The king followed his dad’s footsteps and shouldn’t have. Is revival in reverse possible? It is. We have a choice. We can go forward and continue with revival or let it cease thereby doing a revival in reverse and losing any ground that was gained. The responsibility is on our shoulders. God’s ready. The Word is ready. Let’s not be like King Uzziah and go back when we should go forward.
II Chronicles 26: 1Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah.4 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah did. 5 And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper. 15 And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong. 16 But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
As long as Uzziah sought the Lord he prospered. Then when he was strong he went against God. He was one of Judah’s greatest kings. This is the same Uzziah who was king when Isaiah saw a vision of the Lord high and lifted up on his throne. Isaiah had a burden for him and helped him. When Uzziah turned away from God, the blessings on the nation were reversed.
Regardless of the ups and downs of life, we need to trust God. Everything we have comes from God. As long as the king sought God and maintained his position with him he prospered as king. We can’t stand still. We should go forward and grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. He’ll bless us when we do. Be careful. The stronger we get you’d think we’d be more able to handle what is thrown at us. That’s true in a sense, but the risk is higher because our attitude changes. It’s our human nature—our Adam nature—to relax when things go well. We think we don’t need to fight as hard or be as careful. That’s the time to be cautious. The devil will throw us a curve ball.
Uzziah was 16 years old when he became king. He should have learned from his own father before him. He followed the Lord at first. Chapter 25:27 says now after the time that Amaziah did turn away from following the Lord they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish: but they sent to Lachish after him, and slew him there. Uzziah knew this. He saw his father relax on God and go in reverse. He lost his victory, his blessing and his life. You’d think that would be an example that would have set Uzziah’s mind not to do the same.
Uzziah sought the Lord. Things came together. God blessed him and his country. If we want our lives to be right, we need to stick with and seek the Lord. Keep a proper position. As long as we let God be God and be a seeker after God, we’ll do fine. If we start evading God causing him to seek us, we’ll lose out quickly. As long as Uzziah humbled himself and allowed God to be exalted, he prospered. As long as he was the follower and God was the leader, he prospered. We’re guilty of reversing when God blesses our lives. The devil tells us we don’t have to keep doing what we do and puts in our minds to do things our own way for a while. God has helped us marvelously. We are made strong because of our attitudes toward God. We’re seekers of God, the followers. Let him be Lord. As long as we do this, we can go forward and God will bless.
Uzziah let up. Instead of allowing the priest, he decided to do it on his own. He got incense and went to the altar himself when only the priest was permitted to do it. The priest told him he should go while he was still alive and it made him mad. He thought “I’m king. I’m somebody. I can do what I want.” He thought God would cut him some slack. What you had to follow 10 years ago still has to be followed. Until you leave this world there is a danger of reversing on God. You may have been saved 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50 years and think “look what I’ve done. It’s time to relax.” Guess what? The devil is still around. Your Adam nature is around. You must keep going forward or else you’ll do as the children of Israel did. They wandered in the wilderness 40 years on what should have been a 10-day journey just going backward and forward. The transmission of a Christian should not have a reverse. Go forward!
Uzziah did as many before him. He lifted up himself thinking he’d be all right. He fell and great was his fall. Leprosy came upon him. Verse 21 says Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord: and Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land. He didn’t even live in the palace. Verse 23 says so Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial which belonged to the kings; for they said, He is a leper: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead. No wonder Zachariah and Isaiah grieved.
We can learn from this. We need to watch ourselves. So which direction are you going? Are you going in reverse? Have you slipped into neutral? If you have, you’ll slide back. Don’t lose what God gave you. Use your strength to seek God in a greater way. When you are made strong, thank the Lord and seek him more. Keep going forward to better things.
Things will get better or worse. Your hand is on the gearshift. Which direction are you going?
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 