Few things are more destructive than pride. Proverbs 16:18 tells us that “pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Not only is pride destructive, God has an intense hatred for a prideful heart. Proverbs 16:5 tells us, “Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured, he will not go unpunished.” Those are strong words, my friends.
These are words King Uzziah knew all too well, unfortunately. His life is recorded in 2 Chronicles 26. He was king in Judah and he started out very well. 2 Chronicles 26 tells us that King Uzziah “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.” The next verse tells us that he even “set himself up to seek God.” Therefore, God blessed him greatly with a large army, prosperity, and fame that spread throughout the nations.
However, that’s when King Uzziah got himself into trouble. As God’s blessing on his life continued verse 16 tells us “he grew proud, to his destruction”. In pride, King Uzziah acted unfaithfully by burning incense on the altar of incense, which was something God only permitted the priests to do. When the priests tried to stop him from acting in such a way, he grew with anger. As a result of King Uzziah’s faithlessness, God struck him with leprosy, which he had till the day of his death. He never repented for his prideful ways.
The point of 2 Chronicles 26 is to warn us of how destructive pride can be. My friends, we must take warning from King Uzziah’s life and be mindful of the condition of our heart. As God blesses us in the many ways that he does, we must work to stay humble. Proverbs 16:19 says, “It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud.” In other words, “it is better to live humbly with the poor than to share plunder with the proud” (NLT). And remember the words of Peter, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5).