Study Desk

Uzziah obeyed God while Zechariah was alive, because he taught Uzziah how to respect and obey God. And as long as Uzziah obeyed the Lord , God gave him success.

He also built towers in the desert and dug many wells, because he had many cattle on the western hills and in the plains. He had people who worked his fields and vineyards in the hills and in the fertile lands, because he loved the land.

In Jerusalem Uzziah made cleverly designed devices. These devices on the towers and corners of the city walls were used to shoot arrows and large rocks. So Uzziah became famous in faraway places, because he had much help until he became powerful.

They told him he was wrong and said to him, "You don't have the right to burn incense to the Lord . Only the priests, Aaron's descendants, should burn the incense, because they have been made holy. Leave this holy place. You have been unfaithful, and the Lord God will not honor you for this."

Azariah, the leading priest, and all the other priests looked at him and saw the skin disease on his forehead. So they hurried him out of the Temple. Uzziah also rushed out, because the Lord was punishing him.

Uzziah died and was buried near his ancestors in a graveyard that belonged to the kings. This was because people said, "He had a skin disease." And his son Jotham became king in his place.

Jotham became powerful, because he always obeyed the Lord his God.

The army of Pekah son of Remaliah killed one hundred twenty thousand brave soldiers from Judah in one day. Pekah defeated them because they had left the Lord , the God of their ancestors.

But a prophet of the Lord named Oded was there. He met the Israelite army when it returned to Samaria and said to them, "The Lord , the God of your ancestors, handed Judah over to you, because he was angry with those people. But God has seen the cruel way you killed them.

Now listen to me. Send back your brothers and sisters whom you captured, because the Lord is very angry with you."

The Lord brought trouble on Judah because Ahaz their king led the people of Judah to sin, and he was unfaithful to the Lord .

They could not celebrate it at the normal time, because not enough priests had made themselves ready to serve the Lord , and the people had not yet gathered in Jerusalem.

And God united all the people of Judah in obeying King Hezekiah and his officers, because their command had come from the Lord .

There was much joy in Jerusalem, because there had not been a celebration like this since the time of Solomon son of David and king of Israel.

The priests and Levites stood up and blessed the people, and God heard them because their prayer reached heaven, his holy home.

Azariah, the leading priest from Zadok's family, answered Hezekiah, "Since the people began to bring their offerings to the Temple of the Lord , we have had plenty to eat and plenty left over, because the Lord has blessed his people. So we have all this left over."

The Levites' babies, wives, sons, and daughters also got part of the collection. This was done for all the Levites who were listed in the family histories, because they always kept themselves ready to serve the Lord .

"Be strong and brave. Don't be afraid or worried because of the king of Assyria or his large army. There is a greater power with us than with him.

But Hezekiah did not thank God for his kindness, because he was so proud. So the Lord was angry with him and the people of Judah and Jerusalem.

He also built many towns. He had many flocks and herds, because God had given Hezekiah much wealth.