Ezra 3
Having been in exile for 70 years some deported Israelites have returned to Judah where they are attempting to re-start a religion that effectively stopped at the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.
In 7 months the returning people had re-settled their towns and come together in Jerusalem.
The priests rebuilt the alter and offered sacrifices in accordance with the laws of Moses, even though the people were very afraid of the locals who were extremely hostile to Israel or Judah being re-established.
I guess that centuries of raiding and warfare are not easily forgiven or forgotten.
At this stage the temple is still in ruins - I guess some clean up had been going on but no building works had started.
At this stage they start rebuilding the temple. Money, food and drink were found for the carpenters and stonemasons. Local produce was sent to Tyre and Sidon to pay for cedar wood which was shipped to Joppa then transported overland to Jerusalem.
There is an interesting comment - "All this was done with the permission of Cyrus emperor of Persia".
There are some people who claim God is on their side and this gives them the right to behave very badly toward others and this sometimes lands them in trouble with secular authorities. My understanding of the teaching of the church is that secular authorities are to be respected and obeyed - Unless they start making rules that contravene the rules of God.
A whole bunch of people are named as participating in rebuilding the temple.
As the temple was rebuilt there was music and psalms of praise with a refrain "The LORD is good and his love lasts forever"
When the foundations were laid there are 2 reactions - the young people, born during the exile were jubilant and shouted for joy.
The older people who could remember the Temple before it fell wept, crying and wailing.
However from a distance it was all a noise and you could not tell if they were shouting for joy or wailing for the losses they had endured.
Today the only part of the temple left in Jerusalem is part of the foundations and it is still called the wailing wall.
Having been in exile for 70 years some deported Israelites have returned to Judah where they are attempting to re-start a religion that effectively stopped at the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.
In 7 months the returning people had re-settled their towns and come together in Jerusalem.
The priests rebuilt the alter and offered sacrifices in accordance with the laws of Moses, even though the people were very afraid of the locals who were extremely hostile to Israel or Judah being re-established.
I guess that centuries of raiding and warfare are not easily forgiven or forgotten.
At this stage the temple is still in ruins - I guess some clean up had been going on but no building works had started.
At this stage they start rebuilding the temple. Money, food and drink were found for the carpenters and stonemasons. Local produce was sent to Tyre and Sidon to pay for cedar wood which was shipped to Joppa then transported overland to Jerusalem.
There is an interesting comment - "All this was done with the permission of Cyrus emperor of Persia".
There are some people who claim God is on their side and this gives them the right to behave very badly toward others and this sometimes lands them in trouble with secular authorities. My understanding of the teaching of the church is that secular authorities are to be respected and obeyed - Unless they start making rules that contravene the rules of God.
A whole bunch of people are named as participating in rebuilding the temple.
As the temple was rebuilt there was music and psalms of praise with a refrain "The LORD is good and his love lasts forever"
When the foundations were laid there are 2 reactions - the young people, born during the exile were jubilant and shouted for joy.
The older people who could remember the Temple before it fell wept, crying and wailing.
However from a distance it was all a noise and you could not tell if they were shouting for joy or wailing for the losses they had endured.
Today the only part of the temple left in Jerusalem is part of the foundations and it is still called the wailing wall.
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