The Journey 3-25-14 Morning People! 2 Chronicles 26:1 – 27:9 “Separation of Church & State, OT Style” Take a read. . . “All the people of Judah took Uzziah (he was sixteen years old) and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. He was the one who built up Elot and returned it to Judah after the king slept with his ancestors. Uzziah, sixteen years old when he became king, reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah, from Jerusalem. He did what was right in Yahweh’s eyes in accordance with al his father Amaziah did. He sought the help of God in the time of Zechariah, who instructed him in reverence for God. He went out to fight the Philistines and broke through the wall of Gath, the wal of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod,a nd build up cities in Ashdod. God helped him against the Philistines, the Arabs who lived in Gur-baal, and the Meunites. . .Verse 16 But when he became strong, his attitude became superior, until he acted destructively and trespassed against Yahweh his God; he went into Yahweh’s palace to burn incense on the incense altar. The priest Azariah followed him; with him were eighty able priests of Yahweh. They stood against King Uzziah and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense for Yahweh, because it is for the priests, the Aaronites, who have been consecrated, to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, because you have trespassed. There will not be honor for you from Yahweh God.” Uzziah (the censor for burning incense in his hand) was furious. When he got furious with the priests, a skin condition broke out on his forehead in front of the priests in Yahweh’s house, by the incense altar. Azariah the head priest, and all the priests, looked at him; there, he had a skin condition on his forehead. They hurried him from there, and he himself hastened to leave, because Yahweh had struck him. King Uzziah had the skin condition until the day of his death. He stayed in a house apart as a person with a skin condition, because he was cut off from Yahweh’s house; Jotham his son was over the king’s house, exercising authority over the people of the country. . .Verse 23 Uzziah slept with his ancestors, but they buried him with his ancestors in the burial filed belonging to the kings because (they said), “He had a skin condition.” His son Jotham became king in his place. . .verse 27 He did what was right in Yahweh’s eyes in accordance with all that his father Uzziah had done, though he did not come into Yahweh’s palace. But the people acted destructively. . .27:8. . .He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. Jotham slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in David’s city, and his son Ahaz became king in his place.” Reflections • Skin Conditions - I have “age” spots, dark spots. I spent too much time in the sun unprotected my dermatologist says. I don’t like them. I am old enough looking as it is. I have a dermatology check up every year to be on the safe side. Thankfully, no one has suggested I stay away from the chapel or church because of these “spots.” In OT Israel, it might be a little different. There were skin conditions that could lead to your being expected to stay away from the sanctuary. Traditionally referred to as leprosy, but the term can be misleading because it is commonly understood to denote a skin disease that can eat up a person’s hands or feet. Interestingly, the OT’s concern is not really about health; Old and New Testament talk more about “cleansing” than about “healing” in connection with such an affliction. Remember when Miriam (Moses’ sister) gets struck with such an affliction? Aaron protests that she must not become like someone who has died, like someone who is stillborn and whose flesh I half-eaten away. To be afflicted in this way, then, is to look half-dead. That raises problems in connection with worship. When people go into worship in the sanctuary, they go to a place where God has promised to be especially and regularly present. You can be sure to meet God there. Of course God is elsewhere; in that story about Miriam, people are not in the sanctuary, but that doesn’t stop Moses from praying for God to come near to heal her, and it doesn’t stop God from RESPONDING! LESSON: likewise, in this story the fact that Uzziah cannot go to the sanctuary doesn’t mean he is never in God’s presence. Beyond that, remember, Yahweh is the LIVING God. Canaanite gods could die; Yahweh did NOT! There is like a contradiction between Yahweh and death. Evidently you didn’t have to avoid all human contact, but when other people were about to go to the sanctuary to offer a sacrifice, it would be necessary for them to avoid close contact with you lest they “catch” your taboo, and you must accept some responsibility to make sure this does not happen. REMEMBER in the NT, a group of men with this skin condition stand at a distance when they call on Jesus? (Luke 17:12). Imagine the stakes a bit higher when the person with this skin ailment is the king. • NOW, the why? It would appear (to me at least), there is some poetic justice about the consequences (another LESSON, correct? There are always consequences to our actions. It’s a law of human nature and life here on planet earth) What was it? Could it have been that Uzziah acted in an exalted way? You know, in his view, his role of worship was elevated much higher than God would have intended. Is that an issue in the 21st Century church? Just asking. I have read that other Middle Eastern Kings often had a more significant role in worship than Israelite kings. In Israel kingship and priesthood WERE SEPARATE. It was not the same as separating church and state, but it involved a related principle to be sure. The king had responsibility before God for the conduct of state affairs; the priests had responsibility for the conduct of the sanctuary. Uzziah had led the country in triumphant fashion and had come to think he could also perhaps assume a key role in the sanctuary, but it involved TRESPASS. Is it that people would perhaps COLLUDE with it? People do like heroes, right? Well, the priests don’t collude with it. Maybe they are concerned with the safeguarding of their own position. As the story unfolds it is clear that God does not collude with it either. IMPORTANT LESSON, another one: Uzziah gets a CHANCE to stop! It is when he refuses to heed the priests that the terrible blow falls on him. Is there yet another lesson of life in there for us church? Love you guys and gals, pb
Posted on: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 12:09:57 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015