The young priest bobbled his head in agreement. "He went through the streets saying, 'Your King can offer his own incense.' He kept saying it was his right. When someone said, "Yahweh had ordained the tribe of Levi only to offer incense," he waved his hand and said, "Nonsense."
"NONSENSE!" Azariah's anger boomed and echoed throughout his small house. I can't let him disgrace Yahweh's laws! "Go gather the priests. Direct them to the temple. Right now!"
"Master Azariah," the young man looked daunted with the task, "That's eighty priests. It would take hours to gather them all up."
He leveled the man with a look. "Get them there. Work together, but as sure as Yahweh lives, I will not let the King commit this abomination against Yahweh."
Azariah ran into the temple, praying they weren't too late. Uzziah stood before the alter, just a hair's breath away from carelessly dumping the incense on the alter.
"Stop right there!" Azariah's shout echoed throughout temple.
King Uzziah looked startled, but not angry yet."What seems to be the problem?"
Azariah took a deep breath. His pulse was racing, there was a chance he could be killed for this, but if he didn't act, who would? He must be faithful to Yahweh first. "It is not for you to burn incense to the Lord, King Uzziah. It is the job, the responsibility of the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary. You have done wrong, and this action will bring you no honor from the Lord."
King Uzziah's face turned beat red. Azariah could practically see the anger radiating off of him, like a pot of water boiling over the rim. He had a censer in his right hand to burn incense, and he raised the censer, preparing to bombard them all! Azariah stood, waiting to receive his punishment for going against the king, when he saw something.
Gray, deathly flesh upon the King's forehead.
"King Uzziah, your forehead is leprous!" A collective gasp sounded among the priests. Uzziah stood completely still at first, registering the words, then unsheathed his sword, trying to see his reflection in the metal's gleam. He gasped and dropped his sword. Taking a step backwards, he examined his arms and hands. He wailed in agony when he saw more gray spots! "Oh, Yahweh do not judge me so harshly!" He violently tried to rub the spot on his hand, but to no avail. He looked terrified.
Azariah felt heartbroken. "My lord," he croaked, "You must get out of the temple this instant."
King Uzziah nodded his head dumbly, dazed by the surreal events happening. He practically ran out the door.
Azariah and his band of priests followed him out, spilling onto the street like a small tidal wave, flowing around a rock, the leprous King Uzziah. People, who had missions to complete, tasks to finish, and things to do, stopped and stared at the King. Azariah sighed. Gossip spreads like candied figs. He had no doubt that the people knew of King Uzziah's recent leprosy. Many of them looked scared by what they saw, and a few ran away.
His heart mourned for King Uzziah. The man keep looking at his arms, trying to rub the spots off. He then tried to approach the people, and the priests standing nearby kept waving him back, reminding him to shout, "Unclean!"
Azariah knew there would be long lasting consequences to King Uzziah's sin. Some people would even use it as a reason not to worship Yahweh. This is going to drive the people further away from You, Yahweh. Maybe I shouldn't have interfered with the King... Azariah looked at all the priests around him, young and old. The righteous indignation, the burning desire to serve the Lord evident on most of their faces. He felt a peace that only Yahweh could bring in his soul. He had done what was right. It was his responsibility to protect the temple, keep it sacred for Yahweh.
Yahweh would handle what comes next.
Based on 2 Chronicles 26:16-20
King Uzziah was a good man. In 2 Chronicles 26:4, it says he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He died a good man, for in 2 Chronicles 27:2 it says that Uzziah's son, Jotham, did what right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father, Uzziah had done. Uzziah was a man who made a stupid mistake. In 2 Chronicles 26:16, the Word tells us that when Uzziah grew strong and mighty, he grew proud. That led to his destruction, for he was unfaithful to God. His mistake, his sin had lasting consequences. He remained leprous the rest of his life, and the people, including his own son, Jotham, were afraid to go into the temple (2 Chronicles 27:2).
Have you ever been trying to tell someone about Jesus, and then something like this happens? We don't see a lot of leprosy anymore, but there are earthquakes that decimate entire countries, hurricanes that destroy millions of homes, cancer and Aids, madmen with guns who will walk into a school or movie theater and just start shooting, and regular people who make bad choices. We live in a world with all these things. Those who don't know God, cry out around us saying, "Were is God in this? Why would He allow this?"
In the months that followed, when the temple stood empty, do you think Azariah doubted his stand for God? What about us? What do we do? How do we respond? Sometimes, we struggle with doubt, wondering why these things have happened.
But we have a duty. Our call.
"And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." Mark 16:15
We will not get most of those answers in this lifetime. We have a focus, sharing Jesus with everyone. So we respond with God's love.
His heart mourned for King Uzziah. The man keep looking at his arms, trying to rub the spots off. He then tried to approach the people, and the priests standing nearby kept waving him back, reminding him to shout, "Unclean!"
Azariah knew there would be long lasting consequences to King Uzziah's sin. Some people would even use it as a reason not to worship Yahweh. This is going to drive the people further away from You, Yahweh. Maybe I shouldn't have interfered with the King... Azariah looked at all the priests around him, young and old. The righteous indignation, the burning desire to serve the Lord evident on most of their faces. He felt a peace that only Yahweh could bring in his soul. He had done what was right. It was his responsibility to protect the temple, keep it sacred for Yahweh.
Yahweh would handle what comes next.
Based on 2 Chronicles 26:16-20
King Uzziah was a good man. In 2 Chronicles 26:4, it says he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He died a good man, for in 2 Chronicles 27:2 it says that Uzziah's son, Jotham, did what right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father, Uzziah had done. Uzziah was a man who made a stupid mistake. In 2 Chronicles 26:16, the Word tells us that when Uzziah grew strong and mighty, he grew proud. That led to his destruction, for he was unfaithful to God. His mistake, his sin had lasting consequences. He remained leprous the rest of his life, and the people, including his own son, Jotham, were afraid to go into the temple (2 Chronicles 27:2).
Have you ever been trying to tell someone about Jesus, and then something like this happens? We don't see a lot of leprosy anymore, but there are earthquakes that decimate entire countries, hurricanes that destroy millions of homes, cancer and Aids, madmen with guns who will walk into a school or movie theater and just start shooting, and regular people who make bad choices. We live in a world with all these things. Those who don't know God, cry out around us saying, "Were is God in this? Why would He allow this?"
In the months that followed, when the temple stood empty, do you think Azariah doubted his stand for God? What about us? What do we do? How do we respond? Sometimes, we struggle with doubt, wondering why these things have happened.
But we have a duty. Our call.
"And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." Mark 16:15
We will not get most of those answers in this lifetime. We have a focus, sharing Jesus with everyone. So we respond with God's love.
"But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness." Psalm 86:15
Our responsibility is to be a light to those around us. Protect what is holy. Walk and work in love.
"I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Ephesians 4:1-3
Azariah was faced with a difficult choice: Do what God had called him to do? Or stand by and let the King dishonor God? God has made you a watchman. God has made you a warrior. God has made you a speaker of truth. God has made you a bearer of the Gospel. Everyday, in every circumstance, we have the choice to do what God is calling us to do, or try and reason our way out of it. "This person won't let me tell him about You if I call him on the carpet for his sin." Or this, "She won't turn to You. She says you allowed that earthquake to happen." There are all kinds of "reasons" to keep our mouths shut. People will make their own choices, and God can work in any stony heart. Those things are in God's hands. However, at the end of the day, will you know that you were faithful to God's call?
"And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?' Then I said, 'Here I am! Send me.'" Isaiah 6:8
Who will go for Him? Will you? Be faithful to God first. Let Him handle everything else.
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