Read Ezra 3 The Returned Jews rebuilt the Temple

"And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD: For He is good, For His mercy endures forever toward Israel. Then all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. (Ezra 3:11)

When they arrived and settled in villages near Jerusalem. They assembled with a unified purpose in rebuilding the altar. They hired masons and carpenters and brought cedar logs from the people of Tyre and Sidon, paying them with food, wine, and olive oil. The Levites who were above twenty years old were put in charge of rebuilding the Lords Temple.

After the builders had made the base of the temple, the people met to worship God. The priests and the Levites led the people as they praised God. They sang the same words that their ancestors had sung at the time of King Solomon when he built the first temple (II Chronicles 5:13; II Chronicles 7:3).

They sang by turns in responses, and answered one another, as the word signifies. When one company had performed their part, another took theirs. They praised and gave thanks to the Lord for returning to their own land. This gives them the opportunity, ability, and will, to set about the rebuilding of the temple of the Lord, and restoring the pure worship of God;

They turned to worship God in awareness of His mercy that endures forever. The Levites, clashed their cymbals to praise the Lord, He is so good! His faithful love for Israel endures forever! (:7-11 These words are often repeated in ( ) and which might be the psalm the Levites now sung by responses.

Their worship was accompanied with great shout. It projected triumph and boldness. Many of the older priests, Levites, and other leaders who had seen the first Temple wept aloud when they saw the new Temples foundation. The others, shouting for joy :12-13 to express their joy, in the best manner they could, on this solemn occasion:

Seeing the foundation of the temple gave them hope the temple in due time would be rebuilt, and the service of it restored. What a reminder of God's faithfulness. He restored the joy when his people returned to their first love and re-established their foundation.

Prayer: Father God, You rekindle me in our first love as I rebuilt our foundation. It's the altar of sacrifice, place of encounter in acknowledgment of Your desire to connect with me.

Previous Day
Next Day