First Things First

Ezra 2-3:7

Ezra – Chapter 2

 

We see from chapter two that there was just over 42,000 Israelites who returned to Jerusalem.  Including their male and female servants – about 43,000.

 

We also see in chapter 2 that there were those who were not allowed to go back.  There are a number of priests who are excluded from going, because there could not be found any evidence of their ancestral ties to the priesthood.   

 

God had commanded that only those who were descendants of Aaron could serve as priests. 

 

And it shows just how serious Israel was taking this.  They didn’t just take these men at their word, they did some digging – took the time to confirm or deny what these men claimed. 

 

As a result of their inquiry and research, this group of individuals was not allowed to return to rebuild the temple. 

 

3:1-7

 

When Israel arrives at Jerusalem, in chapter three, they all settle in their cities.  It doesn’t say how long they had been there – but during the seventh month they all came together, as one man to Jerusalem.  

 

The two men who are leading this group are Jeshua – he was the grandson of Seraiah who was the high priest when Nebuchadnezzar came to overthrow Jerusalem, and was subsequently killed by him.  

 

And Zerubbabel – who was of the Davidic line.  A descendant from David’s son Nathan. He was also the governor of Judah. 

 

Both of these men were obedient to the call of God to lead Israel back to Jerusalem

 

 

 3:1 -- “Now when the seventh month came, and the sons of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem.”

 

The time of year that the Israelites came to Jerusalem was not coincidence.  We know there are no mistakes with God.  

 

This section here talks about how they built the altar, to offer sacrifices in keeping with what God had told them to do – In keeping with these festivals that had been instituted.   

 

I found myself drawn to this, and wanting to know more about what it is they were doing.  This coming together in the seventh month and in particular the Feast of Booths that they commemorated.  

 

When God instituted these festivals, He says in Leviticus –

 

“Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.” – Lev 23:24

 

This is a sacred assembly or a coming together. This is what they’re doing here in Ezra.  The blowing of the trumpets was an important part of this coming together.  

 

And you see it throughout scripture. 

 

In Numbers chapter 10, it talks about these trumpets – When the LORD commanded that they be built and what their purpose was.  They were silver.  They were to be blown by the priests.  When just one was blown it was to be an alarm.  It would assemble the leaders and call certain sides of the camp to set out or evacuate. 

 

But when both trumpets are blown it was a call of assembling. Everyone was to come.  

 

Growing up my mom had this iron triangle that she used to ring to call my sisters and I in from wherever we were outside.  It was pretty loud, and unless we were somewhere we weren’t supposed to be we could hear it. 

 

We knew who was calling us and we knew it was time to come in.  

 

“When you go to war in your land against the adversary who attacks you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the LORD your God, and be saved from your enemies. Also, in the day of your gladness and in your appointed feasts, and on the first days of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be as a reminder of you before your God. I am the LORD your God.” – Num 10:9-10

 

The purpose of these trumpets was not just to summon – but it was to remind them.  To remind them that God was with them. He was in their midst. 

 

In Ex, chapter 19 – When God descends on Mount Sinai before Israel, verse 16 –

 

“So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.” 

 

The trumpet announced the arrival of the Most High. They trembled because God was among them. The trumpet was a call to attention -- It’s to signal that The LORD is here. 

 

In Matt 24:29-31

 

“But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHERHis elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”

 

What a sacred assembling that will be.  Those who are His will come and gather to Him, and unlike that triangle we had growing up, it won’t matter where we are, we’re going to hear it. When we hear the trumpet sound we will know the LORD is with us.

 

“Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” – 1 Cor 15:51-52

 

When God calls an assembly, even the dead come running.  

 

So, Israel comes together here as one. They come together and they build the altar.  They offer sacrifices to God, burnt offerings day and night.  It says for they were afraid of the people of the land. They didn’t reinforce the camp, set up barriers or barricades…they sought the LORD.  

 

The Altar was the most important part of the temple.  This is how they communicated with God.  God met them at the altar. 

