Ezra 3:1 - Meaning and Application

Here is a general gathering of the returned Israelites at Jerusalem in the seventh month (Ezra 3:1). We may suppose they came from Babylon in the spring, and they would need at least four months for the journey, since Ezra and his company took that long (Ezra 7:9). So the seventh month soon came, and with it many of the Lord’s feasts. Then they gathered together by mutual agreement, not because a ruler ordered them, to come to Jerusalem.

Though they had only just settled back in their towns, and had much work to do to provide for themselves and their families, they still came to God’s altar. Many people foolishly put off worship until life feels more settled, but these returned exiles did not do that. Their zeal for religion was especially strong because they had only recently come out from God’s discipline for their former neglect of him. They left their business in the countryside to attend to the worship of God, and, strangely enough, they were all of one mind in this holy zeal. Let worldly work be set behind the work of religion, and even worldly work will go better.

The leaders took care to have an altar ready for worship. Joshua and his fellow priests, together with Zerubbabel and his fellow leaders, built the altar of the God of Israel (Ezra 3:2). It was likely built in the same place where it had stood before, on the same foundation (Ezra 3:3). Bishop Patrick thinks that before the temple was rebuilt, a tabernacle for worship was set up, as in David’s time, not on Mount Moriah, but on Mount Zion (1 Chronicles 9:23), and that this altar was built there for use while the temple was still being built.

From this we should learn to begin with God. The harder and more pressing our situation is, the more we need to take God with us in all our ways. If we want to be guided by his word, we should honor him with our gifts. We should also do what we can in God’s worship when we cannot yet do all we would like. They could not have a temple at once, but they would not be without an altar. Abraham built an altar wherever he went, and wherever we are, even if we cannot yet have the full help of preaching or the Lord’s Supper, we should still bring the sacrifices of prayer and praise. We have an altar that always makes the gift holy.

The reason given for their haste to set up the altar was fear of the people of the land. They lived among enemies who disliked them and their religion, and they were no match for them on their own. Some understand the text to mean, though they were in such danger, they still built the altar. They would not let fear of man drive them away from worship. We must never let that fear trap us. Others understand it to mean that because danger surrounded them, they set up the altar. The sense is the same, danger should push us toward duty. If we have many enemies, then it is good to have God as our friend and to keep close to him. Our fears should drive us to our knees. Even Saul thought he would be ruined if the enemy came before he had prayed to God (1 Samuel 13:12).

They also offered sacrifices on the altar. The altar was built to be used, and they used it at once. Let no one who has an altar let it lie unused. They began on the first day of the seventh month (Ezra 3:6). There is no sign that they had fire from heaven to start with, as Moses and Solomon did, but ordinary fire served them, as it had served the patriarchs.

Once they began, they kept up the daily burnt offering, morning and evening (Ezra 3:5; Ezra 3:3). They had learned by painful experience what it was like to be without the comfort of the daily sacrifice, which gave them something to plead in daily prayer. Now that it was restored, they were determined not to let it stop again. The daily lamb pointed to the Lamb of God, whose righteousness must be our confidence in all our prayers.

They also kept all the appointed feasts of the Lord and offered the sacrifices required for each one, especially the Feast of Tabernacles (Ezra 3:4, 3:5). After such great mercy from God, that joyful feast was especially fitting. Since they were beginning to settle in their own towns, it also reminded them of their ancestors living in tents in the wilderness. This feast also had a special connection with gospel times, as appears in Zechariah 14:18, and now that those times were drawing near, it was fitting that the feast should be brought into greater honor. About the services of this feast, which lasted seven days and had special sacrifices for each day, the text says they did what was needed for each day, or, in the original wording, “the word of the day in its day.” That phrase has become a common saying among those used to scriptural language.

If the Feast of Tabernacles pictured the Christian life, with its being weaned from the world and its joy in God, then it teaches us to do the work of each day as that day requires. We should make good use of time by finding something useful to do every day. We should also make good use of opportunity by fitting ourselves to the special duty of the present day. Everything is beautiful in its season. The tenth day of the month was the Day of Atonement, a solemn and fitting day at such a time. It is very likely they observed it, though it is not mentioned here. In fact, I do not remember any other place in the Old Testament that clearly speaks of its observance, as if it were enough that we have the law about it in Leviticus 16, and the gospel truth it pointed to in the New Testament, which was its main purpose.

They also offered each person’s freewill offering (Ezra 3:5). The law required much, but they gave more. Though they had little wealth to spend on sacrifices, they had much zeal, and we may suppose they made sacrifices at their own tables so they could give generously to God’s altar. Happy are those who come out of affliction with such a holy warmth.

They also prepared for building the temple (Ezra 3:7). They turned to this right away, because while we do what we can, we should still aim to do more and better. Tyre and Sidon were now to supply workmen, as they had done long before, and Lebanon was to supply timber, just as Cyrus had ordered. When God calls us to a duty, we can trust his providence to provide what we need for it.