2 Chronicles 26:16-18
But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the LORD his God and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. But Azariah the priest went in after him, with eighty priests of the LORD who were men of valor, and they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the LORD God.”
Uzziah was the king and had sway in his jurisdiction in that capacity, but in the sanctuary, he was a congregant. His royal robes did not transfer to clerical robes. He could not carry his authority from one arena to another. It was not right for him to perform the duties of a priest. It did not matter who he was per se, it mattered that he wasn't a priest. Azariah and his eighty priests rightfully withstood Uzziah's overreach and firmly said, "Thus far, but no farther." Uzziah was in the wrong and Azariah let him know about it. Something do not belong to Caesar and sometimes he needs to be reminded.
Jehoiada and Azariah both opposed tyranny and refused to allow tyrants to go unchecked. May God provide us more men of valor with steel in their spines and purity in their hearts that they too may ferociously oppose those who presume authority illegitimately either in its acquisition or in its application.
This episode highlights what Kuyper called, sphere sovereignty. Jesus commanded us to give Caesar what is rightfully his; and one of the things that is NOT his is deciding what belongs to Caesar. Those spheres are set by the Sovereign God.
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