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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Wednesday, 31 December 2025:
Ezra 3:1 — When the seventh month came, and the children of Israel were in the towns, the people gathered as one man to Jerusalem.
Restoration begins with unity, not infrastructure. Before walls are rebuilt or temples rise, the people gather as one. This is not political unity or emotional enthusiasm; it is covenant alignment. They are scattered geographically, but spiritually synchronized. True renewal always starts when God’s people move together toward Him rather than pursuing isolated agendas. Unity is not manufactured; it is the byproduct of shared submission to the Lord.
Ezra 3:2 — Then arose Jeshua the son of Jozadak, with his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel with his kinsmen, and they built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God.
The first act of rebuilding is worship, not self-protection. The altar is restored before the temple because reconciliation with God precedes everything else. They do not innovate; they obey. Worship is grounded in God’s revealed word, not cultural creativity. Jeshua and Zerubbabel lead together, priest and governor aligned. When spiritual and civic leadership are unified under God’s authority, restoration accelerates.
Ezra 3:3 — They set the altar in its place, for fear was on them because of the peoples of the lands, and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening.
Fear does not stop worship; it drives it. Surrounded by hostility and uncertainty, the people respond not with retreat but with sacrifice. They do not wait for safety to worship; worship becomes their refuge. Morning and evening offerings reestablish daily dependence. When fear is real, worship becomes essential. The altar is placed where it belongs, even though the environment is unstable.
Ezra 3:4 — And they kept the Feast of Booths, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the rule, as each day required.
The Feast of Booths celebrates God’s provision during wilderness wandering. This is deliberate theology. The people are, once again, living in vulnerability, and they choose to remember that God sustains His people when they have no permanent shelter. Obedience in worship is not nostalgic ritual; it is present-tense trust. They anchor their uncertain future in God’s proven faithfulness.
Ezra 3:5 — And after that the regular burnt offerings, the offerings at the new moon and at all the appointed feasts of the Lord, and the offerings of everyone who made a freewill offering to the Lord.
Worship becomes rhythmic, not reactive. Regular offerings reestablish spiritual order. Freewill offerings emerge alongside commanded ones, showing hearts awakening beyond duty. Renewal is evident when obedience is no longer coerced but chosen. Structure and spontaneity coexist. God receives both.
Ezra 3:6 — From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. But the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid.
This verse is quietly profound. Worship does not wait for completeness. They do not postpone obedience until conditions improve. God is honored before the visible work begins. This exposes a core principle of faith: obedience is not dependent on progress; progress flows from obedience.
Life’s challenges did not stop the people from putting worship first and being faithful with worship.
Ezra 3:7 — So they gave money to the masons and the carpenters, and food, drink, and oil to the Sidonians and the Tyrians to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa, according to the grant that they had from Cyrus king of Persia.
God uses unlikely channels to fund holy work. Pagan kings, foreign laborers, and international supply chains become instruments of divine purpose. Sovereignty does not mean isolation. God orchestrates provision through means that humble His people and magnify His control. The same God who stirred Cyrus’ heart continues to supply what obedience requires.
Ezra 3:8 — Now in the second year after their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak made a beginning.
Restoration requires patience. Time passes between altar and foundation. Faithful beginnings matter. Scripture honors the moment they “made a beginning,” not the speed of completion. God works through steady obedience, not rushed ambition. The leaders move forward together again, reinforcing unified direction.
The entire community joined to rebuild the temple. What role are you playing in the building up of God’s people?
Ezra 3:9 — And Jeshua with his sons and his brothers, and Kadmiel and his sons… together supervised the workmen in the house of God.
Spiritual restoration is generational and communal. Families serve together. Oversight is shared. No single personality dominates the work. God’s house is built by many hands under accountable leadership. Faithful supervision protects both the work and the workers.
Ezra 3:10 — And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments came forward with trumpets, and the Levites… with cymbals, to praise the Lord, according to the directions of David king of Israel.
The foundation is laid with worship, not applause for builders. Music accompanies obedience, not ego. This moment ties the present generation to David’s legacy, reminding them that they are continuing God’s story, not starting their own. Foundations laid without worship eventually crumble. Foundations laid with praise endure.
Ezra 3:11 — And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.”
This refrain anchors everything. God’s goodness and covenant love survive exile, failure, and loss. The people declare truth before the structure is complete. Praise here is theological confession. They are not celebrating what they have built but who God is.
Ezra 3:11 — 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 most important part of any building is the foundation; the most important part of any organization is the foundation; the most important part of your life is the foundation. If the foundation of your life isn’t Jesus Christ, what you build is irrelevant. It will all come crumbling down. Build your house upon the Rock of Jesus!
Ezra 3:12 — But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ houses… wept with a loud voice, while many shouted aloud for joy.
This is one of the most honest moments in Scripture. Joy and grief coexist. Some remember Solomon’s temple and feel loss; others see hope and rejoice. God receives both. Mature worship makes space for sorrow without surrendering joy. Healing does not erase memory, but it does redeem it.
New beginnings can be bittersweet as you reflect upon what was lost while rejoicing in what you now have. Rebuilding may bring mixed emotions – perhaps your joy in Jesus is still hindered by guilt and regret concerning past mistakes and subsequent consequences. God wants you to learn from the past but to walk in grace, make the most of today, and anticipate a better future. Trust Him to take care of any consequences from the past which are out of your hands. You can’t plow a field or drive a car looking backwards. Your present joy must replace your past sorrow. The Bible uses the word “rejoice” 220 times in the English Standard Version. The prefix “re-” is Latin for “again” or for “again and again.” So, rejoice can mean “joy again,” to return to joy again and again. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4) This is a Biblical command that had to be repeated for a reason – we sometimes have a hard time doing it. Sometimes we must force ourselves to return to joy, to posture our minds for joy, to drive out all negativity. Take action – pray for joy; recite memorized Scripture verses on joy; sing hymns of joy, recollect all the ways God has blessed you; seek strength from other Christians, get busy serving others, etc. When you are feeling down, return to the joy you have in Jesus, despite apparent circumstances. Trust that God is exercising Romans 8:28 in your life and drawing you closer to Him every day.
Ezra 3:13 — So that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people’s weeping.
Restoration is loud, messy, and emotionally complex. God is not threatened by mixed reactions. What matters is that worship is centered on Him. The noise rises not from perfection but from sincerity. God meets His people in the tension between what was and what will be.
Ezra 3 ultimately points forward to Christ. The altar anticipates the cross. The foundation anticipates the true temple, Jesus Himself. Joy and sorrow collide most clearly at Calvary, where grief over sin and joy over salvation meet. What this generation rebuilds imperfectly, Christ fulfills perfectly.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 31 December 2025: Practice worship and obedience before conditions feel ideal. Identify one act of worship, repentance, or faith you have delayed until circumstances improve. Restore the altar first. Obey now.
Pray: “Father, teach me to rebuild my life around worship, not comfort. When fear surrounds me and progress feels slow, anchor me in obedience. Help me praise You before the foundation feels finished. Heal what is broken, redeem what is lost, and form my heart to love You with sincerity, not just structure. I trust You to complete what You have begun. Amen.”
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