2 Chronicles 26, God Will Help You Fulfill Your Role
1. God Will Help You Overcome Inexperience (v1-5)
2. God Will Help You Become Strong (v6-9)
3. God Will Help You Develop In Related Hobbies (v10)
4. God Will Help You Marvelously (v11-15)
5. God Will Help You While Remain Humble (v16-23)
Here in second chronicles Chapter 26, we get to look at the life of a good king really. Overall his life is marked by a faithfulness to the Lord, a reliance upon the Lord, and really incredible the work that God did through King Uziah.
Now as we get to the end of the chapter, we'll see.
It's one of those classic tales of one who did good, who watched with the Lord, but then towards the end of his life really just messed up.
And although he started out well, he didn't finish well and finished up really in isolation and humiliation for his disobedience to God.
At the end of his life, and so once again we have one of these kings that is a great reminder to us as we saw King ASA last week and.
The the lesson there to continue to guard our hearts in those later years that that there is this this tendency and this opportunity, or this vulnerability that we have, however much we may be faithful to the Lord right now.
Later on down the line is not really guaranteed.
In our faithfulness to the Lord and and so there is the need for us to stay diligent in our pursuits of God and in the the seeking out the things of God and and keeping ourselves in the will of God and in.
The plan of God and these kings show us this lesson over and over and over again that none of us are beyond that possibility.
That opportunity we need to take heed to our hearts and so as we look at King Uzziah tonight, this time I've titled the message God will help you fulfill your.
God will help you fulfill your role and looking at King Uziah, he is really a blessed King.
His Kingdom is blessed.
His reign is blessed and God does a really interesting and unique work in his life in helping him to fulfill his role as king of Judah.
In these difficult days.
Well, I want to walk through a few points with you about King Uziah before we get to the the final days of his life and consider that piece of it as well.
But the the first part of his reign really was so successful because of his dependence upon and pursuits of the Lord.
The first point to consider tonight as we look at second chronicles Chapter 26, found in verses one through 5 is that God will help you overcome inexperience.
God will help you overcome inexperience.
It's looking again at verses one through three.
It says now all the people of Judah took Usaia who was 16 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 16 years old when he became king.
And he reigned 52 years in Jerusalem.
His mother's name was Jack Elia of Jerusalem.
We are introduced to Utseya, who is now set on the throne after his father Amaziah has passed off the scene.
He is at this time.
It tells us twice in these couple versus 16 years old.
And he is king now.
How many 16 year olds do you know that would make a great king?
This isn't, you know, quite the thing that we would expect of a 16 year old.
In fact, 16 year olds, you know, kind of the the famous thing is that they can get their license and start to drive and that terrify's most of us right? Like that's still too early.
But but now here is uziah 16 years old and king of a nation.
He's on the top of the monarchy.
He has all of the authority and he is able to do what he wants as king of the country.
Now, why is he the king?
Well, Simply put, it's because that's how monarchies work, right.
His father Amaziah was king, and now it passes on to him.
He takes the scepter out of his father's hand. He takes the throne. That's how monarchies work. It wasn't that use.
Iowa is an especially brilliant teenager.
It wasn't that you know, wow, Uziah is just like you just knew from the time he was four years old that that he was going to be a great king and you know, growing up.
He just was showing that that he was above.
The bar off the charts, you know in regards to his aptitude, his understanding of political affairs, and his ability to negotiate commerce and and develop everything that is needed for the nation to be healthy and thriving and successful and well usaia is just, you know, he's a, uh, a brilliant young.
Boy or young man who is able to lead the nation well, that that's not why he is king.
He's king because his dad was king and his dad has died.
Got off the scene and so now it falls to him.
He's 16 years old.
Of course, yes.
He probably did know that he was in the line to become king, and so it's reasonable to suspect that there was some preparations that he you know was trained and everything.
But at the same time he's 16 years old, and so he is inexperienced.
But the beginning of his reign is marked.
By blessing and prosperity.
And so, how did this happen?
How did this inexperienced teenager step into this huge role and handle it successfully before we get to that I would ask you to stop and think for a moment what role has God given to you?
And I I think it's appropriate for us to understand that there are very different roles or a variety of different roles that God gives to us in our life and from season to season they may change there's different seasons and different roles that God calls us to fulfill throughout life, and so you might have the role of a parent.
You might have the role of a prophet.
Or a teacher.
You might have the role of a spouse, or you might have the role of a student.
You might have the role of marketing manager at urban surfaces here in Corona, CA.
You might have a role within the body that is ongoing and consistent.
You might have a role within the body as I've been sharing and encouraging you in regards to our services that that when you gather together you might have that role just for a day and it might be, you know, just for one day that whole day, or that that day is the only time that you have that.
