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Matthew Henry |
E Z R A
CHAP. III.
In the close of the foregoing chapter we left Israel in their cities,
but we may well imagine what a bad posture their affairs were in, the
ground untilled, the cities in ruins, all out of order; but here we
have an account of the early care they took about the re-establishment
of religion among them. Thus did they lay the foundation well, and
begin their work at the right end.
I. They set up an altar, and offered sacrifices upon it, kept the
feasts, and contributed towards the rebuilding of the temple,
II. They laid the foundation of the temple with a mixture of joy and
sorrow,
This was the day of small things, which was not to be despised,
| The Renewal of the Sacrifices. | B. C. 536. |
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1 And when the seventh month was come, and the children of
Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves
together as one man to Jerusalem.
2 Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the
priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren,
and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt
offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man
of God.
3 And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear was upon
them because of the people of those countries: and they offered
burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD, even burnt offerings
morning and evening.
4 They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written,
and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to
the custom, as the duty of every day required;
5 And afterward offered the continual burnt offering, both of
the new moons, and of all the set feasts of the LORD that were
consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill
offering unto the LORD.
6 From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer
burnt offerings unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple
of the LORD was not yet laid.
7 They gave money also unto the masons, and to the carpenters;
and meat, and drink, and oil, unto them of Zidon, and to them of
Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa,
according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia.
Here is, I. A general assembly of the returned Israelites at Jerusalem,
in the seventh month,
v. 1.
We may suppose that they came from Babylon in the spring, and must
allow at least four months for the journey, for so long Ezra and his
company were in coming,
The seventh month therefore soon came, in which many of the feasts of
the Lord were to be solemnized; and then they gathered themselves
together by agreement among themselves, rather than by the command of
authority, to Jerusalem. Though they had newly come to their cities,
and had their hands full of business there, to provide necessaries for
themselves and their families, which might have excused them from
attending on God’s altar till the hurry was a little over, as many
foolishly put off their coming to the communion till they are settled
in the world, yet such was their zeal for religion, now that they had
newly come from under correction for their irreligion, that they left
all their business in the country, to attend God’s altar; and (which is
strange) in this pious zeal they were all of a mind, they came as
one man. Let worldly business be postponed to the business of
religion and it will prosper the better.
II. The care which their leading men took to have an altar ready for
them to attend upon.
1. Joshua and his brethren the priests, Zerubbabel and his brethren the
princes, built the altar of the God of Israel
(v. 2),
in the same place (it is likely) where it had stood, upon the same
bases,
v. 3.
Bishop Patrick, observing that before the temple was built there seems
to have been a tabernacle pitched for the divine service, as was in
David’s time, not on Mount Moriah, but Mount Sion
supposes that this altar was erected there, to be sued while the temple
was in building. Let us learn hence,
(1.) To begin with God. The more difficult and necessitous our
case is the more concerned we are to take him along with us in all our
ways. If we expect to be directed by his oracles, let him be honoured
by our offerings.
(2.) To do what we can in the worship of God when we cannot
do what we would. They could not immediately have a temple, but
they would not be without an altar. Abraham, wherever he came, built
an altar; and wherever we come, though we may perhaps want the
benefit of the candlestick of preaching, and the showbread of the
eucharist, yet, if we bring not the sacrifices of prayer and praise, we
are wanting in our duty, for we have an altar that sanctifies the gift
ever ready.
2. Observe the reason here given why they hastened to set up the altar:
Fear was upon them, because of the people of the land. They were
in the midst of enemies that bore ill will to them and their religion,
for whom they were an unequal match. And,
(1.) Though they were so, yet they built the altar (so some read
it); they would not be frightened from their religion by the opposition
they were likely to meet with in it. Never let the fear of man bring us
into this snare.
(2.) Because they were so, therefore they set up the altar.
Apprehension of danger should stir us up to our duty. Have we many
enemies? Then it is good to have God our friend and to keep up our
correspondence with him. This good use we should make of our fears, we
should be driven by them to our knees. Even Saul would think himself
undone if the enemy should come upon him before he had made his
supplication to God,
III. The sacrifices they offered upon the altar. The altar was reared
to be used, and they used it accordingly. Let not those that have an
altar starve it.
