“Let the house be rebuilt” (Ezra 6:3). It was a long time before those words became reality—when the returned Israelites finally stood in the finished rebuilt temple.
Seventy years after Solomon’s temple was destroyed.
Twenty-three years after Cyrus decreed and funded the rebuild.
About twenty years after the foundation was laid.
And about four years after the building began again after being interrupted.
With many doubts, discouragements, and outright opposition along the way, the people were finally able to dedicate this new house of God. At last, there would once again be a place for God’s people to remember and relearn what it is to worship Him alone.
I’m sure many of the Israelites wondered if the day would ever come. Would they ever stand in the place that God had ordained for His presence to dwell? Few people would have still been alive who had seen the first temple since seventy years had passed since its destruction. So for most, it was a completely new experience to stand in the house of God.
Of course, as I read about this dedication of the second temple in the book of Ezra, I can’t help but look back to the first temple dedication that we read in the 1 Kings account. To be sure, much was different about the dedication in Ezra’s account than Solomon’s earlier temple and ceremony. There were fewer sacrifices, and the building was certainly smaller. Overall the festivities were not quite as grand.. A divided kingdom, exile, and a long-awaited return separated these two celebrations. But one thing remained the same: This was an occasion marked with great joy.
The Israelites, including the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles, celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy.
—Ezra 6:16
After everything the exiles had been through—joy! Perhaps even more joy because of the journey it had taken to stand where they stood. And even for all the differences of this second temple, it was a representation of God’s presence among His people. And for that, they could celebrate with deep, sincere joy.
The joy of the returned exiles was echoing the joy of Solomon, celebrating because not one of God’s promises had failed (1Kings 8:56). It’s why Solomon stood and dedicated a house to God. And generations later, after that temple had been destroyed and God’s people exiled, they stood on a new foundation and dedicated a new temple to the same God of the same promises. He still had not failed. His promises were still true. And because God was still faithful, the people stood and offered back to Him what He alone had promised and provided. And they did so with great joy.
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54 thoughts on "Dedication of the Temple"
The world changes and situations change but God never does Amen !!!
God is faithful!
Even today we can count on his promises.
We look and see that God always keeps his promise and what hope that can bring to us and what joy that should fill us with. Thank you Heavenly Father for always being faithful and keeping your promises.
MERCY – it can be so frustrating and downright scary when technology doesn’t work the way it is supposed to in order for us to achieve our goals. I’m praying that your laptop works today, and that you can be productive in your job. I’m praying for a sense of calm and peace as you work.
COLLEEN DEVEAU – praying that recovery continues for your daddy, and for you and your family as you navigate the journey to visit him.
“Blessed be the LORD! He has given rest to His people…” May the LORD our God be with us..May He not abandon us nor leave us..May He uphold His servant’s cause & the cause of His people…This house was completed on the Third Day! So much I get to pounder on… Love Him & His Word. ❤️
@Collen Deveau – praying for you, your dad and your family as your dad navigates some health issues. My heart aches for everyone who has to go through scary stuff like that. And I work in a hospital LOL. Praying you all feel Gods present with you. @MERCY – praying tomorrow is an easier day at work! Those work hiccups sure can be frustrating. Praying tomorrow is better! Happy Monday ladies. I’m coming on here late again as it’s been a busy day! So grateful for all you guys and always lifting you all up in prayer. This little corner of the internet sure is special.
Coleen Deveau praying for you , your dad and your family. CeeGee praying for your test. Mercy, praying for your work and peace of mind.
COLLEEN DEVEAU – Prayers
TINA – Beautiful!
Thank you LYNN FROM ALABAMA for your prayers. I went back and saw your comment.❤️
“He still had not failed. His promises were still true.”
What a beautiful reminder full of hope!
Thank you so much ladies for your prayers about my work (SHARON JERSEY GIRL, SEARCHING, KELLY, KIMBERLY Z and other she’s who prayed). THANK YOU SO MUCH! Thank you Kimberly Z for encouraging me knowing that my trouble is also shared by you and other sisters. This morning, the technical issue happened again (crying), my work laptop died and many work projects were in progress. I spent 4 hours trying all possible things, googling solutions, and my team mates did not understand why my laptop battery did not take the charge cable, we all had similar laptops and they did not have this happen before. Very odd. IT support was notified. On another positive note, my team mates were sympathetic and patient -which lifted my spirit. I was discouraged, and I sat and prayed, tapping the power button, did not work the whole morning, my husband came to help after a few hours of me trying, then it worked. Praise God. We still don’t understand! Please pray for me and this laptop, it’s new and should be working perfectly. I could not explain why these issues kept popping up, either with softwares not functioning, and today the whole laptop went on strike. Anywho, working remotely from home makes it harder to troubleshoot. Sorry for my venting. I would appreciate your prayers that I won’t grow weary dreading unexpected hours could be wasted should this happen again. Thank you for being my emotional support.
