Uzziah was a popular young king.

Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah. (II Chronicles 26:1)

King Uzziah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. He sought the Lord earnestly. As long as King Uzziah sought after God he prospered wonderfully.

He waged war successfully against the Philistines. The Ammonites gave gifts to him. He constructed strong fortifications and dug many wells. Being a man given to farming he possessed herds of cattle and grew grapes.

The army of King Uzziah was well organized and well equipped, including over a quarter of a million trained troops. The wall of Jerusalem was defended by special machinery that launched arrows and hurled large stones.

. . . And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped till he was strong. But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: . . . (II Chronicles 26:15,16).

Then King Uzziah went into the Temple of the Lord to burn incense to the Lord. Burning incense on the golden Altar of Incense was one of the principal responsibilities of the sons of Aaron. This service, which was performed twice during each twenty-four hour period, belonged to the priests alone.

Burning incense by someone—even a king—who was not of the descendants of Aaron was a grievous breach of Levitical law punishable by death.

But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. (Numbers 3:38)

When he was rebuked by the priests, the proud Uzziah became very angry. At this moment leprosy "rose up in his forehead." The Lord had punished him severely for his presumption. Immediately the priests hurried him out of the Temple.

Uzziah remained a leper until the day of his death. He never again was allowed to enter the Temple of God. His son, Jotham, ruled as king in his place.

King Uzziah represents self-exaltation and self-will in the Christian.

"In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord."

When the Lord slays self-exaltation and self-will in us we are able to behold the Glory of the Lord. It is impossible to see the Lord's glory when we are filled with self-love and are pursuing our own will and way.

When self-exaltation and self-will die, then we see the Lord sitting on His throne—high and lifted up. His royal robe fills the heavenly temple.

Before this time we may have thought of the Lord as a set of spiritual principles by which we are to achieve our goals in life. Or we may have pictured Him as a gentle teacher who had the best of intentions for the world, but whom men have disappointed to such an extent that His plan for saving the world has been ruined.

Now that self-will has been removed from the throne of our heart we perceive that Christ is the Lord of Glory. He is the mightiest of kings—an emperor with powers and dominions so vast that the universe itself is but one small demonstration of His awesome creative Word. He is LORD. Christ is powerful and majestic far beyond our ability to comprehend.

Christ holds every second, every atom in total control. Nothing takes Him by surprise.

To be continued.