by Terry Smith
No matter how old or wise we seem to be in spiritual matters and in the love of Christ it is imperative to keep a spirit of genuine humility and reverence before the Lord in every stage of our walk. The older we get the younger we ought to be. We must become as little children, the Bible tells the believer, if we are to be perfected and in a state of good preparedness at His coming. Shouldn’t we be found innocent like a child, respecting our father, trusting our Lord, relying upon his truth and grace for all things. The more we get to know Him the more we ought to realize how we know nothing, nothing except that which he educates us about and those things which we see and hear from the Spirit of Truth.
The pride of a man can cause him to lose his way. Take the example of a man such as Uzziah, one time king of Judah. Though Uzziah had won many battles for the Lord and though he had even "done what was right in the eyes of the Lord" we are brought to our knees by the sobering conclusion of his reign and life. Because of Uzziah's sin he was stricken with a horrible leprosy (the Old Testament symbol of sin) and was unable to fill out the rest of his reign. Uzziah remained separated from his family and people for the remainder of his life, a man who had become full of himself ended living by himself, because he had transgressed against the Lord through spiritual pride.
Uzziah the man:
A living lesson that none of us think more highly of ourselves than we ought. No matter how mature we get, or how long we have walked with the Lord we must never get too big for our britches. The life of king Uzziah is a reminder for Man, as it says in Romans 12:3, "not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think". The sad thing is that: it is written Uzziah “did right in the eyes of the Lord”; ascending to the throne at the age of 16 he did some marvelous things which restored Judah to a nation of power and prestige. In a few short years Uzziah became a mighty warrior and established a mighty army for the Lord. He insisted on righteousness for the country and except for not destroying the idols in the high places, did all God asked of him. But that was not the end of the matter for we must keep a guard on our heart at all times.
After piling up success upon success Uzziah became full of himself. Until he put himself on a par with God's elected priests usurping their role and ministry. Uzziah went brazenly into the temple, strode to the altar, and above the objections and warnings of the Levitical priests began to offer incense on the sacred altar, despite the face he surely knew what god had done with the sons of Aaron who had offered strange incense to God. Defiantly, this powerful king went ahead with his arrogant act of tampering with holy things; and because of his arrogance and pride Uzziah suffered this awesome judgment:
"But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense. Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the Lord, that were valiant men:
And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the Lord, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God.
Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, from beside the incense altar.
And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the Lord had smitten him.
And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper: for he was cut off from the house of the Lord: and Lotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land."
The Scriptures say in the book of Proverbs, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." We often put much, much too high a premium on Man's education. We seek wisdom by way of trial and error, by experience, by the school of Hard Knocks, or by learning the crafty religion of the humanist intellectual, or learning sophisticated sciences at one of man’s universities. We seek wisdom and understanding in universities and within the cover of paper back text books. We try to pick wisdom from the fleshly lips of exalted leaders, esteemed thinkers, those who “thinking themselves wise, [but who] became as fools.” But the Scriptures tell us how to embark on the road to wisdom. It begins with a reverential respect and fear of our Creator. He knows. We do not. Not until He enlightens us and gives us sight do we see and understand. To know God truly, means we have tapped into the “all-knowing”; we have access to all the knowledge of the universe. Even the Bible itself is not just a book, not just a university – it is a Universe itself!
Solomon's wisdom and understanding is legendary in history and they were given freely to him by God. In 2 Chronicles 1:10 Solomon asked God for wisdom and knowledge. "Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?" And God granted Solomon's simple, humble request.
"Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee ... "
Ask God for wisdom. Look to him for understanding, open the treasure chest of Christ, in which are hid all the wisdom and knowledge of life. Do not dare to think you know more, or know better than God, as King Uzziah did and lost the respect of God because of his foolish arrogance. All knowledge and wisdom, “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”Jm. 1:17