2 Chronicles 26:16

2 Chronicles 26:16 says, 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.  When Uzziah became strong in the world, he went into the temple and burned incense on the altar of incense, which was a transgression against God's law.  Only priests were supposed to do this, and Uzziah was taking over their role. As Christians, we may do something that sounds good, but if we are not doing it under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, it is not going to be pleasing to God, and if it is contrary to the word of God, it will always be displeasing to Him.  Verse seventeen adds, And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the Lord, that were valiant men:  Azariah and eighty priests who were said to be brave men went into Uzziah.  We may not have a lot of people stand with us, but if someone is doing something against the will of God, we need to bravely stand against them.  Verse eighteen continues, 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.  Amaziah and these eighty priests told him that he had done something that was against God's law, since only the priests were to burn incense to God.  It took some courage on their part, but at least they were united in their stand against what Uzziah was doing and to ask him to leave the temple.  It may take some courage on our part to take a stand against those in power today if they are doing things against God's will, but we must always do so by the leadership and power of the Holy Spirit, even if we stand alone.  Verse nineteen states, 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.  Uzziah was angry with them, and still had the censer to burn incense in his hand, I believe to show them that he was going to do what he wanted to do.  While he was doing this, he was afflicted with leprosy in his forehead.  We might think he would have been afflicted with leprosy in his arm that held the censor, but it was actually his thoughts that had caused him to think he could do whatever he wanted to do.  It is our thoughts that will lead us to sin today, and we can always be certain that God is going to get to the root of sin and not just punish the symptoms or results of that sin.  Verse twenty adds, 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.  Azariah and the priests saw that Uzziah was stricken with leprosy and hurried to get him out of the temple and Uzziah himself hurried to leave, since it was against God's law for a person with leprosy to be in the temple.  We don't need to rush people out of church today of they are doing something against God's will, but if they won't be corrected, then we cannot allow them to continue to do what they have been doing and act as if it is okay.  Our worship needs to be pure.  Verse twenty-one continues, 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 Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land.  Uzziah didn't die for bis actions, but he was cut off from the people and the temple.  His prideful actions led to his downfall, and if we act out of pride and not out of obedience to God, we will not die spiritually if we have accepted the salvation of Christ, but we may be cut off from spiritual blessings.  Verse twenty-two says, Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, did Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, write.  We are told that Isaiah the prophet wrote the rest of the acts of Uzziah, from beginning to end.  God will write down our actions from the time we are born until the day we die, and nothing will be hidden from Him.  Of course, if we are a Christian, He will also write the day that we were born again, and this will be the most important fact. Verse twenty-three adds, So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial which belonged to the kings; for they said, He is a leper: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.  Uzziah died and was buried, and Jotham his son reigned in his place.