Anger and Leprosy

Yesterday I shared how young king Uzziah had sought the LORD and prospered. I would like to share that verse again: "...and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper." This is a conditional verse. In 2nd Chronicles 15:2 one of my favorite truths in the Scripture is found: "The LORD is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him he will forsake you." This does not sound like the God of the NT...where Jesus promises to be with us even to the end of the age, does it? But this is the God of the NT. To help you understand the process of God forsaking someone, let me define the word “forsake.” It means to relinquish control. When we are no longer a fit vessel for the master’s use, God relinquishes his control, which places us outside his blessing and protection. We are no longer abiding in the vine, therefore his life giving blessing is no longer active in our lives.

Looking at Uzziah of the OT, we find in 2nd Chron 26, his fame spreading far, but when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction (26:15,16). Then in a presumptuous move to offer incense upon the altar in the temple, which was a priests’ duty, he was rebuked and restricted by eighty priests who were men of valor. Unwilling to accept this rebuke and resistance, because of his pride, he becomes so uncontrollably angry that he breaks out with leprosy on the spot. Knowing that he has just broken out with leprosy he flees the temple and is never seen again in the house of the LORD or his own house.

Since Uzziah no longer sought the Lord, he not only ceased from prospering, God had forsaken (relinquished control) him. Does this mean that he was not God's son? No. It only means that the power and presence of God is no longer an influence in his life. The same is true in the NT. There are many references throughout the NT that teach Christians about the consequences of turning from God, particularly throughout the book of Hebrews, Acts, I John, and the gospels. Jesus had warned Peter that if he would not let Him wash his feet he could have no part with Him. This did not mean that Peter would no longer be a child of God, but he would no longer be under the influence of God's presence and power...fellowship would be broken. The God of the OT is the same as the God of the NT. If we forsake Him, He will forsake (relinquish control) us.