Joy And Weeping

Joy and Weeping

Q: What event caused people to both laugh and weep from joy?

• a. seeing their homeland for the first time in 70 years
• b. cleaning the rubble out of their houses and moving back in
• c. seeing the foundation of the Temple being laid

The first group of captives to arrive back in their homeland after the Exile was led by Zerubbabel. They found Jerusalem in bad condition. King Nebuchadnezzar’s men had burned down the Temple of God and torn down the city walls.

The first thing the people did was rebuild the altar so they could offer sacrifices to God. But they were afraid because while they were gone for 70 years, pagan people had moved into their land. The Jews were afraid of what the pagans might do when the Jews rebuilt the altar, but they did it anyway.

Then the people began the work of rebuilding the Temple. Masons and carpenters were needed for the building, and supplies had to be gathered. The workers started with the foundation. Once the foundation was laid, the priests put on their robes and blew their trumpets. Some of the people sang and praised God for the finished foundation. They shouted for joy. But many of the older men who’d seen the first Temple wept. The weeping was probably not for joy but because they longed for their old Temple, which had been more ornate and elaborate.

The people began rebuilding the Temple, which would be used for worshiping God, before they began rebuilding the wall, which would be used for protection. The people were putting God first and trusting him to protect them.

For You

The Jews had their priorities right in putting the things of God first. Are you careful to put God and what he wants for you ahead of what you want? Do you try to do what his Word says, even when it goes against what you want to do? If you do, God will be able to use you in great ways.

Answer: c

Many of the older priests, Levites, and other leaders who had seen the first Temple wept aloud when they saw the new Temple’s foundation. The others, however, were shouting for joy.   Ezra 3:12

(The Whole Story: Ezra 3)