STARTING TO REBUILD. Ezra 3:7-9 When Solomon built the first temple, he traded food and agricultural products for cedar logs from Lebanon. The Israelites did the same this time to acquire materials for the construction of the Second Temple. Building the temple was the priority for spiritual reasons. Spiritual matters have a greater impact and last longer than walls built for military and political purposes. God has always been the protector of Israel and still is the protector of His people. Walls don’t protect people if God is not with them. The spiritual life of a nation is a stronger safeguard than a powerful military and a national defense effort.
In preparing to rebuild the house of the Lord, both Zerubbabel and Jeshua recognized the importance of planning and prayer before taking action. They needed to understand the instructions to give to the builders and the reason why God wanted the house rebuilt. The time spent preparing before starting a project is valuable. During a rebuilding process, not everything can be completed all at once. However, they understood their purpose and the importance of building the altar and the temple. The burnt offering was the first step, followed by the preparation of the foundation. It is likely that the new temple was built on the foundation of Solomon's temple.
A solid foundation is essential for any work of God. The unseen work is just as vital as the visible work. The law of Moses guided people in ancient times. What was done had to be scripturally correct, with God's word followed in every way. We share the same responsibility to follow the scriptures, not do things our own way.
When we receive a project from the Lord, we must remember that He has entrusted us with this task. We need to understand what is required to accomplish it. Take the time to gather what is necessary and ensure we can complete the work satisfactorily. We work as if everything depends on us, while trusting God by faith, knowing that everything depends on Him. Do not allow frustration to take over simply because we didn’t pray and think the matter through to the defined goal. Starting something and leaving it half-done or unfinished is a poor testimony to the work of the Lord overall.
The work of the Levite men early in Israel’s history began when they were thirty years old. Later, the age was lowered to twenty-five. In the work of rebuilding the temple, the age was lowered to twenty for those who returned, perhaps because they were few in number for a major enterprise like this.
The returnees were correct about what they had accomplished so far, but the temple work had not yet begun. They had come to build the house of the Lord. The leaders needed to coordinate the efforts and promote a sense of unity. Once the work starts, they must 'set forward' the incentive to maintain momentum toward completion. The materials began arriving as the logs were shipped from Lebanon. The foundation site was cleared by removing the old, broken parts.
A new beginning isn't just a quick fix for the old. In any work for God, unified leadership is essential. Harmony between leaders and those who serve is critical. Everyone's shared commitment to the work matters. Foundational work isn't glamorous or obvious, but it's vital and essential to a steady, effective effort.