Like Father Like Son

In a previous blog we talked about king Uzziah who sought the Lord and
prospered. He was also a man who had a love for God's creation. Chapter
26:10 says "he loved the soil." You don't find that kind of comment
anywhere else in the Bible. But as he grew strong, he also grew proud. As
a result, the text says, "For he was unfaithful to the LORD his God and
entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar..." This act of
burning incense was only for the priests and not for the king. But because
of his pride, he thought himself above others...I imagine his thinking went
something like this: "why should I the king allow these low life priests to
have higher privileges when it comes to serving God?"
This is what I love about God...no one is above another in his eyes.
He is looking for a broken spirit and a contrite heart...this person, God
will not despise (read Psalm 34). When we think we stand, take heed lest we
fall. And fall he did...and what a fall it was, being struck with leprosy
right in the temple.
But this was not the worst of it. Uzziah had a son--his name was
Jotham and to my surprise "he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD
according to all that his father Uzziah had done, EXCEPT (the rest of this
article will appear in the enewsletter that will be sent out tomorrow!...one
of my favorites too!)