Role in the body of Christ.
Looking at those roles that are listed there in Romans Chapter 12, but as we consider the different roles that we have, we need to understand that we come into these roles with an experience with.
Not our own resources and history to rely upon, necessarily, but that we need to come into these roles in a similar way to usaia, not with our strength, but he was successful in his role.
He was prosperous in his role.
For two reasons.
Reason one verse.
Four reason 2 verse 5 alright.
Verse one says he did what was right in the sight of the Lord according to all that his father Amaziah had done.
And then verse five he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God and as long as he sought the Lord God made him.
Hezekiah, Hezekiah, uzziah.
Received God help.
And and so God helped him overcome his inexperience.
He's young, he doesn't have a history of ruling a nation, but now he has this position.
It's his responsibility and he starts off really well because he starts off receiving the help that God has for him.
There was help in two specific ways.
First of all, what to do and and to have the the right moral compass he did what was right in the sight.
Of the Lord.
There is a huge help that God provides us.
By simply telling us what is right in his sight.
That we have a great benefit of navigating very difficult and complex situations in our life.
By looking at what what does God say is right?
Now there are many things that you know we don't have a specific verse to address situations that we face in life and and the Bible doesn't say, you know on this day when you talk to that person and have this conversation and get to that level of detail.
But but God does lay out in his word some eternal principles for us of right and wrong.
And and when we seek to do what is right in God's sight, not what is right in humanity sites.
Or you know what is popular in in in that sense, or what the crowd around us thinks is right.
But when we are focused on what God says is right and doing what is right in the sight of the.
Lord, it is a significant help.
To us, it helps us overcome inexperience, because then what we're doing is we're relying upon God's experience, and he has all of the experience, right?
He knows the past, the present, and the future.
All of it from beginning to end and from the beginning he knew at all he he has all experience.
And so doing what is right.
In God's sight gives us the benefit of.
All of that experience because God has already said what is best, what is good, what is right?
We get to capitalize on that, and and put that to work on our behalf.
And so he received great help from God, simply by doing what was right in the sight.
Of the Lord.
It's interesting to consider as you go through chronicles as well as first and Second kings.
There is this kind of summary of each one life, each one rain and and it goes either like this verse four he did was right in the sight of the Lord, or he did not do what was right or he did evil in the sight of the Lord, that the life and the reign of each king is summarized.
Usually right towards the beginning of the description of their reign, and some of the accounts of what happened on whether or not what they did was right or evil in the sight of the Lord.
Another way to think about this is each one is really summarized in regards to their relationship with God.
And it's important to think about this.
It's appropriate to consider that this is the most important thing about any king you work.
Through kings you work through chronicles.
This is the most important part about any any king.
Their relationship with the Lord.
Did they do what was right in the sight of the Lord?
Did they walk with the Lord or the?
Did they not walk with the Lord?
This is the most important thing for us as well.
The summary of our life.
What will it say?
And he and she did what was right in the sight of the Lord.
May that be the summary.
May that be the testimony of our life?
And so uziah here received great help from God.
Because he took God's words seriously.
And he pursued.
It he put it into practice and he did what was right in God's sight.
Verse five tells us that he sought God in the days of Zechariah.
He sought the Lord, so he did what was right.
He followed the things that were written.
He he walked in the things that were revealed.
But this idea of seeking God is more than just, you know, being passive and just OK.
Well, if I happen to know something about what God wants, then I guess I'll put that into practice.
But but the seeking of God is more than that.
It's it's it's pursuing God.
It's seeking to find out more of God.
It's seeking to uncover things of God, things from God, things about God.
He sought God in the days of Zechariah, and this prophet Zechariah, different Zechariah than the one who wrote the book or the Prophet leader on that we have the book of Zechariah different guy but but similar in that he was a prophet and he had understanding in the visions of God.
So he was connected to this profit.
Who was perhaps a counselor, a teacher for him, and this prophet would bring out understanding in in the visions of God and in the things of the Lord and and things that God was speaking things that God was revealing.
And so usaia here was engaged with.
He was connected to he was participating in.
And this desire to uncover what is the Lord saying?
What is God speaking?
What is he desire?
It says as long as he sought the Lord God made him prosper, and so we have a little bit of a.
Hint there already.
That he's not going to do this for the.
Rest of his life.
For most of his reign he seeks.
The Lord and.
He's blessed, he receives great help, and even though he's inexperienced.
He sought the Lord.
He's hearing from God he's receiving from God.
He's engaged in a way to make sure that he continues an ongoing flow of information of insights from God to instruct him to direct him so that he will be able to fill the role that God has given to him.
Later on.
He steps out of that flow.
And he's not seeking for what God is saying, no longer seeking insights from God, and things will change dramatically.
