Daily Devotional · Ezra 3:2–3
They Built the Altar First
Reflection
The first wave of exiles returned to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel. They came back to a city of ruins. The temple was gone. The walls were broken. The streets were empty. The first thing they did was build the altar. Not the temple. Not the walls. Not the houses. The altar. "Then Jeshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses." And they made a point: "Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices." Despite their fear. They were afraid of their neighbors. The surrounding peoples were hostile. The returnees were small in number, without walls, without military protection. And yet they built the altar anyway. The altar before the foundation. Worship before walls. Praise before protection. This sequencing is theologically deliberate: before they could provide for their own security, before they could build permanent housing, before the infrastructure was in place — they worshiped God. They established their dependence on Him before they established their independence in the land. The altar was their first statement: we are a worshipping people first. Everything else comes second.
Background
The priority of the altar over the temple foundation (built several months later in Ezra 3:10) reflects a theological principle present throughout the Old Testament: worship and sacrifice are the foundation of covenant life, not the buildings that house them. The tabernacle in the wilderness preceded the temple; the altar preceded the tabernacle. The form of worship changes, but the priority remains constant.
Truth
When you are rebuilding from ruins — personally, spiritually, practically — the instinct is to build security and infrastructure first. The altar-first sequencing says: establish your relationship with God before establishing everything else. The foundation of the rebuilt life is worship.
Application
In your current season — whether rebuilding, starting over, or launching something new — what comes first in your attention and energy? Ask God: have I built the altar, or am I building the walls first? Identify one act of worship to place before all the practical work this week.