Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1939-08-24
UZZIAH: A KING WHO Eo,oo-
GOD

1871 ISSoN TExr-n Chronicle, 1885.
GOLDEN TEXT-Rverv ~.
alteth himself shall be ab ons mat ex.
that humbleth himself SHAH 'SSeu, and he
Luke 1874. snail oe exalted
Fride goeth before destrc,io,
and a naughty spirit before toU"
prov. 1919. '
A mans life may begin u,;.,
every promise of greatness and ha
may prosper in everything for Years
as he honors God, and then bv nra
sumptuous disobedience he NAV
bring it all to sudden destruction
living the closing years of his lifs
IN disgrace and going down to his /
grave in sorrow. That fact is writ.
ten SO large on the pages of history
that one marvels that "wayfarins
men though fools" need to "arr
therein" lisa. $3.50. Pride makes
man blind to his own weakness.
and so presumptuous that he walks
right into trouble. The story Of u. T
ziah points a moral both obvious
and needed by all of US.
l. Prosperity wv. $50.
"As long as he sought the Lord
God made him prosper" ". s..
With heart right toward God
the background of a rearing by God.
fearing parents chow much that
meansD and the counsel Of man
who was an expert" in his under. /
standing Of the ways and the will
OF God, Uzziah prospered greatly.
Chapters Is to q of II Chronicles
reveal him as a man of affairs,
successful warrior, a capable agr.
culturist, an able government ad. I
ministrator. and king whose fame
was known far and wide. For one
who took over the government Of
nation at the tender age of 16, fol.
lowing the tragic death of his ia.
Their, Uzziah made a remarkable
and commendable record.
ii. Presumption ". 16).
when he was strong, his heart
was lifted up to his destruction"
". 16). What sad words! Pros.
perity ruined a man who had made
a name for himself in times of ad.
versity. In presumptuous pride be
attempted to take the place Of the
priest ordained OF God, in effect de.
claring that the State was over the
Church, as we would put it in our
day.
There is no greater danger at.
taching to the life of Christian serv.
ice than the danger Of presumptu.
Gus pride. ! mean the pride which
manifests itself in an independence
Of the ordinary means Of grace, Of
prayer, and of the Word Of God. Il
am convinced that that is the cause
Of much Of the failure in many lives
here. It is a pride which says: u
can dispense with the Word Of God;
which persists in living on a mini
mum Of prayer and communion
with God, and in yet going about
the work of God as Of old; pride
which, like Uzziah's, seeks carnal
prominence in spiritual things. For
that was his sin. He sought car
nal prominence in service which
God had ordained was to be Of an
entirely spiritual order" q. Stuart
Holden).
III. Punishment wv. IT'D.
'"The king was a leper and
was cut off from the house OF
the Lord" ". 2D. The priests OF
God had holy boldness in rebuking
the king, quality which one coula
hope would never be missing in tne
testimony of Gods servants Inc
king, however. resented their wise
words Of counsel, and punishment
from God, both swift and terrible
came upon him.
II the judgment upon uzzlan
seems too drastic, let us remember
that the king was presuming to SCI
aside an order established by Goa;
It was q question Of whether uUG
was to rule or the king. We snouiu
also bear in mind that what iooh'
like q single outward bit OF pre-
sumption was really the expression
Of a heart that had long since gone
far from God. When men IN nien
position either in the State or NJ
the Church fall into sin, it Is NV
very often the result of a yleioms
to a sudden temptation, but ra'nei
the inevitable showing forth Oh wna'
has long been true in the inner lle,
The leprosy Of Uzziah's heart hoS S
showed forth in his face, and ne nas
to be shut Off from his people ai''