1. They began on the first day of the seventh month,
v. 6.
It does not appear that they had any fire from heaven to begin with, as
Moses and Solomon had, but common fire served them, as it did the
patriarchs.
2. Having begun, they kept up the continual burnt-offering
(v. 5),
morning and evening,
v. 3.
They had known by sad experience what it was to want the comfort of the
daily sacrifice to plead in their daily prayers, and now that it was
revived they resolved not to let it fall again. The daily lamb typified
the Lamb of God, whose righteousness must be our confidence in all our
prayers.
3. They observed all the set feasts of the Lord, and offered the
sacrifices appointed for each, and particularly the feast of
tabernacles,
v. 4, 5.
Now that they had received such great mercy from God that joyful feast
was in a special manner seasonable. And now that they were beginning to
settle in their cities it might serve well to remind them of their
fathers dwelling in tents in the wilderness. That feast also which had
a peculiar reference to gospel times (as appears,
was brought, in a special manner, into reputation, now that those times
drew on. Of the services of this feast, which continued seven days and
had peculiar sacrifices appointed, it is said that they did as the
duty of every day required (see
&c.), Verbum die in die suo–the word, or matter, of the
day in its day (so it is in the original)–a phrase that has become
proverbial with those that have used themselves to scripture-language.
If the feast of tabernacles was a figure of a gospel conversation, in
respect of continual weanedness from the world and joy in God, we may
infer that it concerns us all to do the work of the day in its day,
according as the duty of the day requires, that is,
(1.) We must improve time, by finding some business to do every day
that will turn to a good account.
(2.) We must improve opportunity, by accommodating ourselves to that
which is the proper business of the present day. Every thing is
beautiful in its season. The tenth day of this month was the day of
atonement, a solemn day, and very seasonable now: it is very probable
that they observed it, yet it is not mentioned, nor indeed in all the
Old Testament do I remember the least mention of the observance of that
day; as if it were enough that we have the law of it in
and the gospel of it, which was the chief intention of it, in the New
Testament.
4. They offered every man’s free-will offering,
v. 5.
The law required much, but they brought more; for, though they had
little wealth to support the expense of their sacrifices, they had much
zeal, and, we may suppose, spared at their own tables that they might
plentifully supply God’s altar. Happy are those that bring with them
out of the furnace of affliction such a holy heat as this.
IV. The preparation they made for the building of the temple,
v. 7.
This they applied themselves immediately to; for, while we do what we
can, we must still be aiming to do more and better. Tyre and Sidon must
now, as of old, furnish them with workmen, and Lebanon with timber,
orders for both which they had from Cyrus. What God calls us to we may
depend upon his providence to furnish us for.
| The Foundation of the Temple Laid. | B. C. 535. |
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8 Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God
at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of
Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of
their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that
were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem; and appointed the
Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to set forward the
work of the house of the LORD.
9 Then stood Jeshua with his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel
and his sons, the sons of Judah, together, to set forward the
workmen in the house of God: the sons of Henadad, with their
sons and their brethren the Levites.
10 And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of
the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets,
and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the
LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel.
11 And they sang together by course in praising and giving
thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy
endureth for ever toward Israel. 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.
12 But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the
fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house,
when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes,
wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:
13 So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout
of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the
people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar
off.
There was no dispute among the returned Jews whether they should build
the temple or no; that was immediately resolved on, and that it should
be done with all speed; what comfort could they take in their own land
if they had not that token of God’s presence with them and the record
of his name among them? We have here therefore an account of the
beginning of that good work. Observe,
I. When it was begun-in the second month of the second year, as soon as
ever the season of the year would permit
(v. 8),
and when they had ended the solemnities of the passover. They took
little more than half a year for making preparation of the ground and
materials; so much were their hearts upon it. Note, When any good work
is to be done it will be our wisdom to set about it quickly, and not to
lose time, yea, though we foresee difficulty and opposition in it. Thus
we engage ourselves to it, and engage God for us. Well begun (we say)
is half ended.