But here early in his reign, God helps him overcome inexperience.
This is a great example for us, because when God calls us to something when he gives us.
Any role, especially if it's a new role, a new season with new responsibility, perhaps a a a new way that he wants us to work, or a, uh, a new path.
He's called us to walk down.
Many times it's going to be a step of faith.
He's not going to say, listen, you've been doing children ministry for 30 years.
And so here's what I want you to do now.
It's a huge step of faith.
Do children Ministry OK well not to say that children ministry shouldn't always be a step of faith and relying on the Lord and seeking Lord.
OK, that's important, right?
But but after you've been doing it for 30 years, you understand you have a lot of history to draw from.
It's not the same kind of step of faith as as it is to go and do something completely different where you feel inexperienced.
God will often call us to roles in different seasons of life, not necessarily every day, but he's going to call us into things that we are inexperienced in things that are over our heads.
Things that were unable to handle on our own and.
With our own resources.
But he doesn't throw us in there without any support he.
Will help us.
Overcome that inexperience.
By teaching us to do what is right in his sight, showing us in his word.
The way he wants us to handle.
The conversations, the situations and by seeking God and receiving that ongoing.
We have the written word and then we have the ongoing outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the the moving of God upon our hearts and the revelation of God.
The visions of God the the speaking out of prophecy and words of wisdom and words of knowledge and and those things that God wants to give to us to help us.
To overcome our inexperience and to fulfill the role that he's given to us well, moving on to verses 6 through 9 we get point #2 tonight and that is God will help you become strong.
And so again, consider your role that God has given to you.
Maybe a a specific role is on your mind on your heart for this season.
We start out in experience.
We start out weak, but God will help us overcome that in experience and he will also help you become strong strengthened in the things of the Lord.
Check out verses 6 through 9, it says now he went out and made war against the Philistines.
And broke down the wall of gaff, the wall of Jevne, the wall of Ashdod, and he built cities around Ashdod, and among the Philistines.
God helped him against the philistines against the Arabians who lived in Girbal and against the munites.
Also the ammonites.
Brought tribute to USM.
His fame spread as far as the entrance of Egypt, for he became exceedingly strong and uziah built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate at the Valley gate, and at the corner buttress of the wall.
Then he fortified them.
One of the early things that we find use I involved in is war.
He goes to battle and he battles the.
You might say arch enemy of Israel, the Philistines and the Philistines were always a thorn in their side, always a difficult group of people to deal with, always causing conflicts.
But but Israel and Judah were never able to really conquer them.
And so many times the Philistines come back, and they're just a perpetual threat.
And and many kings just avoided the philistines because they were this ongoing threat, and because they were so fierce in their battles.
And so usaia, though, takes a different approach.
He goes out.
He makes war against the Philistines.
And verse six kind of outlines this.
These different victories that he had in these different strongholds there at Gath and Jevne, and Ashdod.
These were strongholds that were in the land of Israel but were occupied by the Philistines for the majority of Israel's history.
How could he take these fortresses these?
Fortified cities that.
The Philistines had held for so long.
Verse seven tells us God helped him against the Philistines.
Listen as King, it was his responsibility.
Battle, although it may not be something that we like the idea of or like to picture and we might have various ideas and views about war and battle in the present age.
For usaia, this was part of his role.
The enemy was in their territory.
The enemy was fighting against them, causing them problems, hurting his people.
It was part of his role to defend his people to kick out the enemies of the land, to establish security and safety for his people, that that.
Was part of his responsibility.
And again, I don't know about you, but I.
Try to imagine myself go back to when I was 16 that was.
Quite a while back now it's hard for me to remember that far back, but I can't picture the idea of of, you know, this kind of serious endeavor.
This kind of serious activity laid upon the shoulders of a 16 year old and and how does a young man become a great leader militarily?
Well, it tells us that God helped him.
God helped him become strong.
He didn't necessarily start out strong.
The God helped him against the Philistines.
He helped him in all of these battles in all of these situations, and because he was seeking to do what was right in the sight of the Lord because he was seeking the Lord and continuing to to look for new insight and instruction.
From the Lord.
God was giving him what he needed to face those battles to fight those wars.
We don't have the details recorded here, but I would guess just venturing a guess.
If we had the details of some of these battles, we would.
Find out that.
There was some insight that God gave to usaia to help him with each of these different enemies, and each of these different battles that took place.
Again, it wasn't just that he was just this brilliant guy who knew great strategy and and you know he was the top of his class and even beyond their ability to record, you know he was the prodigy of the day and just fully evil and capable of handling the nation.
As he stepped onto the throne.
No, he was a man who was young who was inexperienced who needed lots of help and he found it in God.
