Ezra Chapter 3
A Foundation for the New Temple
A. The restoration of regular worship in Jerusalem
1. Ezra 3:1, Beginning in the seventh month
“And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem.”
This verse marks a decisive spiritual turning point for the returned exiles. After resettling in their cities, the people intentionally gathered at Jerusalem at the appointed time. The seventh month held profound covenant significance in Israel’s religious calendar. It was the month of sacred assembly, repentance, remembrance, and rejoicing. Their timing was not accidental, it was an act of obedience shaped by the Law of Moses.
The seventh month included the Feast of Trumpets on the first day, the Day of Atonement on the tenth day, and the Feast of Tabernacles beginning on the fifteenth day. These feasts emphasized repentance, forgiveness, God’s kingship, and God’s provision during Israel’s wilderness journey. For a people newly returned from exile, these themes were especially fitting. They were a forgiven people, restored by mercy, dwelling once again in booths and broken cities, dependent upon the LORD.
The statement that the people gathered together “as one man” is remarkable. This phrase highlights unity of purpose, unity of obedience, and unity of heart. Despite limited resources, unfinished homes, economic pressure, and lingering fear of surrounding peoples, they prioritized worship. Travel to Jerusalem required time, effort, and expense, yet they did not delay obedience in the name of practicality. Their unity was not political or emotional, it was covenantal, grounded in submission to God’s revealed will.
This gathering stands in sharp contrast to Israel’s preexilic history, when disunity, idolatry, and neglect of worship led to judgment. The exile had purified the people of overt idolatry, and now obedience flowed from a chastened but willing heart.
2. Ezra 3:2–3, The altar is rebuilt on its ancient foundation
“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.
And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear was upon them because of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD, even burnt offerings morning and evening.”
The leadership of Jeshua and Zerubbabel is again emphasized. The high priest and the governor worked together, demonstrating proper harmony between spiritual and civil authority. Their first recorded act was not administrative organization or defensive preparation, but the rebuilding of the altar. Before walls, before the temple, before political stability, worship was restored.
The altar stood outside the temple structure on the temple mount and was accessible to the people. This was the place where sin was addressed and where the common Israelite met with God through sacrifice. By rebuilding the altar first, the leaders acknowledged that reconciliation with God was the foundation of all other restoration.
Jeshua’s lineage adds emotional weight to this moment. He was the grandson of Seraiah the high priest, who had been executed by Nebuchadnezzar at the fall of Jerusalem, as recorded in 2 Kings 25:18–21, which states, “And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door… And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath.” Now the grandson of that slain priest stood on the same mount, rebuilding the altar of the LORD. Judgment had not annulled God’s covenant promises.
The altar was built “as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.” This phrase underscores strict adherence to Scripture. Innovation was not permitted. Restoration was not guided by pragmatism or cultural adaptation, but by obedience to the revealed Word. This is a defining mark of true revival, a return to Scripture as the supreme authority.
The altar was rebuilt on its original bases. This means they searched through the rubble to locate the ancient foundations and rebuilt upon the exact spot where the former altar had stood. This location traced back to David’s altar on the threshing floor of Araunah, recorded in 2 Samuel 24:16–19. The physical continuity symbolized covenant continuity. They were not inventing a new faith, but restoring the old one.
This act was carried out in the presence of fear. The surrounding peoples, who had inhabited the land during the exile, viewed this rebuilding as a threat. The reestablishment of the altar publicly declared Israel’s return and their intention to rebuild the temple. It was both a spiritual and political statement. Yet fear did not prevent obedience. In fact, worship became their response to fear.
The daily burnt offerings were immediately resumed, both morning and evening. These sacrifices symbolized continual atonement and continual dedication. The people understood that security would not come from walls or weapons, but from being right with God. The ruined city was better defended by obedience than it would have been by rebuilt fortifications.
There is deep theological significance in the priority of the altar. The altar dealt with sin, made atonement, and restored fellowship. Without it, no temple could truly function. Worship itself was more important than the building in which it took place. God meets men at the place of sacrifice, even when no house for His name yet stands.