Lifting our sisters in prayers for your urgent needs (COLLEEN D-miracle for your daddy & his recovery, so sorry, grace for you and brothers coming to his aid, GWINETH52-healing for your friends & brother, RHONDA-safe travels, KRISTEN- friend’s divorce today and Blaze’s brain cancer surgery, KATE K- dear son to have easy grace submitting to parents/authority/God, and other shes needs).
@TINA: what a special & personal way God communicated through the bigger JOY.
After the reading today, I also felt convicted that my faith could be wavering if the promise was not fulfilled within my expected time frame. I tend to think God is sovereign, all knowing, what can’t He perform? 23 years after an approved king’s decree is a very long time to wait in a person’s life. King David when he was anointed to be king, he still had to wait years and fought many relentless resistance of Saul. Or even Moses and other patriarchs who passed away without seeing the promise yet in their lifetime (Hebrews 11:13). It is a challenging pursuit they all had to face. What an example for us. Father Lord God, give us supernatural grace to keep going, and not dismissing our waiting as a waste of time, or judging you unfaithful in our waiting when yet to see the promise come to pass (which is a sin), let us declare that there fail not a word or a promise God has spoken, all shall come to pass in God’s perfect timing. Give us grace to accept. Cleanse us of any misunderstanding, wrong expectations, and impatience. In Jesus’s Name. We give you praise, glory and honor. Amen.
Be blessed dear sisters.
May God bless you all for keeping my family in your prayers and for encouraging me in the midst of all of this.
It’ll take my brothers and me a bit to get to the hospital via public transit (we are on the tri-rail now), but we’re getting along. As per the nurse attending to my daddy, Daddy is taking small strides in the right direction. His blood pressure levels are rising slowly. His kidney function is gradually improving. He is not able to talk or communicate much, but he is letting the medical staff know what he needs.
Praise God! Please keep the prayers coming!
Karen Roper, I love seeing your green hearts.
♥️
SEARCHING, LYNNE FROM ALABAMA, TINA – ❤❤❤
Thank you dear sisters and anyone else who prayed for my test! It went well and no side effects so far! Now we wait for results, but I am at total peace about that.
TINA – JOY!!! I, too love that word (it hangs on my Christmas tree) and love your testimony of the search. How often we settle for second best by not being faithful in waiting (and not discerning) what God has for us!
GAYLE R – Praying for your colonoscopy!
COLLEEN DEVEAU – Understanding your thoughts about your dad and praying that God is seen and felt by you and your family, especially your dad. Praying for peace and comfort, wisdom for the care team and for your family for any decisions that fall on you. Hopefully your layover in my state wasn’t a long one and that you are all safely on the ground in FL! Ditto to SEARCHING’S prayer!
Praying for all other requests – spoken/unspoken. ❤
@Colleen Deveau – prayers for you, your father, and your family. Lifting you all up high.
I will be praying for your father and you and your family today, Colleen. Praying for His peace to envelop all of you!
What strikes me from reading LINDSEY JACOBI’s thoughts on this reading today is the amount of time it took to finally see God’s promise come through. Oh, how we live in a instant-gratification world. I want things and I want them NOW. I wonder what God thinks as He looks down on earth, watching people scurrying around trying to get everything NOW. How much debt do people have because they cannot wait until they have cash?, how many bad decisions are made because people don’t want to wait until they have more knowledge?, how much trouble have we caused ourselves and others because we did not wait for God’s perfect timing? If we could only learn to settle down, and just wait on God to work His miracles in our lives, if we could just be content with where we are and know that He is working. There are times when I’m (im)patiently waiting for something and I have to tell myself “right now, at this very moment, I have everything I need for this life. Everything I need.”
Good Monday Morning She’s!
It’s a chilly, rainy morning here today- but we are outta here in a little while! It’s been a fun couple of weeks, seeing our grands, and having my son staying with us in the RV. It was hard to see him go back to his home but I laugh as he said “I love you a bunch-but I’m ready to go home!” My sentiments as well, I’m ready to go home! We will stop off to see my dad in Kentucky today, then head home tomorrow to Fl! I ask for prayers for safe travels please!
It is hard to think that generations in this story lived without seeing the promises of the Lord fulfilled. Back in their homeland, still split from half of the Israelite nation,the temple barely started then put to a halt. They must have felt that God was not seeing their needs? We read the ending in this short book, and might tend to not grasp the actual reality in the in between. But when we are “in it” in our own lives the unknown can be frightening. The praying, the pleading, the why aren’t you fixing this God! All I know from reading the bible over and over, is that our God is Good, and all things are in His hands, and we MUST rely on Him through thick and thin, in ALL things, giving thanks and praise to Him. Spreading the good news, that the ending has already been won, and if we are in him, we can be joyful and at peace in the hard. Thank you Lord. Life is hard, but we have YOU. Can you imagine life without our Shepard and Savior?!
@Colleen- my thoughts and prayers are with you. And all others!
It’s amazing to me how a pagan ruler allowed the temple to be rebuilt. Only GOD! Hallelujah!
@COLLEENDEVEAU
Prayers for you, your family and your dad as he goes through his surgery today and for the recovery from it.
Praying for peace and love for you all and safe travels
May God fill you with His love and peace
Coleen praying for your dad and your family. Kate praying for your son.
