“But after he had taken the census, David’s conscience began to bother him. And he said to the LORD, ‘I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt, LORD, for doing this foolish thing.” – 2 Samuel 24:10
“Uzziah, who was holding an incense burner, became furious. But as he was standing there raging at the priests before the incense altar in the LORD’s Temple, leprosy suddenly broke out on his forehead.” – 2 Chronicles 26:19
“Though the LORD is great, He cares for the humble, but He keeps His distance from the proud.” – Psalm 138:6
“If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.” – Proverbs 15:32
In my previous article entitled ‘Hard Lessons’, I mentioned that God uses hard lessons as His rod of correction to bring us back to the right path because He loves us. In doing so, we can either respond in humility or hostility. As I pondered about this, I thought of two kings of Israel, King David and King Uzziah. Well, to be precise, the latter king ruled over Judah during the time when Israel was split into two kingdoms. Both kings were at the height of their career and they were counted as righteous men of God. King David unified the tribes of Israel, fought off the enemies of God, conquered vast areas of land, and introduced the technology of iron weaponry. King Uzziah, a descendent of King David many generations later, defeated his enemies, built fortified towers in Jerusalem, managed a booming agricultural industry, and invented defensive weapon machines that were mounted on the city walls. Both kings were famous and powerful because they sought God and God gave them marvelous help.
However, they had also made mistakes which led to hard lessons that they had to face. Both kings responded differently.
When King David was at the height of his reign and about to enjoy a time of peace, his heart swelled with pride at the might of his army. He instructed his chief of army, Joab, to conduct a census of all able-bodied fighting men. After all, which king did not boast in his military might that could blow his enemies into smithereens? But even Joab – an impulsive and belligerent warrior – knew that King David did wrong. After the nationwide census was taken, David did not delight in the strength of numbers because he realized that his ego had swelled up against God, and so he prayed for forgiveness.
God said in reply: “I will give you three choices. Choose one of these punishments and I will inflict it on you. Will you choose three years of famine through your land, three months of fleeing from your enemies, or three days of severe plague throughout your land?” (2 Samuel 24:12-13).
David was terribly distraught when he said, “I’m in a desperate situation! But let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for His mercy is great. Do not let me fall into human hands.” (2 Samuel 24:14)
Now enter the scene of King Uzziah. His downfall began when he grew proud upon becoming powerful. He sinned by usurping the priestly duties of offering incense in God’s temple, which God had specially reserved for the priests to do. While God had designed a way for followers to worship Him, King Uzziah thought that his way of worship was better. Then, Azariah the priest and eighty more priests confronted him, saying, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD. That is the work of the priests alone…get out of the sanctuary for you have sinned. The LORD God will not honour you for this!”
These are what I imagine going through King Uzziah’s mind as he raged at the priests in his indignation after the rebuke: “How dare you address me by name instead of my stately title! Who are you to tell me to leave? Is this an uprising? Are you so righteous that you can call me a bloody sinner? Are you saying that after all the good that I had done – the protection, military victories, and ample food – the Lord will choose not to honour me? I don’t think so!”
Without a minute’s consideration, God struck Uzziah with leprosy on his forehead for all to see how He shamed him and it was a disease that Uzziah carried it to his grave.
Uzziah and David are polar opposites when it comes to facing the music. Uzziah was hostile and indignant towards God the discipline master, but David was humble and submissive. While Uzziah launched into a tirade against God’s priests, David listened to the gloom-and-doom message from God and was open to correction. David could have bargained with God for leniency to spare his own life and the lives of his countrymen. He could have said, “God, I’ve already told You that I’m sorry for what I’ve done. Shouldn’t You just forgive me and let the matter slide? Can’t we just live as if none of this had happened? I promise that I’ll behave better.”
Instead, David sighed, “Let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for His mercy is great. Do not let me fall into human hands.”
He was agreeable to God’s terms for his due punishment, but he also knew that God would show His mercy and not destroy him like another human being would do.
70,000 people died when God sent a plague upon Israel that lasted for three days. Just as the death angel was raising its sword against Jerusalem, God relented and stopped it. David’s life was spared and he continued to reign in good health and in humility before God.
The illustration of these two accounts of King David and King Uzziah resound with the message that the way to live is in humility before God. But sometimes it’s so difficult for us to admit our wrong. Most often than not, we are stubborn and argue that we are right and rationalize about how some things should work for our benefit. There will be plenty of “This will work/I am right…if only…” and the arguments will go on endlessly, but they still prove to be futile because the truth still stands that we are wrong. There is no point in blaming people or situations or luck (if there is such a thing called luck). We take responsibility for ourselves. As Paul McGee, author of ‘S.U.M.O.’ writes, “Your choices are significant. What you do affects who you are and where you end up.” If we reject discipline, we harm only ourselves; but if we listen to correction, we grow in understanding.” (Proverbs 15:32)
July 31st, 2010 by 
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