3:4The Festival of Shelters lasted seven days. During this time the people lived in temporary dwellings (tents, booths, lean-tos) as their ancestors had done years before as they journeyed through the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land. The festival reminded the people of God's past protection and guidance in the wilderness and of his continued love for them. The Festival of Shelters is described in detail in Leviticus 23:33-36.
Life Application Study BibleEzraChapter 3
Ezra 3
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 725, 726
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
3Ezra 3
1In early autumn,* when the Israelites had settled in their towns, all the people assembled in Jerusalem with a unified purpose. 2Then Jeshua son of Jehozadak* joined his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel with his family in rebuilding the altar of the God of Israel. They wanted to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, as instructed in the Law of Moses, the man of God. Even though the people were afraid of the local residents, they rebuilt the altar at its old site. Then they began to sacrifice burnt offerings on the altar to the LORD each morning and evening. 4They celebrated the Festival of Shelters as prescribed in the Law, sacrificing the number of burnt offerings specified for each day of the festival. 5They also offered the regular burnt offerings and the offerings required for the new moon celebrations and the annual festivals as prescribed by the LORD. The people also gave voluntary offerings to the Lor. 6Fifteen days before the Festival of Shelters began,* the priests had begun to sacrifice burnt offerings to the LORD. This was even before they had started to lay the foundation of the LORD’s Temple.
The People Begin to Rebuild the Temple
77Then the people hired masons and carpenters and bought cedar logs from the people of Tyre and Sidon, paying them with food, wine, and olive oil. The logs were brought down from the Lebanon mountains and floated along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea* to Joppa, for King Cyrus had given permission for this. 8The construction of the Temple of God began in midspring,* during the second year after they arrived in Jerusalem. The work force was made up of everyone who had returned from exile, including Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jehozadak and his fellow priests, and all the Levites. The Levites who were twenty years old or older were put in charge of rebuilding the LORD's Temple. 9The workers at the Temple of God were supervised by Jeshua with his sons and relatives, and Kadmiel and his sons, all descendants of Hodaviah.* They were helped in this task by the Levites of the family of Henadad. 10When the builders completed the foundation of the LORD’s Temple, the priests put on their robes and took their places to blow their trumpets. And the Levites, descendants of Asaph, clashed their cymbals to praise the LORD, just as King David had prescribed. 11With praise and thanks, they sang this song to the LORD: “He is so good! His faithful love for Israel endures forever \" Then all the people gave a great shout, praising the LORD because the foundation of the LORD’s Temple had been laid. 12But many of the older priests, Levites, and other leaders who had seen the first Temple wept aloud when they saw the new Temple’s foundation. The others, however, were shouting for joy. 13The joyful shouting and weeping mingled together in a loud noise that could be heard far in the distance.
Textual footnotes
- {3,000 kilograms}.
- first year (538 B.C.) or second year (537 B.c.). The seventh month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred
- within the months of September/October 538 B.c. and October/November 537 B.c.
- spelling of Jehozadak; also in 3:8.
- Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in September or October. The Festival of Shelters began on the fifteenth day of
- the seventh month.
- 3:1 Hebrew in the seventh month. The year is not specified, so it may have been during Cyrus's
- 3:2 Hebrew Jozadak, a variant
- 3:6 Hebrew On the first day of the seventh month. This day in the ancient
- 3:7 Hebrew the sea.
- 3:8 Hebrew in the second month. This month in the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred within the months of
- 3:9 Hebrew sons of Judah (i.e., bene Yehudah). Bene might also be read here as the proper
Life Application Notes 11 notes
3:5Almost immediately after arriving in the new land, the returning exiles built an altar. The people began worshiping God through sacrifices even before the Temple foundation was laid. After many years in captivity, they had learned their lesson— they knew that God does not offer special protection to people who ignore him. They had been carried off by the Babylonians when they were relatively strong; here they were few, weak, and surrounded by enemies. If ever they needed to rely on God’s power, it was at this time. They realized the importance of obeying God from the heart, and not merely out of habit. If we want God's help when we undertake large tasks, we must make staying close to him our top priority.
3:5These sacrifices were originally set up under the law of Moses in Leviticus 1 and 6:8-13. The festivals are described in Leviticus 23. At the beginning of every month, they held a special observance (Numbers 10:10). 3:7, When Solomon built the first Temple (2 Chronicles 2), he also exchanged food and olive oil—plentiful resources in Israel— for wood, a resource Israel lacked. The wood came from Tyre and Sidon that time, too.
3:8Why was the LORD’s Temple begun first, even before the city wall? The Temple was used for spiritual purposes; the wall, for military and political purposes. God had always been the nation’s protector, and the Jews knew that the strongest stone wall would not protect them if God was not with them. They knew that putting their spiritual lives in order was a far higher priority than assuring the national defense.
3:8It took from September (3:1; September was the seventh month because the year began in March) to April just to prepare to build the Temple. The exiles took time to make plans because the project was important tc them. Preparation may not feel heroic or Spiritual, but it is vital to any project meant to be done well.
3:10,11David had given clear instructions concerning the use of music in worship services in the Temple (1 Chronicles 16; 25).
3:10,11Completing the foundation for the Temple required great effort on the part of all involved. But no one tried to get praise for himself and his own hard work. Instead, everyone praised God for what had been done. All good gifts come from God—talents, abilities, strength, and leadership. We should thank God for what has been done in and through us!
3:11The Bible records many songs and musical events. For a list of such events, see the chart in Exodus 15, p. 119.
3:12Fifty years after its destruction, the Temple was being rebuilt (536 B.C.). Some of the older people remembered Solomon’s Temple, and they wept because the new Temple would Not be as glorious as the first one. But the beauty of the building was not nearly as important to God as were the attitudes of the builders and worshipers. God cares more about who we are than what we accomplish. Our world is always changing, and oncemagnificent accomplishments decay and disappear. Seek to serve God wholeheartedly. Then you won't need to compare your work with anyone else’s.
3:12Because the new Temple was built on the foundation of Solomon's Temple, the two structures were not that different in size. But the old Temple was far more ornate and was surrounded by many buildings and a vast courtyard. Both Temples were constructed of imported cedarwood, but Solomon's was decorated with vast amounts of gold and precious stones. Solomon's Temple took over seven years to build; Zerubbabel’s took about four years. Solomon's Temple was at the hub of a thriving city; Zerubbabel’s was surrounded by ruins. No wonder the people wept.
3:13The celebration after laying the Temple foundation was marked by contrasts of emotion—shouts of joy and sounds of weeping. Both were appropriate. The Holy Spirit can stimulate us both to rejoice over the goodness of his grace and to grieve over the sins that required him to correct us. When we come into the presence of almighty God, we may feel full of joy and thanksgiving, yet at the same time be sobered by our shortcomings.