King Uzziah had an amazing career–a war hero, a builder, an agriculturist, an organizer with advanced tech. He was famous, capable, and powerful. “But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction (2 Chron. 26:16).” He insists on burning incense to the Lord in the temple–something only the priests were supposed to do. Eighty brave priests try to stop him, and he becomes angry. The Lord gives him leprosy, and they rush him out of the temple. From then on, the mighty King Uzziah has to live in a separate house, isolated and humiliated by his own reckless disregard of the limits of his jurisdiction.
We need to know our place. Knowing where we start and stop is a mark of humility–an acknowledgement of the Sovereignty of our Creator, the authority and giftedness of our brothers and sisters, and the pathway to a greatness that is greater than fame and power.