Uzziah: God-Given Success

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INTRODUCTION

Proverbs 16:3 states, "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed" (NIV). Solomon's famous injunction here reminds us that all forms of success proceed from the hand of God. The Bible is clear that this includes material, professional, military, and spiritual success. In fact, no one finds success based on their own ingenuity or strength. The "self-made" person, so revered in modern society, is a myth. No one creates themselves. The Bible is clear that everything about our lives is a gift. Therefore, even though we exert ourselves to succeed as full participants in the journey of life with God, we could not work, speak, or act without the body, mind, and spirit God has given us. Because God has given these things freely, we can be sure that success also is God-given.

Because of this truth, success can just as easily be lost as it can be gained. In the scriptural worldview, this occurs when we choose to refrain from dedicating ourselves and our plans to God's kingdom and glory, thus splitting our souls and our motivations into parts. This downfall is always the result of a breach of integrity. The English word for integrity stems from the Latin integritas, which was the word Roman soldiers shouted to signify to their commander that their equipment was complete and that they were ready to engage the battle. When we talk about a substance that disintegrates, we refer to something that loses this sense of wholeness, cohesion, or readiness. The troubling reality of integrity is that it takes years to gain but only a moment to give away.

Helen Keller wrote, "Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet." She understood the process of character formation is not neat and tidy. Yet examples in our world today indicate that even solid character can be destroyed through a single act of compromise. We see it in the downfall of major corporations who fix numbers and rip others off. We see it in political leaders who lie to their people. We even see it in Christians who stray from their faith for one reason or another. The Bible, however, calls us to renew our integrity so we can remain in a posture that allows God to bless us.

I. SEEK GOD AND DO RIGHT (2 Chron. 26:1-5)

Second Chronicles 26 presents us with yet another change in the leadership of Judah. Interestingly, the narrative of Uzziah's rule is far longer here than its companion in 2 Kings 15. A fascinating component of the Bible, and thus Bible study, is that there are often slightly differing perspectives on nations' rulers. We will see toward the end of the passage that 2 Kings 15 is a bit more sympathetic to Uzziah, even as the facts in each passage align perfectly. Also, for unclear reasons, Uzziah is named Azariah in 2 Kings. The former means "my strength is God," and the latter "God has helped." The two terms do not have any clear similarities in Hebrew. Uzziah was probably known according to each of these names for unknown reasons. But the family records in each passage indicate this is definitely the same ruler.