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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S 31:21). It was true of Solomon (2 Chron.- 7:17-22). It was God who caused matters to go well in his life. It was God who gave him success in his business enterprise, and it was God who gave him victory in warfare. If a man desires to get on well in life, there is a sure rule (Psa. 16:8) “I have set 'the Lord always before me; because he Is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” (Psa. 105:4) “Seek the Lord and- his strength; seek his face evermore.” Everything should be subject to the will of God, and everything done for the glory of God. Faith is the founda tion of all real prosperity (2 Chron. 20:20 1. c.) “Believe In the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.” It is God who gives power (Deut. 8: 18) “But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God; for It Is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he swsre unto thy fa thers, as it is this day.” (Gen. 39:2) "And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man, and he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. God gave Uzziah wisdom, also. ±ie fortified the walls of Jerusalem. He dug wells in the desert. He used good, practical, godly sense in making provision for the prosperity of the peo ple. “ He sought the Lord.” Every child of God should seek to fortify the walls, the bulwarks against the attack of the enemy. The citadel is the Word of God. The attacks of the enemy are upon His Word and His Son. We need fear no foe. We need only to stand and defend the Word. With the sword of the Spirit we can stand against all foes. We should dig wells; place the Word of God, which is the water of life, in all the waste places. We need Zechariahs with their heavenly vision; men who .have under standing of the Word of God, who are able to discern the signs of .the times;
men to lift their voices against' the perils of the day. . ' Uzziah was marvellously helped (v. 15). God can marvellously help us. Others can help. We need to he helped and to help others. (2) UZZIAH’S PRESUMPTION, vs. 16-18 “ His heart was lifted up.” The scene changes. The scenery is shifted. Uzziah is like a spoiled child. Pride has turned his head. He is the king of God’s people, but he is not satisfied. (No man ever is satisfied, who is not satisfied in God). He seeks the priesthood also. Not con tent with what God has so graciously bestowed, he wants more; wants that which belongs to another. There is only One who can he both Priest and King, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. God had warned Israel against this very thing (Deut. 8:13, 14) “And when thy herds and thy Socks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast Is multiplied; Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.” He presumed upon his ability, his fit ness; would take the honor to himself (Heb. 5:4) “And no man taketh this honor to him self; but he that is called of God, as was aGod’s laws concerning the priesthood were plain (Num. 3:9, 10) “And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest s office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to, death.” - f'& i gfU Saul in tru ded in to th is office (1 bam . 13:9) “And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt- offering to me, and peace-offerings. And he offered up. the burnt offering.” J eroboam did the sam e th in g (1 K i. 12:33) “ So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth d a y o f the eighth month, even in the rnontn which he had devised of his n m hea „i and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel; and he offered upon the altar and w .h I them. He is a jealous God. Uzziah was brazen in his audacity. He challenged the judg- ment of God and invoked His wrath.
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