The altar also foreshadows the central truth of the new covenant. Just as Israel rebuilt the altar on ancient foundations, Christians have an altar set upon ancient foundations, the cross of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 13:10 declares, “We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.” As the altar was central to Israel’s worship, the cross is central to Christian faith. Forgiveness for the past and consecration for the future both flow from it.
3. Ezra 3:4–6, The feast is observed, and regular sacrifice is resumed
“They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required; And afterward offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of the LORD that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill offering unto the LORD. From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid.”
The restoration of worship moved immediately from sacrifice to celebration. The returned exiles kept the Feast of Tabernacles exactly as prescribed in the Law. This feast was one of the three great pilgrimage feasts of Israel and was marked by joy, remembrance, and thanksgiving. It commemorated the LORD’s faithfulness during Israel’s wilderness journey after the exodus from Egypt, when the people lived in temporary dwellings and depended daily upon God’s provision.
The command for this feast is found in Leviticus 23:42–43, which states, “Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.” For the returned exiles, this feast carried heightened meaning. They were again living among ruins, often in makeshift shelters, rebuilding cities that had been destroyed. Their lived experience mirrored the symbolism of the feast itself. God had brought them through judgment just as He had once brought Israel through the wilderness.
The text emphasizes careful obedience. The daily burnt offerings were made in the exact number required, according to ordinance. Worship was not improvised or adjusted for convenience. The people did not excuse incomplete obedience by appealing to difficult circumstances. Their sacrifices were regulated by Scripture, not sentiment.
Beyond the Feast of Tabernacles, the full cycle of worship was restored. The continual burnt offering was resumed, along with sacrifices for the new moons and all appointed feasts of the LORD. Numbers 28:11–15 establishes the sacrifices for the new moon, declaring, “And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the LORD.” This meant that Israel’s sacred calendar was once again functioning. Time itself was being consecrated to God.
Freewill offerings were also brought. These offerings were not required by law but flowed from gratitude and devotion. The people who brought them were responding personally to the mercy of God. This shows that revival had touched not only public ritual but individual hearts.
One of the most striking statements in this passage is that all of this occurred before the foundation of the temple had been laid. Worship did not wait for architecture. Sacrifice did not wait for structure. Obedience was not postponed until circumstances were ideal. The people understood that right relationship with God did not depend on a completed building but on faithful obedience to His Word. The altar was sufficient for communion with God, even in the absence of a finished temple.
4. Ezra 3:7, Preparations for rebuilding the temple
“They gave money also unto the masons, and to the carpenters; and meat, and drink, and oil, unto them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia.”
With worship restored, the people turned their attention to the practical work of rebuilding the temple. Spiritual priorities produced practical action. The same people who gathered for sacrifice and feast now organized labor, funding, and logistics. Faith expressed itself through disciplined preparation and sustained effort.
They hired skilled workers, masons and carpenters, and paid them from the treasury. This demonstrates that the work of God requires both devotion and diligence. Prayer and sacrifice did not replace labor, they sanctified it.
The cedar trees from Lebanon were especially significant. Cedar was renowned for its durability, beauty, and fragrance. Solomon had used cedar from Lebanon to build the first temple, as recorded in 1 Kings 5:6, which states, “Now therefore command thou that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon.” Though the returned exiles possessed far fewer resources than Solomon, they sought to use the same quality materials. This reflects a theology of excellence. The diminished glory of the second temple was not due to indifference or neglect, but to limited means.
The people of Sidon and Tyre were again involved, just as in Solomon’s day. These were Gentile cities, yet God used Gentile labor and materials in the construction of His house. This demonstrates that the LORD sovereignly employs the nations to accomplish His purposes. The second temple, like the first, was built with Gentile cooperation under God’s direction.
All of this was done according to the grant of Cyrus king of Persia. The term translated grant includes not only permission but provision. Cyrus had authorized the rebuilding and supplied support from the royal treasury. This reveals God’s sovereignty over pagan rulers. The king of Persia unknowingly served the purposes of the God of Israel.
The pattern is consistent throughout Scripture. God stirs the hearts of kings, moves the resources of nations, and directs the affairs of empires to fulfill His covenant promises. The rebuilding of the temple was not merely a human project, it was the outworking of divine providence through obedient people and even through Gentile rulers.
B. Work begins on the temple
1. Ezra 3:8–11, Great joy and worship as the work begins
“Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem; and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to set forward the work of the house of the LORD.
