2 Chronicles 27:1-6

“1 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok. 2 Jotham did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight. He did everything his father, Uzziah, had done, except that Jotham did not sin by entering the Temple of the Lord. But the people continued in their corrupt ways. 3 Jotham rebuilt the upper gate of the Temple of the Lord. He also did extensive rebuilding on the wall at the hill of Ophel. 4 He built towns in the hill country of Judah and constructed fortresses and towers in the wooded areas. 5 Jotham went to war against the Ammonites and conquered them. Over the next three years he received from them an annual tribute of 7,500 pounds of silver, 50,000 bushels of wheat, and 50,000 bushels of barley. 6 King Jotham became powerful because he was careful to live in obedience to the Lord his God.”

2 Chronicles 27 starts with a simple but singing statement about king Jotham, ”he did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight.” What a tremendous testimony, here is a man that made it his mission to please His heavenly Father instead of feeding his pride. A life of obedience has a point of origin, a beginning. There was a point in King Jotham’s life when he decided not to follow in his families footsteps and repeat their race of of starting well and failing at the finish. Unlike his father who faltered at the finish, as he become puffed up with pride, Jotham chose to faithfully follow the Lord and finish well. A walk of faith begins with obedience, it’s about the choices that we are faced with every day. Which way will we go, will we follow God’s Will or the way of the world? Who will we conform to, Christ or our community? Will we bow to heaven or bend to the expectations of earth and live out what others want? Romans 12:2 reminds us “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, His good pleasing and perfect will.” There was a point in Jotham’s life when he said, “I’m not going there and I’m not doing that.” What about you who are you living to please the Prince of Peace or people? Jotham’s life points to a powerful truth, you don’t have to cater or cave to peer pressure. Jotham didn’t forget the lessons he learned from his family, he observed the obedience of His father, “just as his father Uzziah had done,” and mimicked the good that he modeled.  Jotham saw early in his father’s reign what living a life of obedient faith should look like. He saw how the favor of God rested on his father while he remained obedient to God. He saw both the good and the bad. A walk of faith can be strengthen by others faith fight of success as well as their faith failure. What lessons are you learning as you observe the faithful obedience of others in God family, and what truths are you teaching and training others through your life of obedience? When we see the “faith success” of others who are living lives of obedience to God, it strengthens our resolve to live obedient lives. Jotham modeled the good and sidestepped the mistakes. When his father became powerful, his pride clouded his calling and led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to God, choosing to enter the temple and burn the incense on the altar, a job that was reserved specifically for the priests who served God. Uzziah did what he wanted not what God had commanded. He deliberate disobediently God and discovered that disobedience is always destined to disappoint. Jotham learned from the mistake of his father, he paid attention and saw how power and success had seduced and strangled his father. Jotham learned not just from the fruit of his father’s faithfulness but also his failure. He saw the ruinous result of rebellion, how his father’s throne was ripped from him on the day of his disobedience. Jotham didn’t just observed the disaster of disobedience he made the decision not to repeat his families failure. 2 Chronicles 27:2 says: “but unlike him he did not enter the temple of the LORD”. Jotham had some of the same success as that of his father but he chose not to follow in his foolishness but remained a faithful and humble king. He allowed his father’s faith failure to strengthen his walk of faith instead of strain it. Why would you repeat your family rebellion when you could learn from it? The sins of the father can be passed from one generation to the next but they don’t have to be picked up. Unfortunately while Jotham learned from the bad example of his forefathers, his people failed to learn from his faithful one, Verse 2 says: “But the people, however, continued their corrupt practices.” What is even more remarkable about the revelation that “Jotham did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight” is the startling statement that he did this in spite of the way others we’re living their lives. In the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, King Jotham forged ahead with a life of faithful obedience to God. Not only did he not follow in his father’s footsteps, but he did not allow the prevailing culture of the day to persuade him in his walk with the Lord. What a powerful message in light of the day in which we live. You don’t have to cave to the crowd; you can keep on living right regardless of others rebellion. A life of obedience will set you apart, make no mistake you will stand out if you stand for the Savior. But we are not called to blend in or bend to the culture, we are called to conform to Christ. We are called to live as lights for the Lord, and so must shine for the Savior. Obedience should be visible, readily observable for all to see. Is your life of obedience obvious and observable, just like a light in the darkness? Are you standing out in the darkness or being dimmed by it? Will the statement about Jotham be your story, will the life you live say “but unlike the world, who continued in their corrupt practices, I did what was right in the eyes of the Lord?” Living a life of obedient faith will set you apart from the rest of the world and cause you to serve God and others. It says in verses 3 that “Jotham rebuilt the upper gate of the Temple of the Lord. He also did extensive rebuilding on the wall at the hill of Ophel.” When this passage reveals what Jotham put his energies into during his reign we discover that one of the first things he did was to repair the temple of the Lord. Jotham chose to serve God not self, he went to work for God making His holy house the priority. Instead of pridefully entering the temple like his father and trying to do what he was never called to do, “he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord” He used his time, talent and treasures to serve God, he made God His priority not the power. He repaired and rebuilt God’s house, what are you building, His kingdom or yours?  A life of obedient faith will not only cause you to surrender to God but you will want to serve Him. But he didn’t stop at serving God, verse 4 says that “He built towns in the hill country of Judah and constructed fortresses and towers in the wooded areas.” He made God’s people a priority. He took his calling as king seriously and served the people. He used his power to provide places for them to prosper as well as providing places of protection form raiders and robbers. How are you serving God and His people? The position of a king is not one of prominence but one of privilege and with great privilege comes great responsibility. Why was Jotham serving God and his people, why was he concerned for the safety of others, and for the sanctity of God’s temple, because a life of obedient faith will cause you to care about that which concerns God.  Verse 6 says that “King Jotham became powerful because he was careful to live in obedience to the Lord his God.” The power that he had not only came from God but he chose to return it to God. What will you do with the strength that God gives you, will you serve Him and share it with His people or will you selfishly squander it?