This is a really great encouragement and reminder for us as God gives us roles and responsibilities as he calls us to works as he leads us on into steps of faith.
We can feel incredibly weak and experienced in over our heads.
But God.
We'll provide the help that we need.
There's the old saying where God guides.
He provides.
That's not just about the finances, but that's about the strategies, the wisdom, the techniques.
It's about whatever we need when God leads us into something and calls us to something, whatever role he provides for us, God will help you become strong in that role.
We see the strength increase in verse eight as the ammonites.
This is the nation across the Jordan River from Israel and Judah.
They actually bring him tribute.
And in tribute was a kind of a tax.
It was a it was a nation coming to say, we acknowledge that we are under your leadership.
And so we are submitting this tax to you, acknowledging we submit to your authority in this region.
Although we are our own sovereign nation, we are submitted to you King Uzziah.
He became strong.
God helped him become strong.
So that even the surrounding nations were recognizing the the role that he had been given by God and submitting to it.
It tells us in verse 8 his fame spread as far as the entrance of Egypt.
He became strong and and he became well known again.
It says at the end of verse eight he became.
Exceedingly strong, he was known for his strength.
Because God helped.
Understand if he started out exceedingly strong, then verse seven would have said God helped him against the Philistines, because he wouldn't have needed help because he was exceedingly strong, but.
He needed help and with God's help he became exceedingly strong. He fortify's Jerusalem a bit in verse nine. He builds the towers, there, fortifies them. He's strengthening their capital.
Because he's become exceedingly or incredibly strong.
Listen, God will help you become strong in the role that he's given to you and whatever is necessary for that role.
As a spouse.
As a teacher, as a student.
Your role in the body, your role in the home, your role in the workplace, your role in the community.
Whatever roles that God gives to you, God.
Will help you become strong.
You might not have the strength and and I think this is important because sometimes we.
We don't even seek to fulfill our role because we're so aware of our weakness and so we.
But somebody else fill that role, or we hope somebody else, or we pray for somebody else to fill that role.
Kind of like Moses, right Lord?
Can't you send somebody else?
Anybody else?
My brother Aaron?
How about you?
Send him like.
We are aware of our.
Own weakness, but we need to understand.
When God said something before us he.
Will help us to become strong to fulfill the role that he gives to us. Well for point #3, we're just going to look at verse 10.
This is kind of a little bit of an interesting one that I I kind of was considering in Chapter 26 here. Here's point, #3. God will help you develop in related hobbies.
God will help you develop or grow in related hobbies.
Check out verse 10.
Also, he built towers in the desert.
He dug many wells, for he had much livestock both in the lowlands and in the plains.
He also had farmers and vine dressers in the mountains and in Carmel for he loved the soil.
And I think it's interesting there at the end of verse 10 it says he loved the soil.
This is really in the same flow of, you know, talking about him becoming exceedingly strong, and the towers he built in Jerusalem.
He also built towers in the desert, and so there's this, just ongoing strengthening that's happening for the nation, but.
But here it mentions.
This kind of little bit of a side note this separate thing.
He also had farmers and vine dressers in the mountains and in Carmel.
He also had these other projects.
Because he loved the soil and so This is why I put the word hobby in the point that this is not necessarily talking about military strength or power, and and isn't necessarily a direct command of God.
To have farmers and vine dressers in the mountains and in Carmel, but.
But this was something that he did just out of the outflow of where he was at as king.
He's established and he.
Says, you know?
What I really love, I really love the soil.
I I really love to see something be produced.
By the farmers and the vine dressers.
And so it's in the interests of the people to have.
Provisions to have things taken care of and and to have those kinds of things developed.
It's it's not like a completely separate hobby that takes him away from that subtracts from his role and responsibility, but but it's a it's a side thing.
It's something that he just does because he loves it, but but that fits in with.
The role that he's been given.
And so he had farmers and vine dressers in the mountains and in Carmel.
Well, for he loved the soil.
I would suggest that there is so much room and opportunity for us and the roles and responsibilities that God gives to us.
Of course, there's going to be some things that are stressful and hard and challenging and require much faith.
And we're going to have to do what's right in the sight of.
The Lord and.
Wonder how could this be the right thing?
You know?
God said it and so I'm I'm believing it.
And so I'm gonna do what God says but.
Boy, it's hard.
I think I have a different idea.
I have a better way and and more wisdom in this.
But OK, doing what's right in the sight of the Lord, I will do that.
It's going to be hard, but I'm going to obey what God says and I'm going to seek the Lord and stay in tune with him.
And he's going to give me strength and and.
And there's all of this challenge many times that accompanies the roles.
That God gives to us.
But you know, God.
Work in our lives is not only about stress and stretching and steps of faith that that are exceedingly hard and difficult.
