Safety and Sadness: Good Worship yet not Complete
Notes
Transcript
Scripture Reading: Ezra 3
Opening Prayer
Introduction
Nature show opening
Exposition One (1-6)
1 When the seventh month came, and the children of Israel were in the towns, the people gathered as one man to Jerusalem.
This passage begins by pointing out that they are there for the seventh month. This was the most significant month liturgically for the people.
Feast of the trumpets, the day of atonement, and the feast of tabernacles (booths)
Notice that the people had already settled in their towns.
Though certainly they did not have their personal affairs in order
However, despite this transition period, they chose to gather together as one man in Jerusalem.
Why? … Let’s keep reading
2 Then arose Jeshua the son of Jozadak, with his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel with his kinsmen, and they built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God.
Verse 2 tells us that Jeshua and Zerubbabel step up as leaders.
They build the altar according to the law of Moses
Rabbit Trail - Moses recorded the law.
The did it to offer burnt offerings
Remember, this is all proving that God will redeem his people.
He has proven Himself faithful...
Abraham built an altar, David built an altar, all before there was a temple.
Now the people are rightfully prioritizing the worship of God as He has ordained.
Why?… Let’s keep reading
3 They set the altar in its place, for fear was on them because of the peoples of the lands, and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening.
Here is one of the key verses in the passage. Some of your translations may say this differently but here is one place where I really like the ESV translation as well as the NASB.
They built the altar… why?
Because they were afraid … “for fear was upon them because of the peoples of the land”
Who are the people of the land?
...
So what did they do?
Hopefully the same thing you do when you are afraid, they reached out to the one source of safety and security that truly exists, the Lord. They worshipped, they sacrificed.
4 And they kept the Feast of Booths, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the rule, as each day required,
The feast of booths is a celebration and remembrance of the time in the wilderness.
In this “new exodus” it would take on additional meaning to those who have just spend time “in the wilderness of Babylon”
…
5 and after that the regular burnt offerings, the offerings at the new moon and at all the appointed feasts of the Lord, and the offerings of everyone who made a freewill offering to the Lord.
Continued with regular worship, even freewill offerings
6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. But the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid.
Though there will certainly be mistakes in this return to the land, at least in this case, they appropriately put first things first.
I. The proper response to fear is reliance on and worship to the One who can deliver you (1-6)
I. The proper response to fear is reliance on and worship to the One who can deliver you (1-6)
An emphasis of Ezra has been that God is faithful to redeem His people.
These people were scared, they did not know their new neighbors, certainly people had moved into their towns and places. Under order of Cyrus their land is being given back to them but imagine the awkwardness of the situation…
Application
What does this mean for us?
Turn to God in your times of trouble
If you are one of the redeemed already, you know that He has proven himself faithful to save so trust him in your fearful situations.
If you are not yet a redeemed person, turn to the only one who can save.
Be careful to worship God how he requires
There is certainly some flexibility in the forms that worship can take but there are several elements that are essential to right worship
Explain regulative principle (don’t use the word)[circumstances]
Have faith in the Sovereign goodness of God.
Exposition Two (7-11)
7 So they gave money to the masons and the carpenters, and food, drink, and oil to the Sidonians and the Tyrians to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa, according to the grant that they had from Cyrus king of Persia.
The language here brings clear remembrance of other passages that recall the building of the first temple. (2 Chr. 2:8-16; 1 Kings 5:11-18; Isaiah 60:10-14)
The funds from Cyrus provide everything needed to buy the best they could buy.
8 Now in the second year after their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak made a beginning, together with the rest of their kinsmen, the priests and the Levites and all who had come to Jerusalem from the captivity. They appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to supervise the work of the house of the Lord.
It’s now been 2 years.
The leaders ask the Levites/priests to supervise the work. Why? Were they the most qualified?
Perhaps they were not the most qualified builders but the specifications of the temple were very precise. Having the priests supervise made a lot of sense.
Also, the word supervise is from the same root as the phrase in the Psalms translated Choir director. This will become relevant in vs. 10.
9 And Jeshua with his sons and his brothers, and Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together supervised the workmen in the house of God, along with the sons of Henadad and the Levites, their sons and brothers.
The supervisors of the workers rather than the work (presumably they are more qualified craftsman to make sure the building is done right.
10 And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments came forward with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord, according to the directions of David king of Israel.
The priests led in worship through song.
Look at verse 11
11 And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.” And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.
Brings to mind many Psalms, especially Psalms 118 and 136
II. Worship to God should celebrate the deliverance that He has given (7-11)
II. Worship to God should celebrate the deliverance that He has given (7-11)
Exposition Three (12-13)
12 But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid, though many shouted aloud for joy,
Why did they weep?
… [foundation only]
13 so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people’s weeping, for the people shouted with a great shout, and the sound was heard far away.
The sounds could not be seperated
III. Worship to God should recognize lament (12-13)
III. Worship to God should recognize lament (12-13)
The book of Psalms in filled with lament (Hebrew song book)
The redemption, though in a sense complete, is not yet fully manifested. Therefore there are times of pain and sadness.
You can still worship God, even when you are mourning over the consequences of sin.
Conclusion