New Beginnings
Ezra 3
You know, I used to be into refinishing old furniture, but not so much anymore. It takes time, a lot of work, and space and the proper tools to do the job well. Terri and I have an old wooden bed with matching wash cabinet with a really old tilt mirror and another old dresser with a similar tilt mirror. The mirrors are so old that they’re desilvering, and what looks like some sort of straw on the backside is showing through.
While in Higgins, Terri spent quite a bit of time refinishing the headboard and footboard, and I rebuilt the sideboards that hold the two together. I had to totally rebuild those sideboards because this bed was so short, even Terri wouldn’t be able to stretch out on it. That alone really showed its age because truly antique beds were usually much shorter in length than any we have today. There are no modern mattresses that would fit them.
Anyway, Terri spent far more time on the headboard and footboard than I would have. There was so much detail on them that my patience ran out. She even ran out of patience at some point because the wash cabinet is still not even started. Now, some say that we ruined the antiques by refinishing them, but in my opinion, if I never intend to resell them, then who cares? They’re ours and we’re keeping them. I like the refinished look. We’ve taken something that is old, restored it and modified it just enough for modern use. We’ve given this furniture new life, a new beginning, and that’s what I happen see in our text today, a new beginning.
Ezr 3:1-13 Now when the seventh month came, and the sons of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem. [2] Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brothers arose and 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. [3] So they set up the altar on its foundation, for they were terrified because of the peoples of the lands; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD, burnt offerings morning and evening. [4] They celebrated the Feast of Booths, as it is written, and offered the fixed number of burnt offerings daily, according to the ordinance, as each day required; [5] and afterward there was a continual burnt offering, also for the new moons and for all the fixed festivals of the LORD that were consecrated, and from everyone who offered a freewill offering to the LORD. [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 had not been laid. [7] Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and food, drink and oil to the Sidonians and to the Tyrians, to bring cedar wood from Lebanon to the sea at Joppa, according to the permission they had from Cyrus king of Persia. [8] Now in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all who came from the captivity to Jerusalem, began the work and appointed the Levites from twenty years and older to oversee the work of the house of the LORD. [9] Then Jeshua with his sons and brothers stood united with Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah and the sons of Henadad with their sons and brothers the Levites, to oversee the workmen in the temple of God. [10] Now when the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the LORD according to the directions of King David of Israel. [11] They sang, praising and giving thanks to the LORD, saying, "For He is good, for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever." 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. [12] Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy, [13] so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far away.
In the book of Ezra, the Israelites have been allowed to return to Judah to rebuild the temple and live in the land. In 587 BC, Nebuchadnezzar conquered the land and levelled Jerusalem, and the temple Solomon had built. Of course, years of bad kings had already done their part in damaging the temple long before Nebuchadnezzar showed up. It had been neglected and abused so badly under some of those kings, that when Joash, became king, he instituted a program of repairs. He sought to restore the temple and godly worship. But what we see today, in Ezra, is that about 70 years after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, many of the Israelites have returned to their ancestral home.
Cyrus had specifically mentioned that the people’s return to the land would involve rebuilding God’s house. The people had been back a couple years. They first had to build their own homes, till the fields, and plant their crops so they’d be able to survive. Then in our text today, they’ve begun to restore God’s worship. But before any work is begun on the temple itself, they built an altar and they made sacrifices, gave offerings, and celebrated the festivals.
It’s the 7th month, and the people are assembled in Jerusalem. Now, the 7th month is significant because that is the month of the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles. The 7th month is also the month when Solomon dedicated the first temple after its completion. Now remember, at this time, the people do not have a temple or anything like a tabernacle to worship God. But here they are, in Jerusalem where, Ezr 3:3 …they set up the altar on its foundation, for they were terrified because of the peoples of the lands; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD, burnt offerings morning and evening.
Their return to Judah and the cities of Judah had not been well received by the people who had been left behind by Nebuchadnezzar, or those who came in after the captivity to take over what had been left. The returning Jews did not receive a positive reception, but the order from Cyrus offered them a little protection. Still, they lived in fear of their surrounding neighbors. They lived in fear, but rather than starting immediately on rebuilding the wall for protection, they instead built an altar and began to worship. They worship despite their fear of the surrounding people! They worship because they are afraid! They are seeking the Lord’s favor and His forgiveness all the more now that they are afraid.
You know, I wish that we could appropriate this same attitude in our worship today. Despite the threats all around them, they recognized that their help came from God. Walls, weapons, and other instruments of war have a use, but God is their help. God is their strong tower. God is their strength and Savior and He will fight their battles for them. This is what we need to remember as well. These people didn’t come to Jerusalem to feel good about themselves or for self-validation. They came to worship God and celebrate His festivals. They came to implore and plead for God’s favor. Rather than cowering in fear or wallowing in anguish, they worshipped. And so should we.
Psa 56:3-4 When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. [4] In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me? When times are dark and when we’re afraid—when we have no idea what tomorrow might bring, we need to worship. We need to worship because that is how we gain access to God and His help. Through worship and doing things His way, not our way.
I want you to notice that several times in our text, emphasis is placed on doing things God’s way. In verse 2 it says that they built the altar and offered burnt offerings, Ezr 3:2 …as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of God. In verse 4 Ezr 3:4 They celebrated the Feast of Booths, as it is written, and offered the fixed number of burnt offerings daily, according to the ordinance, as each day required; and then in verse 5, they began keeping Ezr 3:5 …the fixed festivals of the LORD that were consecrated, and they dressed in the appropriate clothes and played instruments built by David Ezr 3:10 …to praise the LORD according to the directions of King David of Israel.