So thankful for God’s faithfulness even when we allow life to sidetrack us. He will keep His promises!
Praying for you, your dad, and your family, Colleen DeVeau.
God is so good- “9 Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail, “ God put this decree in place BEFORE because His plan is perfect. He continues to provide for His people!!!! When I cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel Lord remind me who goes before me! 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28- Happy Monday SHES
Good morning, precious SRT sisters!
This morning I am lifting up each of you and your needs to our gracious Heavenly Father. KATE K, KRISTEN, GWINETH52–your friends and family have been brought before the Lord today. COLLEEN DEVEAU—May God’s perfect will be done with your dad. I pray for wisdom for his doctors and peace and strength for you and your brothers.
Have a blessed Monday!
I’m praying for you and your father and family Colleen Deveau along with the requests of others here. Michelle Pattire, our worship team kicked off our service yesterday with “There’s joy in the house of the Lord… And we won’t be quiet – we shout out Your praise!” I love the song.
“Praise be to the LORD…Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave…” (1Kings 8:56) Praise to the LORD God who is faithful to a thousand generations and who always keeps His promises!
@Colleen Deveau – So sorry to hear of your dads condition. Much prayers for you and your family – and especially for your dad. May God fill him with His peace, may God give him the grace he needs, be merciful and may His will be done.
Blessings to all my She sisters – remembering you all in prayer.
How many times have I come to a crossroads in life or a decision that needed to be made and I stepped out in, what I thought was for certain, faith, only to be gripped in doubt and second-guessing before the culmination of the decision??
But then, God. Somehow He finds a way to make the decision crystal clear, or HE removes the barriers that pop up that immediately force me to doubt. Why do I always go straight to doubt and not simply remembering the peace I felt in the first place?
That’s how I see this “return from exile” going for the Israelites. “I know God said DO THIS through the King, but now I’m not so sure,” or “If God said DO THIS, why are these people questioning us?” “If God wants us to DO THIS, then why doesn’t He stop the opposition before it is voiced?”
And on and on they, and I, could go. God, why do you allow opposition or barriers or doubts when you ask your children to do something? But then, it does give us an opportunity to be reminded of your steadfast faithfulness and a reminder that You will not fail us, no matter how many hurdles we have to overcome. And the overcoming is what makes the JOY greater.
BLESSED BETH and COLLEEN DEVEAU, both your situations are just weighing so heavy on my heart today. You, and those involved in each circumstance, are in my prayers this morning.
Praying for you, your dad and family @colleen!
@COLLEEN DEVEAU – praying for you, your dad, and your family. That is awful news to hear but it is a blessing you are able to travel and be with him. Also agreeing in prayer with the other sister who mentioned Romans 8:28 :) The Lord bless you. He does know what He is doing, amen! Praying against the lies of the enemy, that you would have peace even not understanding the “why” behind it all. God be near to you. He does not fail.
I was thinking of that Phil Wickham song, “There’s joy in the house of the Lord… And we won’t be quiet – we shout out Your praise!” My church sings that song. It is fitting for the completion of the second temple of Jerusalem.
God bless all you, Shes!
Colleen D., praying this morning for your dad and for you and your family. May God keep you safe as you travel today and may God give you and your dad His peace and comfort.
Will keep you in prayer @Colleen
Colleen, I’m so sorry that you’re walking this right now. I will be lifting you up in prayer and your father.
Our joy is not dependent on us or our circumstances, it is dependent on God’s faithfulness and His promises (which He is always faithful and always keeps His promises). So glad that HIS joy is OUR strength!
Lifting up all the prayer requests <3
*God keeps his promises*
@ColleenDeVeau I am so very sorry to hear about your dad and all that he is going through. My thoughts and prayers with you and your family.
God is always faithful, and has always and will always keep His promises – from the beginning of time as we know it and throughout eternity. What comfort and peace there is in knowing this and knowing Him. Hallelujah!
COLLEEN DEVEAU – dear sister, this developing situation with your dad, how heartbreaking! Praying for him and his medical team, and for you and your brothers as you travel. In reading Romans 8:28 as part of today’s Scriptures – your family was my first thought, wondering who will be blessed or come to know the Lord through him or your family during his hospital stay and rehab. What part of FL? ❤️
KRISTIN – praying for your friends and today’s anticipated divorce, that there would be a remembrance of their love for each that led to their marriage, that Lord would draw them close. Also praying for your neighbor Blaze, his medical team and his family during today’s surgery and recovery.
GWINETH52 – praying for you, your friends and your brother as you are able to visit, and for healing of all.
TINA – Joy! ❤️
CEE GEE – praying for testing
KATE K – continuing to pray for your son
9/11 – remembering those who perished in the attacks, those still grieving, those still dealing with physical, mental, emotional effects.
Praying for each country throughout the world, for leadership that serves the one true God, for their people to do the same.
Ameb
Thank you to those who prayed for my teenage son struggling with doubts and unbelief. I think he really does believe, but he is mad and struggling with God’s authority (and parental authority also). