Uzziah’s reign stands out as, with one exception, the longest in the history of Judah and Israel; that exception is Manasseh who was carried captive to Babylon by the Assyrians, but later set back on his throne (chapter 33).
It is most remarkable as the reign in which Isaiah, Hosea, Joel (thought to be the earliest of those named), and Amos were raised up of God to testify in Judah, or (as to Amos) in Israel, concerning the state of the people, the certain judgment of God, and the ultimate blessing of a remnant of them, with certain Gentiles.
The books of Isaiah and Hosea should particularly be examined for the condition of the people at this period in which God's patience is shown in the midst of a people plunging headlong to ruin. Jonah had preceded these prophets by a few years.
With Amaziah, his father as his pattern or example, Uzziah in his first years did right in the sight of God; like his father, too, pride was the cause of down fall. We are told that he sought God in the days of Zechariah, one who had understanding in the visions of God, and in the days that he sought God, He made him to prosper.
Uzziah fought against the Philistines who no longer as in David's and Solomon's time was a subject people; and against the Arabians of Gur-Baal and the Maonites.
The Ammonites gave him gifts, and his name spread abroad to the entrance of Egypt, for he became exceeding strong.
He built towers at two of the gates, and a third place in the wall of Jerusalem, and fortified them, and made towers in the desert, and had many cisterns dug for the benefit of his cattle and his farming enterprises which he loved.
A strong army was formed, and the country, and particularly Jerusalem was put in readiness for war.
But when he became strong, like his forefathers, Uzziah's pride arose, and he t:rned away from dependence upon God to be a transgressor. He took upon himself to act as a priest, and went into the temple to burn incense upon the golden altar, and he was angry because he was reproved for doing so by the priest who followed him into the building, but the king was smitten with leprosy.
Thenceforth, to the day of his death, Uzziah lived in a separate house, being a leper, cut off from the temple, and Jotham his son acted as regent till he died.
During Uzziah's later years, Pul, the king of Assyria came against the kingdom of Israel, Judah's brethren of the idol worshiping northern kingdom (2 Kings 15:19-2019And Pul the king of Assyria came against the land: and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand. 20And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and stayed not there in the land. (2 Kings 15:19‑20)), and exacted a heavy tribute from the people; very soon some of them were to be carried away captive, and then all the nation followed in less than forty years after Uzziah's death.