If worship is our way of coming into the presence of God and imploring Him for His favor, His blessing, His help, then doesn’t it make sense to worship Him the way He wants? Worship is about seeking God’s face, so we should seek His face in the manner He has chosen. You know, if one of my kids comes to me for help with something, and if I show them what they need to do or how it should be done, if they then ignore my advice, then why did they come to me in the first place? Don’t you hate it when your kids ask for help and then do the opposite?
Jesus told His disciples, Luk 6:46 "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? And this is a key point that we see over and over in our text. The people do not think of worship as something they can do however they want. They don’t see God as someone who will accept just anything they offer Him. They want to follow what God has told them to do so that they can worship Him properly. Jesus also told the Samaritan woman that Jhn 4:24 "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." Which means that God is immaterial, invisible, He has no body, or corporeal substance, so therefore our worship of Him as Christians is similar—it is of the heart, within and unencumbered by physical limitations and external conformity to religious rituals and places. And the truth Jesus mentioned speaks of worship that is based upon and guided by the truth as found in God’s word.
So, new beginnings involve worshipping God as He has dictated to us, but there is something else about worship that I see in our text today that I think we all should understand. We should take note of. Within this new beginning the people are making, there is room in their worship for different responses by different people. We see some great rejoicing and a pretty rowdy celebration, but we also see that there are some who aren’t so upbeat. Amongst the laughing and joyous shouting, we also see weeping.
Ezr 3:12 Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy,
When the foundation had been laid, the people Ezr 3:11 …sang, praising and giving thanks to the LORD, saying, "For He is good, for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever." The people shouted with a great shout. They praised the Lord that the foundation had been laid. The words from Psalm 100:5 spontaneously sprang from their lips, the very same words that the Priests and Levites sang at the dedication of Solomon’s temple in 2Chr 5:13. There was singing, and music, and much celebration. They have come far, but there was still far to go.
Many shouted and sang, but many others wept. They grieved. It could have been from disappointment. That maybe somehow, they knew that this 2nd temple would never be nearly as grand and beautiful as the first one. Verse 12 indicates that those who wept were older men who had seen the 1st temple, so it’s possible that remembering the grandeur of the 1st temple they felt that this one wasn’t going to measure up. So, their weeping could be from disappointment. However, I would rather give them the benefit of the doubt.
What I mean is that even though they had seen the 1st temple, they also had seen the destruction that was left behind. When they came back into the land, the temple was no more. It was just a pile of rubble. So, I’m thinking that their tears may have been of joy and not really sorrow. Well, maybe some sorrow for what had been and no longer is, but also tears of joy that now, things were moving right along. Things are getting restored; things are beginning to take shape again. The altar had been built first so that worship might happen, but now, the foundation of the temple was laid! When this temple was completed, would it also see the glory of the Lord enter it? The glory of the Lord entered the wilderness tabernacle and also Solomon’s temple. Would the same happen here?
So, many sang and shouted for joy, but many others wept. I think it’s important for us to know that there’s nothing wrong with either approach. Both groups sang and shouted, Ezr 3:11 …"For He is good, for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever." What I really like about this passage is that it gives us a glimpse of worship taking place with both groups, the elders who remembered and the youth who didn’t. We can and should celebrate all that is good and mourn our losses as well. Our worship should never shy away from either our successes or God’s provision and lovingkindness through our deep scars, aches, and pains.
This chapter in Ezra is showing us the contrasting nature of worship, and I think that there’s a challenging lesson for us to learn here. The lesson that sometimes worship can seem to presuppose what we should feel. Many times, those of us who put church services together can choose songs, prayers, or readings that might not line up with the reality of life that someone is experiencing at that moment. What we see here is a younger generation who don’t understand what was lost, and so they are overwhelmed and excited with joy as the work begins. But there’s an older generation who remember what once was, and as they see the restoration work begin, as they see the new beginning, they’re reminded and overwhelmed to tears. The foundation is laid, and God is coming back among His people.
Something else I see in this is that Ezra, the Psalms, and indeed most of Scripture isn’t shy about capturing the full breadth of human experience, the joy, the sadness, the pain, the sorrow while most worship today allows little time or space for things like sadness. The songs we sing are mostly upbeat and focused on the good of the good news. But do we allow space for bringing in the full measure of our human experience? Many of us in this place today are heavy of heart. We think about a beloved friend who is soon stepping into eternity. He’s going to be with the Lord, and we think of the family left behind and the sorrow and emptiness they will be feeling in the days ahead.
Our worship should never shy away from these all too real sorrowful human emotions that we experience in life. They are real, and to deny them is to deny ourselves. But all too often we tend to rush to the end of the story? Like skipping ahead and reading the last chapter and missing out on all of the rough spots, all the joys and sorrows that show us how it all fits together, how it all comes about. We tend to forget that resurrection and life is preceded by death. My friends, remember that to live is to die, and that God’s own Son fully faced this fact Himself and He still came to redeem us from the penalty of sin and present us now alive in Him to His Father.
Our text today paints a picture of worship where there is joy and sadness without differentiation. The noise of their worship was so loud that no one could tell them apart. Literally! Maybe like life requires death, they also knew that joy and sorrow cannot exist without the other. Joy really has no meaning without ever having faced grief. And it’s the promise of joy that keeps us pressing on through the pain and suffering, knowing that there will be an end one day that brings about a new beginning.
For the people in the book of Ezra, the end that brought a new beginning was the end of the captivity that brought them to new life, a new beginning in their homeland. For us today, new beginnings are always possible in Christ. He can and will make you into a whole new man, a whole new woman, if you will turn your life over to Him and follow Him. If you will do that, not only will He change you into a new creature in Christ today, but also one day, all who believe in Jesus, all true disciples of Christ will be resurrected to new life, to new heavens, and to new earth and life with Him forever.
Because the Lord our God Ezr 3:11 …He is good, for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever.
His lovingkindness is upon His people forever. Are you His people?
