Jeroboam II and Uzziah had a great deal of land under their control. Not only were their reigns long, but they did several great projects and kept the land safe from invasions. For all that Jeroboam had done, he could not secure a kingdom for his son, Zechariah, who lasted only six months. The time after Jeroboam’s reign is characterized by revolt, assassinations, and oppression from foreign invaders. As for Uzziah, the object of note in his biography is that the Lord touched him so that he had leprosy. We see two ‘successful’ kings who are either quickly forgotten or infamously remembered. What will we be remembered for? Are the accolades of the day enough or do we want something more? We don’t want to build up our personal empires, but instead we should work towards things that matter more – objects of eternal consequence.