 

I liked what Maclaren said on this – “There cannot be a temple without an altar, but there may be an altar without a temple. God meets men at the place of sacrifice, even though there be no house for His name. The order of events here teaches us what is essential for communion with God. It is the altar. Sacrifice laid there is accepted, whether it stand on a bare hill-top, or have round it the courts of the Lord’s house.”

 

Communication with God is only possible through sacrifice.  It was the channel through which God was able to incline His ear to them.  Blood was required, because a holy God cannot come near to sinful man.  For us that channel is Christ.  The requirement for communication with the Most High has not changed, but it has been fulfilled.  

 

So, they built the altar first. Communication with God is the first priority.

 

So far, we have assembling, communication – they opened a channel then they worshiped. 

They celebrated the Feast of tabernacles or the feast of booths, Sukkot, as the Jews call it. 

 

The feast served as a reminder of the time the LORD lead the Israelites in the wilderness where they lived in tents or booths – this is what the word Sukkot means.  

 

“You shall thus celebrate it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall live (dwell) in booths for seven days; all the native-born in Israel shall live in booths, so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’” So Moses declared to the sons of Israel the appointed times of the LORD.” – Lev 23:41-44

 

This was a reminder of what the LORD had done for them. It was also to remind them, as with the trumpets, that the LORD was with them. He chose to come and ‘tabernacle’ among them.

 

The LORD laid out for them what they were to do during these appointed times.  The many festivals – and they all served as a way of reminder.  To remember the LORD.  Remember what He had done and what he was going to do.  

 

There is a future side to this celebration as well.  The coming Messiah.  John 1:14 says, and the Word became flesh and ‘dwelt’ or ‘tabernacled’ among us.  

 

In John, chapter 7, Jesus is in Galilee and the Feast of Booths is going on.  Think about what’s happening here.  Think of the irony. The Jews are celebrating a festival that points to Christ, to Jesus coming and tabernacling among them, and He’s. Right. There.  It says in verse 37, “Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”

 

Jesus is on His feet saying, I’m right here!  I am the fulfillment to what you are commemorating today.  He speaks of His Spirit that will come and dwell in those who believe. A perpetual Feast of Booths. 

 

Further prophetic – the last chapter in Zechariah, who was a prophet during the time of Ezra, talks about the final fulfillment of the Feast of Booths – When Christ will come to reign and establish His kingdom here on earth.  

 

There will be a call not just for Israel to come celebrate, but for all the nations of the earth.  And whoever does not, it says the LORD will smite them.

 

 

It’s not a mistake that the Feast of Booths was the first festival they celebrated.  The first thing they did was build an altar so they could worship – so they could remember, uphold and honor those things that the LORD had accomplished and would accomplish.   

 

What an encouragement this must have been.  This reminder that the LORD was with them.  That He chose to dwell among His people.  

 

How this would have bolstered their courage when they were afraid of the inhabitants of the land.  

 

The LORD was with them, He had been with them from the very beginning.  

 

They assembled, they opened up communication and once they had the ear of Almighty God – they worshipped. 

 

One thing I want to take notice of is that – work didn’t start until this was done.  This was first.  This was priority.  And how eager they must have been to start that work, to do what God had called them to, but first things first.  I think that is one principle that can be taken away from this – that even our service to the LORD – the work God has called us to do, needs to take a backseat to assembling, communicating with God and worship. 

 

You know, these are all things that are done in the church.  God’s priorities for His children have not changed. These are the fundamentals of Christian living. The work that God has called each of us to do is important –but it’s not as important as these essentials. 

 

More than that, I would say, not only are these things more important – they are a requirement for successful service.  

 

All successful work for God starts with putting first things first.  

 

You can’t honor God by doing one thing He says and neglecting another.  God doesn’t give us an ultimatum when it comes to service.  He always makes it possible for full obedience, no matter how hard we try to convince ourselves different or how many excuses we might make to the contrary. 

 

First things first. 

 

“But this book of the law shall not depart from your mouths, but you shall meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it for then you will make you way prosperous and then you will have success.” 

 

Israel was faithful to the law of God. They put first things first – And so, they started their work.