public display,
rather than for a sincere desire to honor
God. He had violated the law of public
service, and his punishment placed him
where he could not appear in public at
all.
This does not mean that he was shut
out from salvation. We like to think
that he learned to see the greatness of
his sin of presumption, and that he fully
repented of it. And we know that if he
did his sin was forgiven. His son became
regent. It is not certain how much exec
utive power Uzziah continued to use.
His power of mind and body may not
have declined for many years. We are
told little of the reign of his son Jotham.
He did right as his father had done,
which as we said at the beginning of
the lesson, must mean that he followed
his father's example in the good things
that he did,
things.
rather than in the evil
Uzziah was subjected to great tempta
tions. He was strong, wealthy and popu
lar. He failed to remember that these
were gifts from God that put him under
obligation to use them for God. He for
got also that God's law applies equally
to all. They apply equally to king and
subject, to rich and poor. Then he lost
the sense of cooperation with his fellow
men. He should have supported the
priests in their special work, and should
not have tried to usurp their office. Aft
er the longest reign in the history of
Judah, Uzziah died and was buried in
his own sepulchre.
It may throw some light on some pas
sages in Isaiah to notice that he grew
up in the reign of Uzziah and witnessed
his success and his failure.
Quick quotes for your bulletin:
An egotist is a man who thinks too
much of himself and too little of other
people !
(Joseph Fort Newton)
Wisdom is knowing what to do next;
skill is knowing how to do it, and virtue
is doing it.
(David Starr Jordan)
THE COVENANTER WITNESS