II. Who began it–Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and their brethren. Then the
work of God is likely to go on well when magistrates, ministers, and
people, are hearty for it, and agree in their places to promote it. It
was God that gave them one heart for this service, and it boded
well.
III. Who were employed to further it. They appointed the Levites to
set forward the work
(v. 8),
and they did it by setting forward the workmen
(v. 9),
and strengthening their hands with good and comfortable words. Note,
Those that do not work themselves may yet do good service by quickening
and encouraging those that do work.
IV. How God was praised at the laying of the foundation of the temple
(v. 10, 11);
the priests with the trumpets appointed by Moses, and the Levites with
the cymbals appointed by David, made up a concert of music, not to
please the ear, but to assist the singing of that everlasting hymn
which will never be out of date, and to which our tongues should never
be out of tune, God is good, and his mercy endureth for ever,
the burden of
Let all the streams of mercy be traced up to the fountain. Whatever our
condition is, how many soever our griefs and fears, let it be owned
that God is good; and, whatever fails, that his mercy fails not. Let
this be sung with application, as here; not only his mercy endures for
ever, but it endures for ever towards Israel, Israel when captives in a
strange land and strangers in their own land. However it be, yet
God is good to Israel
good to us. Let the reviving of the church’s interests, when they
seemed dead, be ascribed to the continuance of God’s mercy for ever,
for therefore the church continues.
V. How the people were affected. A remarkable mixture of various
affections there was upon this occasion. Different sentiments there
were among the people of God, and each expressed himself according to
his sentiments, and yet there was no disagreement among them, their
minds were not alienated from each other nor the common concern
retarded by it.
1. Those that only knew the misery of having no temple at all praised
the Lord with shouts of joy when they saw but the foundation of one
laid,
To them even this foundation seemed great, and was as life from the
dead; to their hungry souls even this was sweet. They shouted, so that
the noise was heard afar off. Note, We ought to be thankful for
the beginnings of mercy, though we have not yet come to the perfection
of it; and the foundations of a temple, after long desolations, cannot
but be fountains of joy to every faithful Israelite.
2. Those that remembered the glory of the first temple which Solomon
built, and considered how far this was likely to be inferior to that,
perhaps in dimensions, certainly in magnificence and sumptuousness,
wept with a loud voice,
v. 12.
If we date the captivity with the first, from the fourth of Jehoiakim,
it was about fifty-two years since the temple was burnt; if from
Jeconiah’s captivity, it was but fifty-nine. So that many now alive
might remember it standing; and a great mercy it was to the captives
that they had the lives of so many of their priests and Levites
lengthened out, who could tell them what they themselves remembered of
the glory of Jerusalem, to quicken them in their return. These
lamented the disproportion between this temple and the former. And,
(1.) There was some reason for it; and if they turned their tears into
the right channel, and bewailed the sin that was the cause of this
melancholy change, they did well. Sin sullies the glory of any church
or people, and, when they find themselves diminished and brought low,
that must bear the blame.
(2.) Yet it was their infirmity to mingle those tears with the common
joys and so to cast a damp upon them. They despised the day of small
things, and were unthankful for the good they enjoyed, because it
was not so much as their ancestors had, though it was much more than
they deserved. In the harmony of public joys, let not us be jarring
strings. It was an aggravation of the discouragement they hereby gave
to the people that they were priests and Levites, who should have known
and taught others how to be duly affected under various providences,
and not to let the remembrance of former afflictions drown the sense of
present mercies. This mixture of sorrow and joy here is a
representation of this world. Some are bathing in rivers of joy, while
others are drowned in floods of tears. In heaven all are singing, and
none sighing; in hell all are weeping and wailing, and none rejoicing;
but here on earth we can scarcely discern the shouts of joy from the
noise of the weeping. Let us learn to rejoice with those that do
rejoice and weep with those that weep, and ourselves to
rejoice as though we rejoiced not, and weep as though we wept not.
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