Today, I am reading and commenting on  Ezra 3-5.

When the Jews (as they now referred to themselves) who had returned from Exile had gotten settled in the land, they began to offer sacrifices to God in Jerusalem.  It is worth noting that they did this even before they had started rebuilding the temple, they had not even begun laying the foundation for the rebuilt temple.  They did not wait to have a specially consecrated space before they began obeying God’s commands about gathering together to worship Him.  In the same way, we should gather together with our fellow believers to worship and honor God, even if we do not have a space specifically designated for doing so.

As we read farther into the passage we see that some of those who lived in the land before the Exiles returned asked to help with the rebuilding of the temple.  The returned Exiles flatly rejected their help.  I am conflicted about this.  The passage writes that those who offered were the enemies of the returned Exiles, suggesting that the offer to help was less than sincere.  However, I cannot help but think that perhaps if the returned Exiles had responded in hostile manner things may have gone differently.  If those offering help had already demonstrated their hostility to the returned Exiles, or had indicated that they wanted the plans for the rebuilt temple to include practices contrary to those laid out in the Law of Moses, then the rejection was appropriate.  On the other hand, if the offer of help was genuine, out of a desire to join with the returned Exiles in worshiping God, perhaps if they had conditionally accepted the help they could have defused a tense and difficult situation.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.