He he also gives.
US the freedom and the opportunity.
To do things that we love simply because we enjoy.
Enjoy them that that God gives us all things to enjoy within the boundaries and parameters that he has established for us.
And so here's something.
It's a.
It's a side thing, it's a hobby, but it fits in with his role and responsibility.
And he has the freedom.
To do that, to grow, to develop.
And to learn new skills.
To be part.
Of progressing, you know, these farmers in the vinedresser is that.
He's enabling them and helping them and and providing for them, providing for the people bringing forth produce.
Putting together an amazing garden and vineyard just because he just he really.
Liked to do that?
That's really cool.
And I would suggest there are opportunities in the roles that we have.
To do things that are not necessarily thus says the Lord, but.
Perhaps it's like.
A side thing.
It's a hobby that's related.
That helps and benefits.
The role that you've been given and the the way.
That God has called you to serve in in different ways but but it's just something.
That you can engage.
In and participate in just 'cause you enjoy it.
Just 'cause it's.
Something that you love.
And so again, if we want to use the example of children ministry, you know, maybe there is something that you enjoy, maybe crafts and so you just, you know.
Engage in that and and develop in that and.
Put things together and work out situations and opportunities and it's just something that you do. It's related to the role that God's given you.
But it's a hobby.
It's something that you just do it because you love it and and not because there's this huge, demanding step of faith that you have to take.
And there are those, right?
But God also helps you develop in in those hobbies that are related now there are also hobbies that take us away and subtract from.
The role that God is given to us take away more time than should be taken away.
Take away more attention than should be taken away.
Perhaps directly compete with schedules or with energy or whatever the case might be, financial resources, and so there are those hobbies that take away, and so that's why I said related hobbies that that we should be looking for.
Those things within the role that God gives to us that we can do.
For the pleasure of it, the enjoyment of it, it benefits us, and and we get to enjoy that, and God is pleased by it as well.
We get to continue that work in that role that he's given to us in a way that is enjoyable and pleasing to the Lord, to us, and beneficial to the people that he has called.
US to serve.
All right, moving on to verses 11 through 15, we get point #4 and that is God will help you marvelously.
And all this help that God is providing God is able to help you above and beyond whatever you could ask or think or imagine.
Check out verses 11 through 15, it says moreover.
Here Usaia had an army of fighting men who went out to war by companies according to the number on their role as prepared by jail, the scribe and Massaya the officer under the hand of Hananiah, one of the keys captains verse 12. The total number of chief officers of the mighty Men of Valor was 2600.
And under their authority was an army of 300 and 7500.
That made war with mighty power to help.
The king against the enemy.
Then Usaia prepared for them for the entire army.
Shields, Spears, helmets, body armor, bows and slings to cast stones.
And he made devices in Jerusalem, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and on the corners to shoot arrows and large stones.
So his fame.
Spread far and wide.
For he was marvelously helped, till he became strong.
Uziah was marvelously helped.
He wasn't just marginally helped.
He was marvelously helped.
This is the kind of help that God provides.
God will help you marvelously in the role that he has given to you.
Now again, this doesn't mean that there are no actual battles that there aren't things that are challenging and difficult and steps of faith and and all of that.
And you know things done at great expense and great sacrifice.
But but still it is.
The testimony at the end, he was marvelously helped until he became strong.
Now this also is a bit of a testimony of.
Picture usaia
How much help did he need?
He needed so much help that in order for him to become strong, the kind of help that had to be given had to be classified as marvelous, like he didn't need a smidgen of help.
He didn't just need a tablespoon of help, he he needed.
Buckets of help.
He needed to be marvelously helped, but that is the kind of help that God provided until he became strong.
God poured out help into his life and and it's demonstrated and seen that the strength and the help that God provided in the unifying of their military.
They had a a massive military force force 300,000. Again, you can kind of compare that to various kings throughout the.
The history of Israel and Judah.
And understand that this was a solid military, a solid army that they were mighty men, right that were able to fight against the enemy.
But then also he was marvelously helped because the entire army was given Shields and Spears and helmets and body.
Armor and bows and slings to cast stones.
Now that doesn't sound like a marvelous thing, right?
But many times for Israel they they were not soldiers, by and large.
They were farmers.
They were, you know, an Agricultural Society.
Right?
So many times the army was, well, people taking whatever tool whatever they could use they didn't have.
Usually organized.
Equipments or uniforms.
You know those kinds of things.
It was.
It was kind of a hodgepodge of things.
It was, uh.
You know different people just getting what they could in order to go to battle.
Now, of course, under King David and under King Solomon, things really began to develop and change, and there was more of a.
A military program and that kind of thing, but again, so many times it was, you know, people who were at their homes being drafted into service and and so they were.
