Like Joash, Amaziah is a mixture of good and bad. He listens to God when he is told not to rely on mercenaries, but fails to listen when God instructs him not to rely on idols. The king of Israel identifies his problem as one of pride. After defeating one enemy, he believes he is more powerful than he actually is. Uzziah is also described as having a pride problem, but his takes a different form. Uzziah is the king of Judah, but he decides to also take on the role of priest. Kings came from the tribe of Judah, like David, and priests came from the tribe of Levi, like Aaron. As such, a king could never be a priest, and a priest could never be a king. This separation is similar to the US where the branches of government are kept separate so there is a balance of power. Jesus becomes the exception to the rule. He is from the tribe of Judah and therefore qualified to be king, but is also a priest (Hebrews 7:14 & 15).
Romans 12:3 says, “Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.” Amaziah and Uzziah fall into a trap that can be a problem for anyone. True success comes from depending on God more, not through our accomplishments.