2 Chronicles 26:1 - Meaning and Application

We have here two things said about Uzziah.

First, his devotion to God. He was not especially notable for deep zeal, but he did what was right in the Lord’s sight. He kept up the true worship of the real God, as his father had done, and he was better than his father in this respect. We have no reason to think that he ever turned to idols, even in later years when his heart became proud. It is said that he sought God in the days of Zechariah (2 Chronicles 26:5). Some think this Zechariah was the son of the Zechariah whom Uzziah’s grandfather Joash had killed. This Zechariah understood the visions of God, meaning either the visions he himself received or the earlier prophetic visions. He knew the messages of the prophets well, and he lived in close fellowship with God. He was wise, devout, and good, and he seems to have had great influence over Uzziah. Happy are those rulers who have such people around them and are willing to take their advice. But it is sad when people seek God only while such helpers are near, and do not have their own settled faith to carry them through to the end.

Second, his success and prosperity. In general, as long as he sought the Lord and paid attention to religion, God made him prosper. Only God gives true success, because prosperity is his gift. Also, faith and godliness are good friends to outward success. Many people have found this to be true: while they sought the Lord and stayed faithful to their duty, they prospered, but when they turned away from God, everything went badly.

There are several clear examples of Uzziah’s prosperity. In war, God helped him (2 Chronicles 26:7). Then he defeated the Philistines, old enemies of God’s people, tore down the defenses of their cities, and placed his own garrisons there (2 Chronicles 26:6). He also made the Ammonites pay him tribute (2 Chronicles 26:8). He brought peace around him and kept surrounding nations in fear.

His fame also spread far and wide. His name was known throughout the neighboring countries (2 Chronicles 26:8), and it was a good name, one linked with good things in the sight of God and good people. That is true honor, and it makes a person truly respected.

He also built well. While he acted strongly against enemies abroad, he did not neglect the defense of his own kingdom. He built towers in Jerusalem and strengthened them (2 Chronicles 26:9). Much of Jerusalem’s wall had been broken down in his father’s time, especially at the corner gate. Yet the best protection for Jerusalem was his faithful support of God’s worship. If his father had not abandoned that, the wall of Jerusalem would not have been broken down. While he fortified the city, he also remembered the countryside and built towers in the wilderness too (2 Chronicles 26:10), so he could protect farmers and villagers from raiders, since bands of plunderers sometimes frightened them and robbed them (2 Chronicles 21:16).

He also prospered in farming. He raised much cattle and grain, employed many workers, and gained great wealth from it, because he enjoyed it. He loved farming (2 Chronicles 21:10), and likely watched over his country business himself. That was no shame to him, but an advantage, because it encouraged hard work among his people. It is an honor to farming that one of the most famous princes in David’s line followed it and loved it. He was not a man who lived for war, sport, or pleasure, but for the simple and useful work of a farmer.

He also had strong military forces. It seems he kept two kinds of troops. One group was a fighting force that went out in companies (2 Chronicles 21:11). They brought back spoils from nearby nations, as repayment for the damage those nations had often done to Judah. The other group guarded the land and stood ready to defend it if enemies attacked (2 Chronicles 21:12, 2 Chronicles 21:13). They were so many and so strong that they could make war with great power; no enemy dared face them, or, at least, stand against them.

Since men without weapons can do little in war, Uzziah provided a large armory for his soldiers. From there they received offensive and defensive weapons (2 Chronicles 21:14), such as spears, bows, slings, shields, helmets, and coats of mail. Swords are not mentioned, probably because each man already had one of his own. In his time, engines were also made for throwing darts and stones from towers and walls (2 Chronicles 21:15). It is sad that human pride and sinful desires have made it necessary for skilled people to use their gifts to invent tools of death.