Monday 4th May
Read Ezra 3:1-6
“When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people assembled together as one in Jerusalem. 2 Then Joshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. 3 Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices. 4 Then in accordance with what is written, they celebrated the Festival of Tabernacles with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day. 5 After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings, the New Moon sacrifices and the sacrifices for all the appointed sacred festivals of the Lord, as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the Lord. 6 On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, though the foundation of the Lord’s temple had not yet been laid.” (NIVUK)
If someone asked you what the most important aspect of the Christian life was, how would you answer? There are many things one could list, but we have here a record of what the returning exiles considered central. Worship and right relationship with Yahweh.
There were many challenges awaiting them, not the least of which was the opposition of those around them (v3), but the first thing needed was to humbly lay themselves before Yahweh and re-establish the relationship. It starts from the altar. The altar was the first thing Abraham built when he arrived in the promised land (Genesis 12:7) and the first thing David established when the relationship with Yahweh was fractured because of his sin (cf 2 Samuel 24). It is now the first thing the exiles establish.
It was not done haphazardly though. It was done with careful attention to the word of Yahweh (v2b, 4). Even the sequence of the sacrifices (v5) matched perfectly (cf Numbers 29:12-28). One can’t simply approach a holy God on our terms, choosing the way we worship without reference to what honours Him.
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship.” (Romans 12:10) (NIVUK)