They would come in, they weren't equipped already and many times, especially at this time as the nation of Judah is declining.
More and more.
They don't have the.
Finances too.
Equip the army with everything that that they need, but now under uziah because he was marvelously helped, he's able to equip the army the entire army.
It says again, not just.
You know the commanders, not just the captains, not just certain segments of the.
Special forces, you know of the the army.
But the entire army.
ME was equipped and had everything that they needed because Uziah was marvelously helped until he became strong.
They even invented things.
They they invented things for battle that had never existed before.
Things were invented by skillful men on the towers and on the corners that would be able to help defend the city in in a time of battle, and so there was all this going on.
This new things happening.
Equipment and furnishings.
Happening, unified and organize.
You know, the the army and the people coming together.
All of these things were happening.
These are just all demonstrations of the marvelous help.
That he received God will help you marvelously.
God doesn't just have a tiny bit, you know.
Just kind of give you like.
A little boost for the role.
That he's given to you but God.
Has ways to help you marvelously.
Above and beyond.
What you might imagine or think.
Again, it's a role that God's given to you. What is that role it?
Could be lots of things.
Your will role within the church, your role on a given Sunday during the service that that you have this role.
This thing that God has laid upon you.
This opportunity to serve him in some way.
In some capacity you have a role within your home.
You have a role within your workplace.
You have a role within the community.
Whatever role that God is given to you, you can understand that God desires to help you marvelously with that role, fulfill that role in a way that is fulfilling to you and enjoyable and joyful, and the result blesses and benefits the people but also glorifies God because he's the one.
Helping, he's the one really providing and it's his name that is being shouted from the mountaintops as a result of you and your marvelous help and fulfilling the role that.
God has given to you.
Well, we went.
We need to finish it up with the last part of Usaia life and again as I shared earlier, this is the part where it kind of comes to a turn up to this point.
We've seen really so much great things come out of King Uziah in his reign.
But now we see a turn, a change, and it happens as we look at verses 16 through 23 for point #5 we see that God will help you while.
You remain humble and there's a bit of a typo in that point.
I apologize, but God will help you while you remain humble, you can just insert that there and.
Fix that wording 'cause that's gonna bother me, so don't let your notes bother me. OK, God will help you while you remain humble, let's read verses 16 through 23, it says. 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.
So Azariah the priest went in after him.
And with him were 80 priests of the Lord Valiant men, and he withstood King Uziah, and said to him, it is not for you usaia
To burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense.
Get out of the sanctuary.
For you have trespassed.
You have no honor from the Lord God.
1st 19.
Then Usaia became furious and he had a sensor in his hand to burn incense, and while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the House of the Lord.
Beside the incense altar.
And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him.
And there on his forehead.
He was leprous.
So they thrust him out of that place indeed.
He also hurried.
To get out.
Because the Lord had struck him.
Cheneuse I was a leper until the day of his death.
He dwelt in an isolated house because he was a leper, for he was cut off from the House of the Lord. Then Jotham his son was over the King's house, judging the people of the land.
Now the rest of the acts of Uziah from first to last, the Prophet Isaiah, the son of Amos wrote.
So as I rested with his fathers, they buried him with his father's in the field of burial which belonged to the Kings, where they said he is a leper. Then Jotham his son reigned in his place.
Quite a change in the legacy of Isaiah.
He did what was right in the sight of the Lord.
He sought the Lord.
He was helped marvelously by the Lord.
All of that kind of reversed and forgotten in the minds of the people.
So that in this final segment, the reputation that he ended up with is.
He was a leper.
He was a leper.
Isolated cut off.
And cast off.
Verse 16 gives us the root of the issue.
But when he was strong, his heart.
Was lifted up.
Remember, God marvelously helped him until he became strong.
He became exceedingly strong because.
Of the help of God.
And sometimes strength, victory, success, prosperity.
Is just as big of a challenge.
Just as big of a temptation as.
Or need.
Those who are struggling.
Going through really challenging situations often look at those who are not struggling and you know just to maybe make.
Ends meet each month or looking at struggling to get food on the table and and they're looking at those who are not struggling.
They just they have as much as they need.
No problem, no no stress, no wrestling.
When it comes to meals or provisions or paying bills and that kind of thing and and it can be easy in the the place of struggling to look at those who have.
The the more financially or whatever.
The case may be.
And to think, oh man, so much better.
You know it's tempting and hard and challenging to be in the situation I'm in.
But oh to have all of those provisions you know would be so much better and and not the same struggle.
And and it's true.
It's not the same struggle, but that's not to say that it is no struggle because it was when he was strong.
That his heart was lifted up, when when he was weak and inexperienced.
He relied upon the Lord and sought the Lord in a way, because he knew he needed the Lord.
