Some have said, "It doesn't matter whether you win or lose, it is how you play the game." That sounds very noble and good, but I am afraid that it doesn't apply to life very well. The apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth, "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain." (1 Co. 9:24) Then to the church at Philippi. Note: Philippians 3:13-14. Paul was concerned about the finish line!
I am reminded when watching sports that it doesn't really matter much about how you start the race. The most important part is the finish. Our service to God is like a long-distance marathon, not a sprint. I've seen a lot of Christian "sprinters" in the service to God. They are on fire for a while, but they never seem to last! May I remind you of the admonition of Paul to the Galatian believers, "Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (Gal. 6:10)
Tonight I want us to look at an Old Testament character whose life vividly reminds us of these truths. 2 Chronicles 26:1-23.
The development of leadership had taken a giant step downward since David was a man after God's own heart. Solomon's sons split the kingdom. Our main character this evening is the tenth king of the southern kingdom down the line from Rehoboam.
His name is Uzziah, also known as Azariah in 2 Kings 14:21. Uzziah reigned fifty-two years, taking the throne as a teenager. For many years his reign was impressive, but something happened and the results were tragic, both nationally and personally.
I. Uzziah as a Youth. v1-5
A. His beginning. (1-3)
1. By unanimous vote of the people of Judah, he was made king.
2. His father, Amaziah, had been murdered as a result of a conspiracy in Jerusalem.
3. His father's life story is told in one sentence. Note: 2 Chron. 25:2, "And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart."
4. His mother was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. (there is no other mention of her in Scripture)
B. His godliness. (v4-5)
1. He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord...like his father before him.
2. He sought God...
3. As long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper.
C. His example to us.
1. It is important that we do that which is right in the sight of the Lord, but not half-heartedly!
2. We must learn to seek the Lord
a. in decisions today
b. in plans for tomorrow
c. in everything we do
3. We will realize the same blessing on our lives as well.
II. Uzziah as Ruler. v6-15
A. National accomplishments.
1. Away from home. (v6-8)
a. he won a decisive victory over Israel's longtime enemy, the Philistines.
b. he rebuilt the cities after his victories.
c. God helped him win against others as well, and his name and power became well- known.
2. At home. (v9-10)
a. he fortified Jerusalem against invasion.
b. he developed the land agriculturally.
c. he was a farmer at heart.
B. Military strength.
1. He developed his army numerically. (v11-13)
2. He developed his men through training and preparation. (v14)
3. He incorporated the latest technology in defense of the kingdom. (v15)
4. Once again we see that his fame builds far and wide.
III. Uzziah as a Rebel. v16-18
A. Inwardly: Pride v16a
1. "When he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction...
2. "When pride cometh, then cometh shame..." Prov. 11:2
3. "Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." Pr.16:18
4. He began to think of himself more highly than he ought...
5. 1 Co. 10:12, "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."
B. Personally: He forgot that it was God who had promoted him.
1. He began to read his own press releases.
2. We better be careful not to believe everything others may say about us!
3. He didn't think he needed God any more.
a. people ask me to pray about things...
b. some people I know who have been in need of work...
c. then they forget God when it comes to giving to God's work here and around the world.
d. they forget God when it comes to church attendance and service.
e. oh how prone we are to forget the blessings of God!
f. NOTE: Ps. 103:2, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:"
C. Outwardly: Corruption. v16b-18
1. He crossed boundaries that God had set.
2. Even as king, he had no right to cross them.
3. God had established that only the high priest was to burn incense on the altar of incense.
4. Azariah and all of the priests warned him that he was violating God's standards, but he wouldn't listen!
a. God still has standards for His people.
b. we find them in this book
c. pride will cause us to not care what God has to say.
d. pride will prompt us to violated God's Word without regard for the consequences.
IV. Uzziah at the end. v19-23
A. God judged him for his pride.
1. As he turned in rage toward the man of God...he began to turn into a leper.
2. Leprosy was, and still is, a dreaded disease without cure.
3. When it became apparent that God was judging him with this horrible condition the priest through him out of the temple.
B. Uzziah lost it all.
1. He lost his kingdom and all of his power...Jotham, his son, was placed in control.
2. He lost his favor with God and man.
a. remember that he had been unanimously elected as king.
b. now he was an outcast from society.
c. he was cut off from the house of the Lord...he couldn't even enter to pray.
3. He lost his fame and honor.
a. once he was known for his great accomplishments both at home and abroad...
b. now he was known as a leper unto the day of his death.
c. and even in death he was to be remembered as a leper.
Conclusion: What can be learned from this tragic account of one who held much promise in the beginning and had such a disappointing finish? It does make a difference how we end our race in life! The only place in the Bible where we find the word "success" is in Joshua 1:8. Read it. The Lord who blesses is also able to bruise and to break.