Uzziah Struck with Leprosy in the Temple
King Uzziah is struck with leprosy in the temple for presumptuously offering incense.
Uzziah was strong, but his heart was lifted up to his destruction. He went into the temple to burn incense on the altar of incense — a duty reserved for the priests. Azariah and eighty priests withstood him. As he raged, leprosy rose up in his forehead. They thrust him out, and he was a leper to the day of his death.
God
The temple in Jerusalem
What Happened
- 1Uzziah grew strong and proud after years of God's blessing
- 2He entered the temple to offer incense himself
- 3The priests bravely withstood him
- 4Leprosy rose in his forehead as he raged
- 5He was thrust out and lived as a leper until his death
Key KJV Scriptures
"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."
"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."
Spiritual Significance
Uzziah's leprosy shows that even kings must keep their God-ordained boundaries. Pride that crosses sacred lines invites swift discipline from the LORD.
Lesson for Today
Stay in the calling God has given you. Strength becomes danger when it forgets its limits.
Key People
Frequently Asked Questions
Why couldn't the king offer incense?
Only Aaron's priestly descendants were authorized to offer incense (Numbers 16:40). Uzziah usurped a sacred priestly role.
How long was Uzziah a leper?
Until his death. His son Jotham governed the people while Uzziah lived in a separate house, cut off from the temple.
Where in the Bible is the miracle of Uzziah Struck with Leprosy in the Temple?
The miracle of Uzziah Struck with Leprosy in the Temple is recorded in 2 Chronicles 26:19 (KJV), with additional references in 2 Chronicles 26:21.
Who performed the miracle of Uzziah Struck with Leprosy in the Temple?
Scripture records that God carried out this miracle at The temple in Jerusalem. Ultimately the power belonged to God, who alone does wondrous things (Psalm 72:18).
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