The Rebuild Begins

Ezra 3.

Chapters one and two serve as a two chapter introduction to the main events to be played out.

And like any good story, the setup is important-

So now everything is in place to complete the rest of the story:

Today we look at the initial process of rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem.

With special emphasis on the key point of laying a proper and strong foundation first.

With any major task, it is vital to start with a firm foundation-

That is true in our every day world- And so much more vital in our spiritual lives.

Just as construction workers begin with blueprints, scale models and engineering assessments-

As Christians we set as our foundation-

A commitment to prayer

Worship

And unity in the Body of Christ.

The importance of concerted, commitment in the collective of local believers

Can not be emphasized enough.

As we examine this Old Testament story of restoration

We can see the foreshadowing of the Coming Messiah

To establish the ultimate cornerstone in our faith.

In ancient Rome, the Colosseum was built on a foundation that required immense planning and stability. Historians believe it took years just to lay the groundwork necessary to support the massive structure.

When the Great Pyramid of Giza was constructed, the builders spent more than 20 years on its foundation alone before stacking the first stones.

Consider the historic churches that have stood for centuries, enduring earthquakes and storms. Their long-lasting presence is often attributed to their deep, secure foundations.

The same premise holds today:

Each step we take in building our spiritual lives starts with Jesus as our firm foundation.

The Chief Cornerstone the builders rejected, is the solid rock that we anchor our faith too and withstand whatever challenges of life we face.

And we start, today with the foundation-

1- The Strong Foundation

Ezra 3:1–3 NLT

In early autumn, when the Israelites had settled in their towns, all the people assembled in Jerusalem with a unified purpose. Then Jeshua son of Jehozadak joined his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel with his family in rebuilding the altar of the God of Israel. They wanted to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, as instructed in the Law of Moses, the man of God. Even though the people were afraid of the local residents, they rebuilt the altar at its old site. Then they began to sacrifice burnt offerings on the altar to the Lord each morning and evening.

Chapter two ends with the returning exiles gathering, first in Jerusalem to make initial plans and gather provisions to begin to rebuilt the temple.

Shortly after they go to their respective hometowns and villages to begin needed repairs there.

By early Autumn they are recalled the leadership to gather, once again in Jerusalem.

It is important to note that even with the limited time spent at home-

Barely time to get settled-

They all came together in Jerusalem “With a unified purpose”

This gathering together had multiple implications and served several purposes.

The seventh month of the Jewish calendar equates to our modern month of October.

It was a sacred time for the Israelites as-

Three major festivals took place in this timeframe

The Feast of Trumpets

The Day of Atonement

And the Feast of Tabernacles.

It was one of the times of required pilgrimage to the Holy City-

So returning now was appropriate to begin work on rebuilding the Altar and the temple.

Part of the motivation and unity had to do with their desire to re-connect with the previous ways of their pre-exile ways of righteousness and truth.

And what a beautiful picture for us-

As we come together- United in the common purpose of

Honoring and Worshipping God

History has shown that the more difficult life becomes,

situations become more dangerous,

or Persecution increases-

United worship of God by the Body of believers becomes more necessary then ever

Fear, intimidation or upset neighbors did not deter the people from rebuilding the Altar-

At the very sight the original Altar was established

In what ways can you actively contribute to your church community's efforts to strengthen its spiritual foundation?

As then, we can rest assured that when we stand in Christ as a unified body of believers-

We will see Gods will be done in the face of adversity.

So that’s the foundation- Now let’s start building on that foundation-

2- The Celebration of Sacrifice

Ezra 3:4–6 NLT

They celebrated the Festival of Shelters (Tabernacles) as prescribed in the Law, sacrificing the number of burnt offerings specified for each day of the festival. They also offered the regular burnt offerings and the offerings required for the new moon celebrations and the annual festivals as prescribed by the Lord. The people also gave voluntary offerings to the Lord. Fifteen days before the Festival of Shelters began, the priests had begun to sacrifice burnt offerings to the Lord. This was even before they had started to lay the foundation of the Lord’s Temple.

As pointed out here, BEFORE THEY HAD STARTED TO LAY THE FOUNDATION-

They offered up appropriate sacrifices- As prescribed by the Lord.