Day 154: 2 Kings 14-15, 2 Chronicles 25-27

Uzziah was a good king.

He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done. He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success. (2 Chronicles 26:4-5)

2 Chronicles 26 spends a lot of time describing some of his accomplishments. It seems like he gets more ink than almost any other king. (Though Joash may get more.) But Uzziah falls to that very common affliction, pride...

     But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. Azariah the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the LORD followed him in. They confronted King Uzziah and said, “It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the LORD God.”
     Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the LORD’s temple, leprosy broke out on his forehead. When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the LORD had afflicted him.
     King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house—leprous, and banned from the temple of the LORD. Jotham his son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land. (2 Chronicles 26:16-21)

It seems he crossed a line. He was a good king and a leader of men...but he wasn't a priest. He made the mistake of thinking that his secular power and privilege entitled him to something spiritually.

After Uzziah's death his son Jotham (who ran things for his dad after he was struck with leprosy) took over as king. Apparently Jotham learned from his father's mistakes...

Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the LORD his God. (2 Chronicles 27:6)