And you and your sons with you shall guard your priesthood for all that concerns the altar and that is within the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood as a gift, and any outsider who comes near shall be put to death.” Numbers 18:7
“I am no ordinary man,” he thought to himself, “I am Judah’s King.” Uzziah rode the momentum of warranted popularity and the success of wisdom and hard work. Prosperity returned to the land with God-anointed, visionary leadership. He returned glory to the military with vigorous conquests of the Edomites and the Philistines. He strengthened the walls of Jerusalem with new and stronger watchtowers. “And here I stand, a King bound by an antiquated law.”
Surely he had merited some status that would allow him to enter the Holy Place and present some noble offering to a God, he had so well pleased with his excellent public service. Besides, who would forbid the King? No one was watching. With a racing heart, Uzziah defied the commandments and crossed the threshold as he carefully drew back the dividing curtain to behold the glory that lay inside.
Adjusting to the change in light, his eyes beheld such things that previously could only be seen with the eyes of his imagination as he listened to the books of Moses; the Table of Shewbread, the Altar of Incense. Then the thought occurred to Him. He was standing. He was breathing. God had allowed him to enter and not die! God must indeed be pleased with my entrance and my intention to worship.
The aroma of spiraling trails of smoke rising from the incense bowl atop the Altar, soon fastened his attention. It powered his steps closer and soon he stood before the altar. Cautiously, he added new incense to the flame, which accepted the aromatic fuel. As though it were breathing the fire inhaled the incense with a rising glow and then exhaled as the new smoke began to rise from the offering.
Uzziah’s exhilaration was interrupted by the clamor of armor and the sudden light from behind the curtain. High Priest Azariah, stepped beyond the flank of 8 temple guards, who also blocked the exits. With a quiet rage and deep regret, Azariah spoke boldly: “This is not your place, King Uzziah, to offer incense to the Lord. This is reserved for the appointed priests. You shall have no honor from the Lord! Escort the King from the premises!”
The King was furious. How dare this mere minister of the Temple speak to the King, such a man after the greatness of King David, with such insolence and dishonor. He prepared the censer to defiantly offer MORE incense. Suddenly, his angry, furrowed brow bore a new pain. The temple guards and the priests gasped in horror. Uzziah held the censer to before him to catch the reflection of a whitening blotches of skin – Leprosy!
The shame of leprosy would not depart Uzziah until his death. It isolated him from the public eye and it would eventually bring an end to his life. The blatant rejection of God’s commandments tainted the reign of a capable King, who had walked in both the favor and the anointing of the Lord. His pride created tragedy and subsequently ended his rule with disgrace.
True worship will never abandon, well, Truth.
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24
Uzziah’s error was the loss of a humble heart, which made him a successful leader. What he reasoned in his heart and mind as worship could not have been further from the truth. King Uzziah had coupled spirited forms of worship with a rebellion agains truth and it essentially brought an end to his participation in God’s plans. A promising and successful reign was cut short.
Submission to God is the heart of true worship and it becomes a launching place into His promises and plans. When we begin to cast our crowns at His feet, when we begin to center our lives on Him, His kingdom begins to come into our lives. The Father seeks worship filled with an expectancy and an enjoyment of His presence with the weight of His Word filling us up from the inside out.