Rebuilding the Altar

Rebuilding the Altar

And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem. Ezr. 3:1

the seventh month... The seventh month was October—when the feast of tabernacles was held (Ezr. 3:1, 3:4).

the people gathered... The words, The people assembled as one man, suggest they all agreed that the building project must begin.

Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God. Ezr. 3:2

Jozadak... Jozadak was the son of Seraiah (1Ch. 6:14-15), as was Ezra (Ezr. 7:1). These brothers were uncles of Jeshua, the high priest.

son of Shealtiel... Zerubbabel was really the son of Pedaiah, Shealtiel’s younger brother; but since Shealtiel had no sons, the royal line continued through his nephew Zerubbabel, who was counted as his son (1Ch. 3:19).

as it is written... This shows that the returning exiles had the law of Moses. See Deut. 12:5-7.

And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear was upon them because of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD, even burnt offerings morning and evening. Ezr. 3:3

for fear was... Even though the returnees had fear of the peoples around them, foreigners who had been deported by the Assyrian Empire into Israel.

burnt offerings morning... This refers to the restoration of Israel’s worship in Jerusalem. An altar was made and morning and evening sacrifices were offered, according to the law (Ezr. 3:1-3). Following this, the worship at the new moons and all set yearly feasts of the Lord were established (Ezr. 3:4-5).

They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required; Ezr. 3:4

feast of tabernacles... The feast of tabernacles was the yearly gathering when Jews lived in booths for eight days to commemorate their deliverance from Egypt when they had no permanent homes.

according to the... These were the first sacrifices made there in 50 years — since 586 b.c. when the temple was torn down. Other sacrifices were offered in connection with all the appointed feasts, including, for example, the Feast of Tabernacles on days 15-21 of that seventh month (cf. Lev. 23:33-36, 23:39-43; Num. 29:12-39). The sacrifices showed that the people wanted to be responsive to the Law of God.

And afterward offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of the LORD that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill offering unto the LORD. Ezr. 3:5

And afterward offered... Not after the feast of tabernacles, as if they then began to offer the daily sacrifice. For that they did as soon as the altar was set up, and on the first day of the month (Ezra 3:3). Rather the sense is, that after the daily burnt offering of the morning, they offered the other sacrifices peculiar to the several days of the Feast of Tabernacles. They never neglected that, yea, always began with it; all the rest were after it, and so on other festivals.

continual burnt offering... is speaking of the regular morning and evening sacrifices. We see that the returned Hebrews kept the morning and evening sacrifices. They would, from this time on, keep all of the Feasts including Passover and Pentecost.

both of the... New moons, and of all the set feasts of the Lord that were consecrated": To the service of the Lord, and the honor of his name. As every first day of the month, and every other appointed festival, they offered the sacrifices appropriate to each. But not to the neglect of that sacrifice, and always after it.

and of everyone... That willingly offered a freewill offering unto the Lord": These they were careful also to offer in their proper time.

A freewill offering might be made at any time. It was not of obligation, but of their free will.

From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid. Ezr. 3:6

But the foundation... The foundation of the temple wasn’t laid until the worship had been restored.

They gave money also unto the masons, and to the carpenters; and meat, and drink, and oil, unto them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia. Ezr. 3:7

to bring cedar... Materials had to be prepared and brought to Jerusalem before they could start the actual building of the temple. This would take some time. Evidently arrangements were made by Cyrus to provide money for such materials.

Rebuilding the Temple

Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem; and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to set forward the work of the house of the LORD. Ezr. 3:8

Now in the... This refers to the second year of the coming of Zerubbabel and all those recorded in Ezr. 2:1-70; Neh. 7:5-73, and the second year after the decree of Cyrus (Ezr. 1:1-4).

began Zerubbabel... The beginning of the temple foundation brought a great celebration in Israel. The ceremonies described in Ezr. 3:8-13 were similar to ground-breaking events today. The Levite men twenty years old and older started the work. Other workmen participated while the priests and Levites blew trumpets and sang praise to God (Ezr. 3:9-11).

to set forward... There was a period of preparation for building the temple foundation for the work did not begin till the second month of the second year after their arrival (May-June 536, exactly 70 years after the first deportation in 605). Why this delay of seven months after the altar was built? Because they had to get organized and secure the building materials. The wood (cedar logs) came from Lebanon, shipped along the coast to Joppa and then carried overland to Jerusalem.

Then stood Jeshua with his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together, to set forward the workmen in the house of God: the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brethren the Levites. Ezr. 3:9

Then stood Jeshua... Zerubbabel appointed the Levites as supervisors of the construction project. Centuries earlier Levites were involved in the tabernacle construction (Exo. 38:21) and in caring for and transporting it (Num. 1:50-51; 3:21-37). Now they were involved in the temple construction. Three Levite groups of supervisors were mentioned (Ezr. 3:9) — Jeshua and his family, Kadmiel (cf. Ezr. 2:40) and his family, and the family of Henadad.

And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel. Ezr. 3:10

And when the... Nothing is mentioned about the actual process of laying the temple foundation or the length of time involved. This is because the focus was on the results of this project on that community of people who had braved the rugged conditions. They were following the command of Cyrus but, more importantly, they were following the command of their God with whom they were in covenant.

the foundation of… was laid the people were careful to follow in the traditions of their forefathers who had been rightly related to God under the Mosaic Covenant. As the priests… and the Levites led the dedication service for the temple’s foundations, they did the things that were prescribed by David.

after the ordinance... The order followed was the same as when David brought the ark to Jerusalem. At that time priests blew trumpets and Asaph sounded cymbals (1Ch. 16:5-6). Here the priests blew trumpets and sons (descendants) of Asaph played the cymbals. The order was also similar to the time when the ark was brought to the temple in Solomon’s day (2Ch. 5:12-13), when Asaph and others played cymbals, harps, and lyres; and the priests blew trumpets.

And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever 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. Ezr. 3:11

And they sang... In this rebuilding service the priests and Levites sang, He is good; His love to Israel endures forever, words almost identical to the song of praise in 2Ch. 5:13 (cf. Psm. 136:1).

all the people... This song of praise is highly significant for by it the religious leaders were acknowledging that Yahweh had again established His loving protection over the nation. The word “love” (ḥesed) is God’s covenantal loyal love which exists forever with His people Israel. Now that the temple worship was being reestablished, the people again recognized the commitment of God’s unending covenantal love.

But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: Ezr. 3:12

But many of... In contrast with the joy many people experienced on that occasion, a few of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple (destroyed 50 years earlier in 586 b.c.) were discouraged. Perhaps they contrasted the roughness of the current project with the grandeur of the Solomonic temple.

So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off. Ezr. 3:13

So that the... The two sounds, the joy and the weeping (from sadness), mingled together and were so loud that they were heard far away.