Then stood Jeshua with his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together, to set forward the workmen in the house of God: the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brethren the Levites.
And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel.
And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.”
The timing of this work is deliberate and significant. The second month of the second year corresponds to the same month in which Solomon began construction of the first temple, as recorded in 1 Kings 6:1, which states, “And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.” This parallel would not have been lost on the returned exiles. Though their circumstances were humbler, they were consciously aligning their work with Israel’s historic obedience.
Notably, the site is repeatedly called the house of God even before the temple structure existed. Though the former temple lay in ruins and the new one was not yet built, God’s dwelling place was defined by His covenant presence, not by completed architecture. This affirms that God’s purposes precede human construction.
The Levites were appointed from twenty years old and upward to oversee the work. Under the Law of Moses, Levites began their service at thirty years of age, as stated in Numbers 4:3, “From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.” However, David later lowered the age to twenty years, as recorded in 1 Chronicles 23:24, “These were the sons of Levi after the house of their fathers; even the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their polls, that did the work for the service of the house of the LORD, from the age of twenty years and upward.” Zerubbabel and Jeshua followed David’s revised order, recognizing both precedent and necessity. The work was extensive, and the manpower was limited.
When the foundation was laid, worship erupted immediately. This was not a quiet construction milestone but a public act of praise. The priests were clothed in their official garments, signaling restored order and legitimacy. Trumpets and cymbals were used according to the ordinance of David, showing continuity with Israel’s worship tradition. The sons of Asaph fulfilled their inherited role, linking this moment to centuries of sacred music.
The song itself was simple yet profound. “For he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel.” This refrain had been sung at earlier moments of national worship, including the dedication of Solomon’s temple. The emphasis was not on Israel’s strength or achievement, but on God’s unchanging goodness and covenant mercy. The people praised God not because the temple was finished, but because the work had begun. Faith rejoiced in the promise, not merely in the completion.
This celebration took place in modest circumstances. There was no ark, no visible glory cloud, and no finished sanctuary. Yet God was enthroned on the praises of His people. Their worship was no less acceptable because it was offered in humility and faith.
2. Ezra 3:12–13, The mixed reaction among the people
“But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:
So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.”
The laying of the foundation produced deeply mixed emotions. The older priests, Levites, and family leaders who had seen Solomon’s temple responded with loud weeping. Their grief was not rooted in ingratitude but in memory. They knew what had been lost. Solomon’s temple had been constructed with immense wealth, beauty, and splendor. Modern estimates place its cost in the billions. This new temple, by comparison, would be modest and lacking many sacred elements.
These men also remembered the destruction of the first temple. They had witnessed or heard firsthand of the flames consuming the sanctuary, the gold blackened by smoke, and the holy place desecrated. That trauma, combined with the awareness that this new temple could never equal the former, produced tears even in the midst of restoration.
The losses were real. The second temple would lack the ark of the covenant, the mercy seat, the visible glory of the LORD, the heavenly fire, the spirit of prophecy, and likely the Urim and Thummim. The weeping acknowledged a diminished outward glory and the consequences of past sin.
Yet there was also danger in their sorrow. Regret over past glory can paralyze present obedience. The backward glance, when it diminishes faith in God’s current work, becomes a spiritual liability. The prophets later addressed this very issue. Haggai 2:3 asks, “Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?” Yet the LORD goes on to promise greater future glory. Zechariah 4:10 warns, “For who hath despised the day of small things?”
In contrast, many shouted aloud for joy. These were likely younger people who had never seen the first temple. They had no memories of Solomon’s glory or Babylon’s destruction. For them, this foundation represented hope, obedience, and restoration. They rejoiced without reservation.
The result was a remarkable scene. Joy and sorrow blended together so completely that the sounds could not be distinguished. Weeping and praise rose simultaneously, carried far beyond the temple mount. This moment captured the complexity of restoration. God was at work, yet the scars of judgment remained. Faith looked forward, memory looked back, and both were present among God’s people.
This passage teaches that God’s work often unfolds amid mixed emotions. True restoration does not erase the past, but it does move forward in obedience. The foundation was laid, not in denial of loss, but in faith that God’s mercy endures forever toward Israel.
