Ezra- The Temple is Finished!!!

By Mary Vee
Ezra 6

From Ezra's Journal

Photo Courtesy

My name is Ezra. I am a prophet, which means God trusts me to give His message to His people.

Six years have passed since we have returned to the city of Jerusalem.

The good news is THE TEMPLE IS FINISHED!! 

We had a difficult time getting started. So many bullies came and threatened us if we built the temple. But, as you read in the last post from Zechariah, God gave us a message of encouragement. He told us to go ahead and build. That He would protect us and show His power.

So we did.

And now the temple is finished. 

This building is nowhere as magnificent as Solomon's temple. That temple was magnificent, so big, so...well, let's just say that anyone walking in Solomon's temple couldn't help but be silent and look. The evil Nebuchadnezzar burned Solomon's temple the very one that had once stood on these very grounds.

The Almighty told us this temple may not look as glorious as Solomon's, but it would have greater importance. We didn't fully understand what that meant, and may never, but we can  celebrate our new temple. A place to worship the living God.

The priests, Levites and the rest of the exiles celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy. The offerings given by the people were great. The priests were installed in each division and the Levites given their jobs in the temple according to what was written in the Book of Moses.

Then, on the fourteenth day of the first month we celebrated the Passover. The priests and Levites did their ceremonial cleaning for the event. Offerings were given by the people.

We ate together and gave up all the wrong habits we had been doing. This was a time to celebrate and praise God.

For seven days we celebrated with joy the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because the Lord had filled us with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria. This change of mind caused him to to help us in the work on the house of God. The God of Israel.

Wow. Join us! You can celebrate, too! Take time to thank God for what He has done for you and given to you.


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sources: Matthew Henry's Commentary volume 4, Hendrickson Publishers. 2000,  

1.  How long did it take for the people to finish the Temple?
2.  What made them take so long?
3.  Who helped them, encouraged them, protected them?
4.  What did the people do when they finished?
5.  What did the people stop doing?
6.  How did the people feel.