URIAH
CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY
I. Uriah, the soldier.
A. He was a Hittite and the husband of Bath-sheba (2 Sam 11:3).
B. He was numbered among 37 (2 Sam 23:39) especially loyal and courageous soldiers of David who fought for him during those difficult and dangerous days when Saul sought his life (see 2 Sam 23:24–39).
II. Uriah, the sacrifice.
A. He lost his wife.
Uriah was sent for and brought home by David from the front lines when Israel was fighting the Ammonites (2 Sam 11:1–13).
1. The review.
David had slept with Uriah’s wife, Bath-sheba, and made her pregnant.
2. The reason.
David had hoped that Uriah would sleep with Bath-sheba, so that he might be deceived into assuming the unborn child was his.
3. The results.
Uriah, possibly suspecting the situation, refused to do this.
B. He lost his life.
1. In desperation, David sent Uriah back to the front lines with a letter ordering Joab, the Israelite commander, to put him in a place where he would be killed (2 Sam 11:14–15).
2. This cruel order was carried out, and Uriah fell in battle (2 Sam 11:16–17).
STATISTICS
Spouse: Bath-sheba (2 Sam 11:3)
First mention: 2 Samuel 11:3
Final mention: Matthew 1:6
Meaning of his name: “God is light”
Referred to: 25 times (NT “Urias”)
Biblical books mentioning him: Four books (2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 1 Chronicles, Matthew)
Occupation: Soldier (2 Sam 23:8, 39)
Place of death: On a battlefield near the Ammonite city of Rabbah (2 Sam 11:1, 17)
Circumstances of death: He was ordered killed by David (2 Sam 11:14–15).
Important fact about his life: He was Bath-sheba’s husband, whom David betrayed (2 Sam 11).
URIJAH
CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY
I. Constructing a false altar.
A. Urijah was a priest in the days of Judean King Ahaz (2 Kgs 16:10).
B. He was ordered to build an altar after the pattern the wicked king had seen while visiting a pagan temple in Damascus (2 Kgs 16:10).
II. Changing the true altar.
Urijah, without any protest, removed the regular bronze altar to the north side of the room (2 Kgs 16:14, 16).
STATISTICS
First mention: 2 Kings 16:10
Final mention: 2 Kings 16:16
Meaning of his name: “God is light”
Referred to: Four times
Biblical books mentioning him: One book (2 Kings)
Occupation: Priest (2 Kgs 16:10)
Important fact about his life: He built a pagan altar for King Ahaz (2 Kgs 16:10–16).
UZZIAH
(See also Chaotic Kingdom)
CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY
I. The proficiency of Uzziah.
A. The builder.
1. He was also called Azariah (2 Kgs 14:21).
2. He was the tenth ruler of Judah.
3. He ruled for 52 years (2 Kgs 15:2).
4. He began to rule when he was 16 (2 Kgs 14:21).
5. He was basically a good king, but he did not remove the pagan high places (2 Kgs 15:3–4).
6. He was instructed in the fear of the Lord by a godly prophet named Zechariah (2 Chr 26:5).
7. He built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate and valley gate (2 Chr 26:9).
8. He built towers in the desert and dug many cisterns (2 Chr 26:10).
9. He rebuilt Elath and returned it to Judah (2 Kgs 14:22).
B. The military leader.
1. He had a well-trained army (2 Chr 26:11).
a. The army numbered 307,500 troops (2 Chr 26:13).
b. The leaders numbered 2,600 (2 Chr 26:12).
2. He equipped them with shields, spears, helmets, coats of armor, bows, and slings (2 Chr 26:14).
3. He placed machines on the towers in Jerusalem (2 Chr 26:15).
C. The rancher.
He had much livestock in the foothills and in the plains (2 Chr 26:10).
D. The farmer.
He had people working his fields and vineyards, and he was a lover of the soil (2 Chr 26:10).
II. The pride of Uzziah.
A. Uzziah, the lawless (2 Chr 26:16).
1. After he became powerful, his pride led to his downfall.
2. He intruded into the office of the priesthood by entering the Temple to burn incense on the altar of incense.
B. Uzziah, the leper.
1. He was confronted and condemned for this by the high priest Azariah along with 80 other courageous priests (2 Chr 26:17–18).
2. Uzziah, with the censer still in his hand, became furious and began raging at the priests (2 Chr 26:19).
3. Even as he spoke, a leprosy plague from God broke out on his forehead (2 Chr 26:19).
4. He was hurriedly escorted out of the Temple by Azariah (2 Chr 26:20).
C. Uzziah, the lonely.
From that day until the day he died, Uzziah lived alone in a separate house, excluded from the Temple of the Lord (2 Chr 26:21).
THEOLOGICAL SUMMARY
I. Isaiah prophesied during the reign of Uzziah. In fact, when the king died, Isaiah saw a vision of God’s glory and the angelic seraphs in heaven (Isa 6:1–13).
II. Hosea prophesied during the reign of Uzziah (Hos 1:1).
III. Amos also prophesied and stated that a tremendous earthquake would occur during the reign of Uzziah (Amos 1:1).
IV. Zechariah the prophet referred to this earthquake centuries after it happened, comparing it to the great earthquake that will split the Mount of Olives from east to west at the second coming of Christ (Zech 14:3–5).
STATISTICS
Mother: Jecholiah (2 Kgs 15:2)
Spouse: Jerusha (2 Kgs 15:33)
Son: Jotham (2 Chr 26:23–27:2)
Final mention: Matthew 1:9
Meaning of his name: “God is strong”
Referred to: 34 times
Biblical books mentioning him: Eight books (2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Isaiah, Hosea, Amos, Zechariah, Matthew)
Occupation: King of Judah (2 Chr 26:1)
Place of birth: Jerusalem
Place of death: Jerusalem (2 Kgs 15:7)
Circumstances of death: He died of leprosy (2 Kgs 15:5).
Important fact about his life: He attempted to intrude into the office of the priesthood (2 Chr 26:16–21).
