Reflections on Ezra 3

Ezra 03 (Contemporary English Version)

1. During the seventh month of the year, the Israelites who had settled in their towns went to Jerusalem.
   
2. The priest Joshua son of Jozadak, together with the other priests, and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his relatives rebuilt the altar of Israel's God. Then they were able to offer sacrifices there by following the instructions God had given to Moses.
   
3. And they built the altar where it had stood before, even though they were afraid of the people who were already living around there. Then every morning and evening they burned sacrifices and offerings to the LORD.
   
4. The people followed the rules for celebrating the Festival of Shelters and offered the proper sacrifices each day.
   
5. They offered sacrifices to please the LORD, sacrifices at each New Moon Festival, and sacrifices at the rest of the LORD's festivals. Every offering the people had brought was presented to the LORD.
   
6. Although work on the temple itself had not yet begun, the people started offering sacrifices on the LORD's altar on the first day of the seventh month of that year.
   
7. King Cyrus of Persia had said the Israelites could have cedar trees brought from Lebanon to Joppa by sea. So they sent grain, wine, and olive oil to the cities of Tyre and Sidon as payment for these trees, and they gave money to the stoneworkers and carpenters.
   
8. During the second month of the second year after the people had returned from Babylonia, they started rebuilding the LORD's temple. Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the priests, the Levites, and everyone else who had returned started working. Every Levite over twenty years of age was put in charge of some part of the work.
   
9. The Levites in charge of the whole project were Joshua and his sons and relatives and Kadmiel and his sons from the family of Hodaviah. The family of Henadad worked along with them.
   
10. When the builders had finished laying the foundation of the temple, the priests put on their robes and blew trumpets in honor of the LORD, while the Levites from the family of Asaph praised God with cymbals. All of them followed the instructions given years before by King David.
    
11. They praised the LORD and gave thanks as they took turns singing: "The LORD is good! His faithful love for Israel will last forever." Everyone started shouting and praising the LORD because work on the foundation of the temple had begun.
    
12. Many of the older priests and Levites and the heads of families cried aloud because they remembered seeing the first temple years before. But others were so happy that they celebrated with joyful shouts.
    
13. Their shouting and crying were so noisy that it all sounded alike and could be heard a long way off.
    

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    Upon arriving in Jerusalem in their return from Babylon, the Jews collected contributions from each family for rebuilding the temple and then went to their hometowns to get settled. After settling in, their first project was to build an altar on which they could make burnt offering to the Lord, doing all in accordance with "the law of Moses." (3:2) Once the altar was ready they began offering the morning and evening burnt offerings. Then they celebrated the Festival of Booths and settled into regular offerings "for the beginning of each month and for all the LORD's appointed holy occasions, as well as the freewill offerings brought to the LORD." (3:5) They did all as prescribed by the law of Moses. They offered the burnt offerings "even though they feared the surrounding peoples." (3:3) Forsaking the covenant had resulted in their 70 year exile. They did not intend to let this happen again.
    
    Having accomplished this important step, they turned their attention to the temple. Using the money they had collected upon first arriving in Jerusalem, they paid stonecutters and artisans and purchased cedar wood from Lebanon which they imported to Jerusalem. Priests were appointed to supervise the work to be sure it met the stipulations of the law. Construction began in the second month of the second year after their arrival in Jerusalem. When the foundation had been laid for the temple, a celebration was held in accordance with instructions that had been given by King David. This was a time of mixed emotions as they all were joyful on this occasion, but those who had seen the first temple also mourned for what they had lost.
    
    It is foolish to think we can do better apart from the Lord than we can with Him as was the case with Israel. But foolishness is no respecter of persons nor is it reserved for the unintelligent. Many otherwise intelligent people become fools when it comes to understanding this truth.