Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people assembled together as one in Jerusalem. Then Joshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices. Then in accordance with what is written, they celebrated the Festival of Tabernacles with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day. After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings, the New Moon sacrifices and the sacrifices for all the appointed sacred festivals of the Lord, as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the Lord. On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, though the foundation of the Lord’s temple had not yet been laid.
Ezra 3:1-6
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
The people of Israel, after a lengthy exile in Babylon, had returned home. God had promised their time away would not be forever. He would restore His chosen Israel and He was doing just that.
We read in our scripture passage that the seventh month, Tishri, had come and “the Israelites had settled in their towns before going to Jerusalem where they “assembled as one”. The people of Israel were to rebuild the temple of the Lord in the holy city where they gathered but not before they rebuilt the altar.
Scripture tells us that “Joshua…his fellow priests…Zerubbabel…and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses”. We’re told “they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices” before celebrating “the Festival of Tabernacles with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day”. The people of Israel went on to present “regular burnt offerings, the New Moon sacrifices and the sacrifices for all the appointed sacred festivals of the Lord, as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the Lord” as well as “offer burnt offerings to the Lord” on the “first day of the seventh month”.
All this was performed although “the foundation of the Lord’s temple had not yet been laid” and despite the fear the Israelites had “of the peoples around them”.
So what are we to draw from this? Why was the altar constructed and all the observances performed before the temple was rebuilt?
I’m convinced it was because the Israelites needed to rebuild the foundation of true worship to the Lord in their hearts before they could ever start to rebuild the physical structure where they would worship Him.
Maybe we are like the people of Israel sometimes. We go through a time of exile in life when we endure hardship and difficulty and find that our sense of worship has faded. Then, once we emerge from our exiles, we find ourselves having to rebuild…rebuild our faith and rebuild our trust in the only One who can carry us through life.
And as we seek to rebuild, we like Israel, find that we need to start within our hearts first, rebuilding a foundation of true worship and reverence unto the God of all creation…the God who can and does make all things new.
The Israelites started to reestablish their relationship with God by returning to worship…and returning to the altar to do so. We would be well served to do likewise if we are in the place of rebuilding our relationship with Him.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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