Uzziah – The Rise of a Godly King
Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 26:1-4
Now all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. He built Elath and restored it to Judah, after the king rested with his fathers. Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done – 2 Chronicles 26:1-4 NKJV
The life and story of Uzziah is one that every disciple of Christ ought to consider curiously and soberly. It’s a story of heights and depths; of mountains and valleys; of grace and disgrace; of strength and weakness; of victories and failures; of life and death. His story occupies the whole of 2 Chronicles 26 and within this chapter we see warnings, promises, examples, commands and prayers. In the next few weeks, we shall prayerfully consider the life of this man and it is our prayer that the Holy Spirit will speak to you expressly from these verses.
I want to draw our attention to this young king, and especially to point out, first, that he knew what was right in the sight of the Lord at the age of sixteen and secondly, that he did what was right in the sight of the Lord. So he both knew and did God’s will from his youth. If a sixteen year old boy knows what is right not just in the sight of men but of God, then it points to the influence of a Godly father and a Godly mother. His father Amaziah had his faults as we can see in 2 Chronicles 25, yet we can observe that he did bring up his son in the right way. The words of Prophet Malachi should therefore be a constant beacon to all parents. It reveals the divine purpose for every marital union between a man and his wife. It says; –
‘And did not God make [you and your wife] one [flesh]? Did not He make you and preserve your spirit alive? And why [did God make you two] one? Because He sought a godly offspring [from your union]. Therefore take heed to yourselves, and let no one deal treacherously and be faithless to the wife of his youth’.
For parents, there’s only one heavenly expectation from your union – a Godly offspring, and we must do all within our power to be faithful in this assignment. It is one way that the plan of God for the nations would continue from age to age. God’s desire is that one generation will declare His name to the next, and the next….(Psalms 145:4). If we succeed in everything else and fail in this one thing, then we have been unfaithful to our heavenly calling.
Uzziah had a wonderful foundation, yet a foundation does not constitute a building. His parents taught him the way of the Lord but it was his responsibility to walk in it and he did. So he had a testimony that he did what was right in the sight of the Lord. A young man can know all the right doctrines and precepts but until he begins to do them, there will be no eternal profit. Did not the Lord Jesus say that everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does not do them, shall be likened to a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. It is not enough to hear. It only takes a little wind to separate doers from hearers. Unfortunately, our world is filled with many professors of godliness but few practitioners. There are many whose heads are full of knowledge but whose hearts are empty of divine grace. The Lord Jesus warned us that the way that leads to life is straight and narrow and few find it. Many may know the way, many more may even preach it but the Master said that only few will find it. There are many who have been trained in the ways of godliness who have not continued to walk in it. In many instances, we have seen children who have set their faces against the very Way their parents have walked. All of these continually reminds us that Divine Grace does not run in the blood and even if we have a long line of Christian ancestry, we can only raise Godly seed by Divine help.
However, it was no small advantage to Uzziah that he had Godly parents who taught him the way of the Lord. But all that his parents taught him would have counted for nothing if he did not exercise himself in the things that he was taught. Knowing and doing the will of the Lord will always produce eternal rewards both for parents and children.
Prayer:
‘Heavenly Father, please give us homes where Godliness reigns and where Godly seed are planted and nurtured. Please enable our children and young people not only to know your ways but also to walk in them continually. We ask in Jesus name. Amen