2 Kings 15
1 In the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign.
2 Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem.
3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done;
4 Save that the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places.
The text for the service was taken from 2 Kings 15: 1-4. Azariah became king over Judah when he was only sixteen years old. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord but he didn’t remove the high places where the people offered sacrifices. Because of this, God struck him down and he contracted leprosy. Azariah compromised his faith which was not complete and whole.
Perhaps a high place in your life is fashion or something of the world. It is a high place but God detests it. There can be many high places in a person’s life; for example, anger and grudges or being immoral and having another woman or man in your life.
When the king died (also known as King Uzziah in Is 6), the prophet, Isaiah, saw the Lord in His temple and the seraphim crying “holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts.” Isaiah saw the glory of God but Azariah did not see that glory of God because holiness was not in his life. The deceased is not here, only his body which will return to dust for what God says is true. The same applies to each one of us. We will all return to dust and then we must meet the judgement of God. Will we see the glory of God or will we have compromised and meet up with something else?
Azariah’s mother, Jecoliah, is also mentioned. In like manner, parents are responsible for the children. You cannot side with your child in their sin. Instead you have to separate from sin and deal with it. Christian, are you compromising? God might let you live with it till you die and that would be terrible. Jesus came to forgive. Today is still an opportunity for you to be revived and to repent.