He was in a place of desperation and he needed God to work.
But when he came to this place of strength where he didn't have to, he had some experience to rely upon.
He had some things to draw from and he could, you know he had the the battles that he had already find, so strategies that had already been worked out and techniques that he had already accomplished, and cases that he had already judged and and so he had gained some experience he had built up some strength.
He had developed some fame.
And as a result, his heart was lifted up.
He did not rely upon the Lord as he once did.
And as a result.
He finds himself in a situation where he is disregarding.
The word of God, just regarding what God has said.
It's a dangerous thing for our hearts to be lifted.
And sometimes a position of strength and prosperity and success.
Can be a great trap and temptation for us.
To not rely on the Lord like we once did like, we once had to.
There is something that needs to be developed in us so that when we find ourselves marvelously helped by God, that that we don't then say OK, Thanks God and leave him back in the background and then move on to our own will and what we desire.
This is what Isaiah did.
And perhaps all of this fame went to his head.
And verse eight, it tells us his fame spread as far as the entrance of Egypt.
And verse 15 it tells us his fame spread.
Far and wide.
He was a popular guy.
He was a popular king.
Everybody celebrated usaia.
Every day when you would pick up the morning newspaper that the Butler would deliver, he would look and there in the headline on the front page would be King Uziah you know when he would go out into the marketplace and people were talking they would be talking about how great it was that King Uziah was their king when he would overhear conversations they would be celebrating museums that.
That there was this popularity, this fame that he had.
It was.
The work that God had done.
But it became a trap for him.
The strength that God had provided.
He forgot that God provided it.
And began to rely upon himself to buy into.
His popular position and and really think that.
He was above.
And without the need for the word of God.
Verse 16 tells us when he was strong, his heart was lifted up and then it gives us little extra note to his destruction.
When our hearts are lifted up it.
Will always be.
To destruction.
Pride Proverbs 1618 goes before destruction.
And a haughty spirit before a fall.
Uziah experienced this.
First hand.
There are other kings who started out well, started out in strength, started out well and and then you know fell down or started out like King Saul.
He didn't even start out well, but he had a lot of strength.
He had a lot of might.
He had a lot of military power and and so he was able to navigate, navigate some things, right?
But but King Isaiah was different in that he.
He did well for so long.
52 years he reigns. Now we don't know exactly at what point this last segment of his life happened, but.
The indication here is that it's later in his life.
He's a leper for the final years of his life.
His son is kind of Co Regent during that time.
It's not the majority of his reign.
It's not the majority of his life.
The majority of his life.
He did well.
God helped him fulfill his role.
Helped him overcome his inexperience, inadequacy, and adequacy.
Helped him become strong and even in his side projects and hobbies and things that he just loved to do.
Perhaps a little bit like the case of Solomon started out relying upon the Lord.
But later on forgetting how much he needed the Lord, now what he does here is he tries to take on the role of a priest.
He goes into the temple to burn incense.
He goes into the temple, he.
In his service in his worship.
In his.
He's king, he's not supposed to be priest.
The law had been prescribed and given that responsibility, that role was for priests, not for kings.
And he says you.
Know what I want to do?
It so I'm going to do it.
No longer seeking to do what was right in the eyes of the Lord.
He is.
Doing what he wants.
Pastor Damian Kyle says the highest expression of pride.
Is to disregard what God has to say and to do what I want to do anyway.
His heart is lifted up.
It's the highest expression of pride.
I know what God says, but.
I want to do.
This, you know, I've always wanted to.
I've dreamed about, you know, being able to offer incense to the Lord.
And and, you know from certain point of view, if you think about it like this issue that happened, it's like.
It's he went 30 steps further 30 feet further than he was supposed to, right?
Like what's the big deal to go into the temple and offer incense to the Lord?
He he wasn't even going into the Holy of Holies.
He wasn't trying to open up the Ark of the Covenant like he.
He wasn't trying to get Israel to worship him.
For Judah to worship him, he wasn't he.
Wasn't doing any.
Of that he was saying, wow, look at all this worship of God that's happening.
I want to be the one who goes and takes the incense into the temple and to burn it before the Lord.
Well, there's there's a lot to consider in this, because you know, again, this could be considered and and understood that this isn't like he went out to live in.
Licentious, living in in some way right, but.
He's like I want to take on this role in the worship of God.
It was a role that God had not prescribed for him.
It was a role that he tried to take on in his pride.
It was in God's arena to change things. If you wanted to grant usaia the opportunity to do this, God could have done that.
But he wasn't interested in what God wanted at this point.
He wanted to do it.
And so he did it.
He didn't remain humble.
He started out humble, relying upon God.
Then his heart is lifted up.
James Ford 6 tells us that God resists the proud.
