When the exiles rebuilt the temple of God in Jerusalem, they started working on the Altar. Why did they rebuilt the Altar first? What is so important about the Altar? What is the purpose of the Altar? In the conclusion of our series on the book of Ezra, we see the Israelites prioritized the Altar because it is only through sacrifice & offerings that they can come into relationship with God. The Altar is where we lay our sacrifice, we give our offerings, and we celebrate in His presence. We no longer do those rituals because Jesus already did the ultimate sacrifice. Jesus is our Altar. And to rebuild the Altar. We must Bring our Sacrifice, Give our Offerings and Celebrate in His Presence.

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…

1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel; 2 Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do ; and we do sacrifice unto…

An act that involved offering to God the life of an animal. It expressed gratitude for God’s goodness or acknowledgment of sin. It was also associated with establishing a covenant.

Verse 1 Do you remember what happens in the 7th month on the Jewish religious calendar? The Day of Atonement the holiest day of the year, the Feast of Trumpets which was a remembrance of the law being given to Moses on Sinai and many Jews today also believe it is the beginning of the year or Jewish New…

Today we continue our series of messages from Ezra. Last week we looked at chapter 1 and how God was preparing and calling his people to return from Exile in Babylon. A key verse from last week was Ezra 1:5 5 Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart…

First things first, Establish the altar. Is God your greatest priority? Where is your Altar? Are you the example in your home?

“ 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. ”“ 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…

Prioritize Worship Illustration: Riding down the river all day and arriving at a camp site just as the sun is setting on a 30 degree night in September. One of the first priorities is finding some firewood in order to build a fire to keep you warm. This is a first step, a small step, necessary step,…