The art of warfare is the art of conflict, strategy, and combat. Conflict is as old as man and combat predates modern civilization. The battles that were fought and won in history were coloured by varying machinations and strategies.
Warfare declarations and its instruments and ultimate decisions are always vested in royalty. Today, warfare may even be considered a function of governance! Uzziah became a king at a very young age (16 years). He remained on the throne for 52 years. He became a king at a time when kingdoms ruled by warfare and conquests. He was a very brilliant and wise king. He excelled in the art of warfare by the strategies that he catalysed. With the superior strategies his kingdom stayed ahead of their ‘combat competition’. His secret was that when he began his reign, he was with God and God helped him until he became very great. He had fame, wealth, and people.
Uzziah’s kingdom had great military might because of the strength of the army and their military inventions.
He grew in military might until he became very great. When he became great, he tried to interfere with a sphere of influence that he had no direct jurisdiction over. Success has a way of making some people proud! Uzziah tried to interfere with religion. Maybe, he thought that his success placed him directly over every other domain in his kingdom. Wisdom is expressed in knowing our limits when we deal with issues and domains over which the Almighty God legislates. Today, we see people who have made it – have influence over some people and have made or are making money from their business/career, use their social media handles or every opportunity to talk down on religion, encourage people to stay away from a real commitment to the Almighty God, or disdain the people that God, in His own right and wisdom, has placed over His people to nurture and lead them. Dangerous.
When Uzziah’s subtle and arrogant rebellion began, the priests that had jurisdiction over the affairs of religion in the kingdom warned him to keep off that domain. But did the renegade king listen? No. He did not. The owner of all things had to judge him before he realised that he had gone rogue! God struck him with leprosy, which he lived with until he died. When the judgements of God are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness (Isaiah 26:9)!
Don’t be like Uzziah, thank God for success, but leave God’s work, people, and His men alone. You don’t know much about that domain. Choose your battles carefully. Don’t fight against the Almighty God. Concentrate on your own life. Have you been saved – saved from sin and its consequences? If you have not, you need to get saved today. Don’t get to the end of your life to discover that you have lived an aimless earthly life. Today is the day to find out the way to God and to follow it faithfully.