But gives Grace to the humble.
And you see this resistance in the form of the priests that come and stand against uziah.
And and in verses 17 through 19, you get a sense that he had a chance to repent.
They stood against him and said, no, it's not for you to do it, and if he would have received the correction and that opportunity to repent.
He probably would have been OK.
He probably just would have exited the temple and go.
Oh, you're right, that's that's what the Bible says.
That's what God has said.
That's what's right in the eyes of the Lord who thank you guys.
You saved me.
Although I don't like being corrected by you, I don't you know how famous I am exceedingly strong but but Oh yes, yes that I need to remember my place.
And this is what God says, right?
But it tells us that Joziah became furious in verse 19.
And he still resisted, even though they said this is not what God wants, he said, I don't care.
I want what I want.
And so God struck him with leprosy.
And he was a leper until the day of his death.
He dwelt in an isolated house.
Because he was a leper.
Cut off from the house.
Of the Lord.
He overreached, he went outside of the role that God.
Had given to him isn't interesting.
On the one hand, there's like this reluctance to accept a role that God given us and and there's that inexperience and weakness that we feel.
And oh, it's such a hard step of faith.
But once we get settled in there.
Then we start looking at other roles and going.
Hey well, I want to do that.
Let it be a reminder to us.
Two things number one to continue to be dependent upon the Lord and rely upon the Lord.
But also #2 to remember.
To keep to the role that God is given to us.
Remember in acts chapter 16, Paul was forbidden to preach the gospel in Asia.
Preaching the gospel was his Commission.
It was his command, but God set some parameters, some boundaries, and said.
But not there.
Don't preach there, not right now.
Later on, yes, but not right now.
That's not your role, Paul.
And so the Holy Spirit forbid them to preach the gospel which you would think, right?
That's the good thing.
That's the mission.
But don't do it there.
I I think it's appropriate for us to consider and reflect.
God has given you a role and you need to fulfill your role and it's going to be hard and challenging and you need to rely upon the Lord.
He'll help you marvelously, but then there's also that other season of our walk with God and our fulfillment of the role where we get to a place where we're now comfortable in the role.
And now it's going to be a different temptation.
It's going to be a temptation to overreach our role.
The rebellion of Korah numbers, Chapter 16, where the.
Family of Chorus said hey Moses and Aaron, you take too much onto yourself we're all able to hear from the Lord and why did you just?
You know you guys that are hearing from the Lord and and and leading in this way and.
You can read numbers Chapter 16 and be reminded of what took place there is as they sought to overreach there.
They had a role.
The family of Cora, but they decided we want to take on somebody else's role. We want to do something more than what God has allotted to us.
There's appropriate roles for you in the church.
In the home.
In the workplace, in the community.
At first they're a big step of feet.
They're stretched, they're hard and difficult.
But as God helps us marvelly marvelously, we get comfortable in them.
Often we forget how much.
We need the Lord.
And sometimes we start looking at other roles.
And I would ask you to consider.
Your role in all of these different places.
Is it because God has prescribed it that you're filling that role because God has given you the the boundaries in those parameters?
Or have you like Uziah decided I just want to.
Do this, I want to have this opportunity.
I want to lead this thing.
I want to have this role or this responsibility.
I I want to, you know, receive this position or take on this challenge or.
We need to be careful.
Again, doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord seeking the Lord, putting that first.
And then God will help us fulfill our role and keep us in the role that he's given to us, and the roles may change and it will change from season to season.
But at any point, stepping into a role that God hasn't called us to.
It happens because we've not remained humble.
Our hearts have been lifted up and we don't care what God says.
Now we want what we want and we want to do what we want to do.
Let's pray what I pray that you would help us to fulfill our role you've given to us opportunities responsibilities.
And where do you desire to help us?
To be strong in those roles.
Lord, that your body.
That our family.
Lord, that our witness to the world around us.
Would be a.
And outreach Florida.
A magnification of your name.
And it would be glorifying to you.
Help us Lord.
To not try to do things in our own strength and resources.
But to rely upon you or would you help us to fulfill the role that you've given to us?
And load, especially when we're in that place where.
We don't feel like we need the.
Help that much.
But we need the help today just as much as we did 15 years ago.
So often we forget and our hearts are lifted up.
Load, would you show us?
Would you open our eyes if there is?
These kinds of issues of pride.
Where we've been lifted up and not relying upon you and not looking to you for direction and instruction in the roles that you've given to us.
Or would you help us too?
Respond appropriately as you do not like Isaiah who raged against your word and what you said.
Lord help us to be soft.
As you reveal as you speak.
Help us to be corrected to accept the admonishment.
To put ourselves in complete reliance upon.
You once again pray this in Jesus name.