2 Chronicles 26:14-21

14 Uzziah provided the entire army with shields, spears, helmets, coats of mail, bows, and sling stones. 15 And he built structures on the walls of Jerusalem, designed by experts to protect those who shot arrows and hurled large stones[f] from the towers and the corners of the wall. His fame spread far and wide, for the Lord gave him marvelous help, and he became very powerful. 16 But when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall. He sinned against the Lord his God by entering the sanctuary of the Lord’s Temple and personally burning incense on the incense altar. 17 Azariah the high priest went in after him with eighty other priests of the Lord, all brave men. 18 They confronted King Uzziah and said, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord. That is the work of the priests alone, the descendants of Aaron who are set apart for this work. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have sinned. The Lord God will not honor you for this!” 19 Uzziah, who was holding an incense burner, became furious. But as he was standing there raging at the priests before the incense altar in the Lord’s Temple, leprosy[g] suddenly broke out on his forehead. 20 When Azariah the high priest and all the other priests saw the leprosy, they rushed him out. And the king himself was eager to get out because the Lord had struck him. 21 So King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in isolation in a separate house, for he was excluded from the Temple of the Lord. His son Jotham was put in charge of the royal palace, and he governed the people of the land.

The biblical account of King Uzziah is a classic example of the disaster that accompanies disobedience. Uzziah’s ascension to the throne had probably filled the people of Judah’s hearts with hope. Their last two kings had started out well but finished foolishly. They ended up leading the kingdom away from God and back into idolatry. Instead of bringing joy to the people they had brought judgment, and both Joash and Amaziah, met their death due to conspiracy. Uzziah followed in his families footsteps, like his father and grandfather before him his reign began well. The first part of his reign proved to be promising as he led Judah back to God and the people once again enjoyed the bounty of God’s blessings. Uzziah started as a righteous ruler but over the years, as God blessed him, a secret enemy began ever so subtly to invade his heart. This was no ordinary enemy for this enemy attacked from within. Enemies from without can be clearly seen, they are easier to discern, but the enemy on the inside is different, he is sneaky, cunning and often silent until he strikes. Uzziah’s hidden enemy was the problematic one of pride, somewhere amidst all the blessings, he lost sight of the fact that God was the source of his power, popularity, and prosperity. Pride is one of the most common killers, it attacks your spiritual growth and erodes both your enjoyment and intimacy with God. Why is pride so spiritually fatal, because pride positions us to promote self instead of the Savior. Pride points to me instead of to the Messiah, enthroning self on the seat of the heart only to strangle and suffocate us in the sin of self. Pride causes us to claim the credit for ourselves instead of giving the credit to Christ. Pride will only ever produce one result: “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.” Proverbs 16: 18. Pride may promise to promote self but it will only ever produce problems and pain. 2 Chronicles 26:3 says: “Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years.” Can you imagine the pressure on this sixteen year old adolescent, knowing that the whole nation was looking to him for leadership? I’ve often wondered if this wasn’t part of what prompted him to seek God’s face so often in the early years. It was his seeking of God that was the source of his success. What is sad to see is that he started his reign in humbleness and humility and ended his reign in humiliation. As long as he remained humble and obedient before God he prospered, but the moment pride pushed him to disobedience it brought decades of blessing to a halt. Pride will poison and destroy what humility and dependence upon God has built. 2 Chronicles 26: 4-5 says: “4 He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, just as his father, Amaziah, had done. 5 Uzziah sought God during the days of Zechariah, who taught him to fear God. And as long as the king sought guidance from the Lord, God gave him success.” The basis for blessing was humble obedience before God. He was successful as long as he remembered who he serve.  As long as King Uzziah stayed focused and dependent on God, he prospered in all that he did. Uzziah prospered in:

