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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.
God laid out His entire plan of redemption through the feasts. We see the sacrifice of Messiah in Pesach (Passover) and His resurrection in First Fruits; He made a covenant with Israel and the Church on Shavuot (Pentecost). In Trumpets, we see the sounding of the shofar( trumpet) which accompanies the coming of the Lord. On Yom (Sukkot celebrates the gathering of the harvest and commemorates the miraculous protection God provided for the children of Israel when they left Egypt)we see the celebration of God’s provision and the redemption of His creation.
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.
Jeshua the priest, Jozadak, Zerubbabel, and their brothers build the altar of the Lord. We must establish an altar or a meeting place to seek God in our lives.
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.
They made up their minds to do what they knew was right even though they feared the people around them. When I read this, I became bothered by why do we fear when we know we are doing what is right? No one has the right to make you feel uncomfortable when doing good. God's Word, when carried out, is clearly identified when it does not behave itself selfishly. God is not a show-off; however, He is to be feared. These men were not harming anyone and yet they feared for their lives. Even though we fear obeying God there is really no sound reason we have to. When we learn to obey often enough, fear is being subdued.
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;
Upon their return home, they sought the Word of God. They followed the directions given by God to Moses for the People of Israel. When we want to do things right, we must go back to the origin of how God wanted things to be done. When going back to how God wants things carried out, we must go back to the Word of God. It is God's eternal plan for man. Man must seek God to get the results we want in our lives.
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.
Before they started building a permanent location, the men of God built an altar and used it according to the standard God gave Moses to make offerings. God wants to be the start of everything we do. When we practice making God real in our lives he becomes real in our lives. We can cast everything on him. Don't just bring God problems, although he wants you to, but bring him the good times too. Talk to him about EVERYTHING. Talk to him until you learn His ways and become just like Him.
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.
After building the altar, they prepared to build the permanent temple of God. They gave money to the people who were to buy what was needed to rebuild the House of God.
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.
Zerubbabel is mentioned first as the overseer of the province as governor. Zerubbabel takes the lead in the second year, and all the men who gathered to build the altar plus the Levites who were 20 years old and older came forth to work on 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.
Jeshua took the lead and those with him, to begin the building of God's house. These men did not build the house themselves, but they were the overseers of what was to be built. When God has given us a plan to do what must be done we must be responsible to make sure that the people we hire are not left to themselves. We must watch what they do and make sure it is what we want. Many times I have hired people to complete a job for me, and I did not make sure the work being done was done correctly. More than 70 percent of the time, I was not pleased with the work I hired them to do. I assumed or trusted them to do it right, they did not, and often time I wasted time and money.
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.
When the builders laid the foundation, the people rejoiced loudly! The priests were dressed and the musicians were positioned and the people sang loudly. The songs they sang were the songs sung by David and others. The older people remembered the first house and to see this house in its building made them cry loudly mixed with the cries of others who saw what God had promised. There were mixed sounds in their cries. Both cries were blaring until it was hard to distinguish what cry was what. They started out in fear, but now the people shouted loudly, and fear was nowhere to be heard or seen. When we obey God for the first time or for the first time in a long time, we may fear; but keep doing what is right until the fear subsides and joy is all that can be heard.
My song after I read this chapter!!!!!
When we first get started in doing God's Will
Our hearts may tremble and be filled with fear
But know that God is always standing by
He sees our efforts
and hears our cry
Just keep doing what you do
and do it well
You will see thing change
and all can tell
That God is finishing
what He started in you
What he promised will be
If we do what He says do
From fear to faith now shouting
From fear to faith now shouting
If we don't give up
and don't give in
We will shout and shout shout and shout again!
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