Uzziah was the next king. His father was Amaziah and the people made him king. He had a very long reign, fifty two years. The fact that his mother was from Jerusalem, rather than Israel, is noted and is significant, pointing to less influence from the Northern kingdom. He was generally a good king and as long as he sought the Lord God granted him success. We need to realise that there is a very close relationship between seeking the Lord and success.
His successes included defeating the Philistines and extending the territory. He was a man of soil and developed the agriculture of Judah. He also had a substantial army and developed the weapons that they had at their disposal.
However, all this success was his downfall for as his power grew so did his pride. You see, we think that we need is success, but this is not true. For if we have success without character then success will lead to pride, and pride will lead to destruction. What we need is character. Then we can handle success. Like Saul, Uzziah took up priestly duties that he was not qualified to carry out, going into the temple to offer incense. The priests went and warned him. Instead of repenting Uzziah acted with anger. If we do not have a humble character we start thinking we have the right to do anything. The Lord then afflicted Uzziah with leprosy, this made him unclean and was probably sent by the Lord to demonstrate to him beyond all doubt that he had no right to be in the inner temple.
The priests ushered him out of the temple and he lived in seclusion for the rest of his days, not now allowed into any parts of the temple. Jotham, his son, governed on his behalf and eventually succeeded him as king.
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