• Battle

2 Chronicles 26: 6-8 says: “Uzziah declared war on the Philistines and broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. Then he built new towns in the Ashdod area and in other parts of Philistia. 7 God helped him in his wars against the Philistines, his battles with the Arabs of Gur, and his wars with the Meunites. 8 The Meunites paid annual tribute to him, and his fame spread even to Egypt, for he had become very powerful.” While Uzziah walked with God, God fought and won his battles. The only way to win the war is through obedient service to the Savior. If you desire to be victorious and experience success in the spiritual battle then you must surrender to the Savior. As James says in James 4:7: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Not only did Uzziah experience success in battle but also in his:

• Building

Uzziah successfully built cities in the land once occupied by his enemy, 2 Chronicles26: 6 “he built new towns in the Ashdod area and in other parts of Philistia.” When he put his trust in the Lord, God enlarged his territory. He also built many fortifications, 2 Chronicles26: 9 “Uzziah built fortified towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate, and at the angle in the wall.” He didn’t just sit back after the battle, but built fortifications in preparation to defend God’s people. While his heart hungered for God he lived a prepared life instead of a passive one. Along with success in battle and building Uzziah also experienced great:

• Business

He had many sources of water to supply his great herds of cattle, 2 Chronicles 26:10 “He also constructed forts in the wilderness and dug many water cisterns, because he kept great herds of livestock in the foothills of Judah and on the plains” Not only was he a successful rancher but he also experienced great fruit in farming. Scripture says that he experienced great success in the soil, he had many fields and vineyards, 2 Chronicles 26:10 “He was also a man who loved the soil. He had many workers who cared for his farms and vineyards, both on the hillsides and in the fertile valleys.” Not only did he experience a bounty of blessing in his business but His reputation spread as a result of his faithfulness to God. Not only did he get to enjoy and experienced the fruit of faithfulness, but God’s people also got to partake of the harvest.

Yet it was this very success that became his downfall for Uzziah started to serve success instead of the Savior. One of the greatest pride traps is prosperity, Uzziah became proud of his strength and success, 2 Chronicles 26: 16 “But when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall.” He forgot that God was the source of his strength and success so he started to boast in self. You would think that after experiencing the bountiful blessings of God that Uzziah would never have fallen prey to the sin of pride. But listen to how David Rhodes describes pride: “It is the dandelion of the soul. Its root goes deep; only a little left behind sprouts again. Its seeds lodge in the tiniest encouraging cracks. And it flourishes in good soil. The danger of pride is that it feeds on goodness” One of the dangers of receiving God’s blessings is that if we’re not careful, somewhere in the midst of all the blessings we begin to believe that we are the recipients because we have got it together. That because we are a notch above the rest that we somehow deserve God’s goodness. Abraham Lincoln noted in his proclamation of a day of National Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer in 1863, how easy it is to forget where our blessings come from when he said: “We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand, which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.” Pride clouds our conscience and convinces us that we are the cause of success. Verse 21 pens the epitaph of pride, “So King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in isolation in a separate house, for he was excluded from the Temple of the Lord.” This stands in sharp contrast to the epitaph of Paul in 2 Timothy 4:6-8, “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” Pride was the cause of Uzziah’s demise, he was struck with a dreaded disease that resulted isolation. He went from a man of great reputation to one of ruin because he did not obey the Lord, C. S. Lewis said “God pickles the proud and preserves the foolish.” But notice his greatest ruin was not his reputation but that of relationship, not only with others but also with the Lord. His leprosy prevented him from entering God’s holy house, he traded pain for praise. He traded real wealth, worship of God for what the world could offer, worship of self, so in the end self is all that he had. Because of his disobedience Uzziah died in dishonor. What about you, are you living your life to please and praise the Lord or to promote self and please pride?