The Green Forest tribune., 1915-12-03
LESSON FOR DECEMBER 5
UZZIAH'S PRIDE AND PUNISH
 MENT.

Again we consider the southern have been chosen to illustrate the condition of rulers and people in the declining days of Judah's glory. Uz- ziah ruled for 52 years and his reign was almost midway between the days of Solomon and those Of the Babylon ian captivity.
 l. Priest and Parents, w. 1-5. The name Uzziah means God has helped me- and no king ever had better ad- vantages in the way of parents and counselors. To the influence of his parents he yielded in his youth (v. A !, followed the good counsel of Zacha- riah the prophet of God (v. 5, and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper" Ancestry and en- vironment are not, however, a guar anty of any perpetuity in character.
 II. Pride, w. 6-15. Uzziah or Azariah (marg.) made fine start and his reign, considered as whole, was one of the most brilliant in Judahs history. It bears some striking resem- blances to that of Solomon in that the dangerous enemies became subject na- tlons (v. 8. In the conduct of his campaigns UZZiah "WaXed exceeding ly strong (v. 8 R. V.) Uzziah also greatly improved and strengthened Jerusalem and gave much heed to stock raising and forestry fy. 10). The secret of all of this prosperity was that he sought Jehovah. Christen- dom is not Christianity, yet it is a fact that in those lands where God is most highly exalted and most near ly followed we witness the greatest prosperity and men living amidst the most comfortable surroundings. Seek Jehovah, know his will as revealed in his word, and do that will when learned, is the only true basis of real and lasting prosperity. Uzziah also gave an exhibition of worldly wisdom that he strengthened the defenses of the nation (v. 9-1O. Confidence in God does not paralyze human energy or make us presumptuous and care less q Chron. 27:25-3D. Uzziah brought the army up to high point of efficiency (v. 13-15), using the best weapons known in his day. We. likewise, may be 'marvelously helped' from the same source and upon the same conditions; viz, that we seek the Lord" (Eph. 6:10; Phi. 5:13).
 III. Punishment, w. 16-21. CD Pride -Uzziahs fail and shame is one of the saddest chapters in history His strength became his ruin. When he was strong his heart was lifted up." Poverty, struggle and diversity are not passports to glory though they have strengthened the moral fiber of thousands. The tempting tests of prosperity, gilded, perfumed and at tractlve are, however, far more hard to withstand. Pride always leads to (2) umpton-Centuries before God mad warned men that prosperity would lead to ruin (Deut. S:11-17; 32:13-15) and Solomon also gave warning (Prov. 16:1S). The subtlety of pride is the gradual way by which we come to look upon our prosperity as the work of our own hands, there by forgetting the source of our DOW CT and becoming filled with feeling or our own self-sutficiency The next step was that Uzziah assumed to him. self those duties (v. 16) which right fully and exclusively belonged to the priesthood (see Mum. 16:4O; 1877: I Kings 12:33; 12:1-4; Heb. 5:4). (3) Pro- testing--We now behold the strange spectacle of the king protesting for the wrong and the faithful priests Azarlah for the right. A sad specta- Gle indeed when the head of a nation openly avows the wrong and persists In it despite the protests of the serv. ants of God. The last part of verse Is indicates the extent and perver. slty of Uzziah's pride. Admonition only aroused the anger of the all-con. quering monarch. No honor ever comes from disobeying God q Sam 2:30; Dan. 5:3O. Uzziah apparently (v. l9) was about to use the censer in hls hand as weapon in execution of his wrath, but God interfered q Peter 6:6-O. Azariah is saved and Uzziah becomes leper.
 We must not press the teaching tha, all sickness is the result of sin (reaf Job).
 Uzziah was forever separated (y 2l) and was in his death ''unclean" he cause His heart was lifted to his de struction."
 There are four suggestions in clos ing: CD Uzziah's pride had gone tof far; secretly and perhaps unconscious ly it had slowly, but surely permeatet his whole nature.
 CD Leprosy was a fitting punish ment, for it was an emblem of tb. foulness of his sin.
 (3) His leprous condition was ir marked contrast with what he baf formerly enjoyed.
 (4) His punishment shut him out of fectually from the work of his kine dom-ability, strength, experience an( ambition fall before the blightin, blast of sin.