Week 21 2 Chronicles 26
Chronicles & Kings agree that Uzziah: did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, just as his father, Amaziah, had done (but hold on a second! I just saw that Amaziah wasn’t really all that good! So comparing Uzziah to his dad is pretty faint-praise). Kings also adds that: Uzziah did not destroy the pagan shrines, where the people offered sacrifices and burned incense.
In spite of the red flags Chronicles says that: Uzziah sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of the Lord. And as long as the king sought the Lord, God gave him success. That’s a definite vote of approval for Uzziah and he must have sought-the-Lord for quite awhile because he became a very powerful & successful head of state. Which is good.
What’s not so good is that: when Uzziah became powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall. (Uzziah’s Downfall Story is that in an idiotic act of arrogance he went to the temple and burned incense to the Lord – a gigantic act of irreligion – so in an instantaneous miraculous judgment the Lord struck him with leprosy. Permanently.)
On the plus-side Uzziah didn’t actively promote pagan practices (even though he allowed them). And initially he was loyal to the Lord. But Uzziah’s life ended unsuccessfully. And if he ever did make some kind of rebound no one is saying so.
Note: quotes from 2 Chronicles 26:5 2 Kings 15:3 4 2 Chronicles 26:5 16 (NLT). Uzziah was also called Azariah.