Trumping Role Call

There is an interesting phenomenon that the late Dr. Francis Shaffer demonstrated in his little philosophical book titled Escape from Reason. The phenomenon was displayed in a series of formulaic expressions. These expressions showed how easy it was to allow things, often good and right things, to become more important than they ought and eventually trumping God in the minds and methods of the adherents. Shaffer demonstrated the reality of this through history and art. While Shaffer expressed it sociologically, the scripture time and again tells of it in reality and the consequences. It is interesting that this point seems lost by so many evangelicals. One who is unaware of potential idols will eventually submit to them.

There is an interesting account of a series of events in the book of 2 Chronicles that in essence is history repeating itself and we are living that history. I want to take some major points of the history and relate it to the current status of much of the western church. You can read the full account in 2 Chronicles 26.

2 Chronicles 26:1 Now all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who [was] sixteen years old, and made him king…4 And he did [what] [was] right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 5 He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper….

Notice a few things that are good and right. First, he was young and inexperienced. This created by default a natural need for dependence. Second, he took that need and determined best at how to fill it: he sought the Lord. Third, He found a Godly man (Demonstrated by his understanding of God’s visions, which also displayed he was steeped in the Word of God.) and submitted to his instruction and to his position. Forth, there was an effect that followed his right cause, God blessed him.

So a right pattern for you and I would be: Recognize our situation and position, seek God wholeheartedly, find a man of God and receive Godly instruction, and keep the focus on seeking the One blessing and not the blessings.

The last one is where there is grave danger in upsetting the apple cart. It was and still is the Achilles heel of fallen pride-filled independent man. Let’s pick up Uzziah’s story.

15 …So his fame spread far and wide, for he was marvelously helped till he became strong….16 But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to [his] destruction, for he transgressed against the Lord his God by entering the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.

His pride led him out of dependence and into self-styled worship and God serving. It deceived him into believing that becoming a friend of God allowed him to trump God’s order and re-align God’s ways. He was fooled into thinking that the favor from God allowed him the right to exalt the favor (the experience of blessing) while disregarding the word of God.
This sin repeats itself often unfortunately.

Today, the modern expression that comes to mind is how leadership and business savvy has come to trump God’s word and ways. It is as the church and her leaders have bowed to the influence of the affluent and not the Bible. That business 401 trumps bible 101 and the mode of operation mimics the values of corporate America and not Christ voice. Status and skills of leadership are more highly prized than a servant who is a student of the text. Where the powerful forget their role as servants and stewards and position their power to influence as leader.

In Uzziah’s day there some men who stood up for truth even when it could have cost them their life. Notice with me...

17 So Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him were eighty priests of the Lord--valiant men. 18 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. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed! You [shall] [have] no honor from the Lord God."

These men of God confronted head on the issue at hand, corrected the error by quoting the text, stopped the progress of the sin and declared the dishonor from the Lord. What might happen today if such Godly men arose from their slumber, studied the text in order to seek God and not just success, and confronted head on men and women of much more power who were trumping their own role call? What if the business followed the bible and not the other way around? We will either confront the trumping of roles or be trampled by them. We can see kings cut off or ourselves. Uzziah’s history is told, what will ours tell?

Chris Gilliam © 2009