UZZIAH'S FAILURE

“But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the LORD his God by entering the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense" (2 Chron. 26:16 NKJV).

King Uzziah was one of the greatest kings of Judah. As a teenager at the age of sixteen he became king and reigned for fifty-two years. He started out good but his end was one of shame and failure. Our verse speaks of his prosperity, his pride, and his presumption

Prosperity - “He was strong.” Uzziah became a very prosperous king, and he made the nation of Judah very strong during his reign. His achievements were outstanding. There was great advance in agriculture, science, and in the military. Enemy harassment stopped, and Uzziah was greatly respected by the nations around him. Few kings in the history of Israel prospered as did Uzziah.

Pride - “When he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction.” Becoming great was Uzziah’s undoing. It resulted in his heart being filled with pride which led to his failure. People generally look at poverty as the cause of problems. Yet, fame and fortune can also cause problem. One of the problems that comes from prosperity is pride, and pride will ruin a person quickly. It ruined Uzziah. He is an example of the fact that prosperity can be just as perilous as poverty.

Presumption - “He transgressed against the LORD his God by entering the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.” In his pride, Uzziah decided to perform the duties of a priest. This was a tragic mistake. Based on Scripture, a king had no business officiating as a priest. But pride caused Uzziah to ignore God’s Word, and it resulted in his becoming a leper (2 Chron. 26:19). We mute respect the Word of God and what it says about spiritual callings. We may be famous and successful in society, but that does not give us the right to run the church. No matter who we are, we need to treat our pastors with due respect. They are the ones chosen by God to lead the church.

(Adapted from Butler Daily Bible Reading)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“Failure is never final for those who begin again with God!”

Anonymous

Word Study

Disputes

In Titus 3:9 we read, “But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless” (NASB).

Disputes is the Greek word machē (μάχη = makh'-ay). It means a fight, quarrel, battle, conflict. In Greek literature machē is used to denote both a physical combat and contest as well as verbal dispute. In the Septuagint, it is used to refer to either physical or non-physical conflicts. All the NT uses of machē are figurative and in the plural referring to battles fought with words not weapons. When used literally, machē refers to physical combat or a contest fought with weapons. The idea is a serious clash or conflict, and can be either physical or non-physical. It pictures violent personal relationships.

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – Messiah would be called out of Egypt (Hosea 11:1).

New Testament Fulfillment – Matt. 2:15

Bible Facts

Genetic mixing of different seeds forbidden (Lev. 19:19; Deut. 22:9). The Bible warns against mixing seeds as this will result in an inferior or dangerous crop. There is now growing evidence that unnatural, genetically engineered crops may be harmful.

Bible Quiz

What is the name of the first priest mentioned in the Bible?

**Answer to last week’s trivia: According to the apostle Paul, what will happen to Christians who live godly in Christ? They will be persecuted (2 Tim. 3:12).

That’s in the Bible

"Children of this world”

“And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light” (Luke 16:8 KJV).

“Children of this world” - The expression “children of this world” refers to unbelievers, who are neither committed to God nor His eternal standards. On the other hand, “children of light” refers to believers. The Lord in this parable is not commending the steward for robbing his master or for encouraging others to be dishonest. The man is being commended for his wise use of opportunity. “The children of this world” are experts at seizing opportunities for making money and friends and getting ahead. God’s people should take heed and be just as wise when it comes to managing the spiritual affairs of life. Further, because believers live with eternal values in view, we should be able to make far better use of opportunities.

Did You Know – Christian History

John Ralston Clements was born November 28, 1868 in Newry, Ireland. However, it was in the United States that he made his mark. He was just two years old when his family sailed to America. The immigrants settled in Liberty, New York.

Clements came to Christ in 1886 at services held by Dwight L. Moody at the First Baptist Church in Binghamton, New York. During the next 60 years, John poured out his joy and concern for soul-winning by writing over 5,000 hymns. He was in close contact with nearly everyone involved with presenting the Gospel of Christ in the United States whether through sermon or song.

Clements’ first hymn ‘Man the Life-Boat,’ was set to music in 1893 by Daniel B. Towner, a song leader for D.L. Moody. Since then more than 70 other composers have set music to Clements’ poetry, creating hymns such as “No Night There,” “Lord Send us Forth,” “Service Is Our Watchword,” and the popular “Somebody Did a Golden Deed.”

Clements was also the first president of the Practical Bible Training School in Lestershire, New York. He held that position from 1900 to 1914. The school was a training institution for Baptist evangelists. It was founded by Clements’ friend, Rev John A Davis. In 1914 Davis succeeded Clements as president. The school was later renamed the John A Davis Memorial Bible School and is now Davis College. Clements also directed the Reuben A. Torrey’s Montrose Bible Conference.

Clements died in Johnson City, New York, on 1 January 1946 and was buried in Floral Park Cemetery. John’s faith assured him that he was going to a land where there was no night.

A Little Humor

A man in Florida, in his 80s, calls his son in New York one November day. The father says to the son, “I hate to tell you, but we’ve got some troubles here in the house. Your mother and I can’t stand each other anymore, and we’re getting a divorce. I’ve had it! I want to live out the rest of my years in peace. I’m telling you now, so you and your sister shouldn’t go into shock later when I move out." He hangs up, and the son immediately calls his sister in the Hamptons and tells her the news. The sister says, “I’ll handle this." She calls Florida and says to her father, “Don’t do ANYTHING till we get there! We’ll be there Wednesday night." The father agrees, “All right." The old man hangs up the phone and hollers to his wife, “Okay, they’re coming for Thanksgiving. Now, what are we going to tell them for Christmas?"

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Christ’s sacrifice was exactly what God desired and we required!”