Thought from today’s Bible reading from 2 Kings 15; 2 Chronicles 26.
Much of Uzziah’s reign over Judah was marked by faithfulness and success. Yet this success eventually led the king to sin against God by assuming a role that He had not given him.
“But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the Lord his God, for he entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.
“Then Azariah the priest entered after him and with him eighty priests of the Lord, valiant men. They opposed Uzziah the king and said to him, ‘It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful and will have no honor from the Lord God.’
“But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests, the leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, beside the altar of incense” (2 Chronicles 26:16-19).
Uzziah certainly had an important role to play as the king. But he was not free to do anything he wished. The duty of burning incense was specifically given to Aaron (Exodus 30:7-8) and was reserved for his sons. Uzziah sinned by attempting to do something that God had not authorized him to do.
There are certain roles we have today that God expects us to fulfill: roles in marriage, in the family, in the local church, in the workplace, in society, etc. We must serve God faithfully in the roles we have been given. We must not try to take upon ourselves new roles that we have not been authorized to perform – such as women functioning as preachers (1 Corinthians 14:34; 1 Timothy 2:12), elders exercising oversight over congregations other than the one among them (1 Peter 5:2), etc.
What causes one to forsake these divinely-given roles? Arrogance. This is what led Uzziah to take on the role of the priests. It is what leads people today to do things for which they have no authority.
Let us humbly accept the roles that God has given us and serve Him faithfully within those roles.
Tomorrow’s reading: Isaiah 1-4
[I’m using the Chronological reading plan on the Bible Gateway website if you’d like to follow along, too.]
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