Getting Past the Past
Holding on to the glories of the past can sour the potential of our present. And Ezra 3 provides a picture of this in the last two verses. The exiles have returned to celebrate the feast of booths before the presence of the Lord. And after the festival, the leaders begin to break ground on a new Temple for worship. Ezra 3:10–11 (ESV) 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, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the LORD, according to the directions of David king of Israel. 11 And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever 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. This was an exciting time for the Jews. Their freedom to worship and enjoy God's presence would soon be a reality again. The people sh...