“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.”
Oh, fear.
While our group of exiles were setting up house, they most likely heard some grumbling from the “peoples around them.” We will see in chapter 4 they particularly had issues with those from Samaria, north of Jerusalem. Way back, about 180 years when the northern kingdom was first taken captive, the king of Assyria “brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns.” (2 Kings 17:24)
So, add about 2 centuries of them living here and having children and grandchildren, and you have the “peoples around” our exiles. And just because our group had King Cyrus’ administrative approval to return and rebuild their temple, does not mean they had the local people’s social approval.
I wonder if the peoples around murmured Who do they think they are? They were just in captivity – captivity they deserved.
Do you think our exiles knew that’s what the peoples around were thinking? Do you think they thought the same thing about themselves?
Does God do this in your life, too? Insist on showing you and those around you that your walk with Him is saturated in grace?
Because there are a couple verses about our Altar of Burnt Offerings we didn’t highlight last week:
“This is what you are to offer on the altar regularly each day: two lambs a year old. Offer one in the morning and the other at twilight. With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil pressed from olives, and a quarter of a hin of wine as a drink offering. Sacrifice the other lamb at twilight with the same grain offering and its drink offering as the morning – a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the LORD by fire.” (Exodus 29:38-41)
We know the animal sacrifices were blood. Atonement for sin. But the grain and drink offerings were “a pleasing aroma” to the LORD. They were acts of worship. It goes right along with the burnt offering, but is different in meaning.
Every time we stand – and encourage others to stand – on the finished work of atonement Jesus accomplished on the cross, we can consider that a worship offering.
When the peoples around make us afraid, and we continue on in humility being faithful to what He has asked us to do, that is an aroma pleasing to the LORD.
And every time we love sincerely our fellow believers – more concerned with His glory among those watching than winning – it is a worship offering to Him.
Our exiles obeyed God and “built the altar on its foundation.” We know none of us can lay any foundation other than that which is already laid – Jesus Christ.
Believers, let’s stand on that Firm Foundation and love.
That will be an aroma pleasing to our LORD.