After All is Lost: Rebuilding
Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God. -Ezra 3:2
Here in the book of Ezra we see a daunting picture. The children of Israel, after a 70-year captivity, have been allowed to return to their homeland. They’ve been given a charge to rebuild the Temple that Solomon originally built.
When the Israelites returned to Jerusalem, and saw the desolation of the city, and thought of the immense work that was to be done in its rebuilding, they were perhaps overwhelmed.
Such a monumental task ahead of them, with so many adversaries all around, and the city lay in ruins: where to start?
It all begins with seeking the Lord
You’ll notice from the verse at the top of this page that the very first thing the people did was “builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon…” This was their first objective: to re-establish a connection with God through an altar. Even before the actual foundation of the Temple was laid, they built an altar for God.
Perhaps in our own lives, we can feel very similar to the Israelites walking into the ruins of Jerusalem. We may have seemingly lost everything, and are feeling overwhelmed. There is so much to be done, so much to rebuild: we may not know where to start.
Step 1: build an altar. That is to say, the altar is a symbolic representation of a place or an area where we can connect with God. We can offer up to Him our sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving, or the sweet-smelling scent of prayer.
When all is seemingly lost, and we are searching for a place to rebuild, it all starts with the altar. Everything else builds around it. In Ezra’s time, eventually the altar would be housed in the Temple, and the Temple would be located behind the fortified and built-up walls of Jerusalem. But before all that, it started with the altar.
And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD. Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. -Psalms 27:6-9
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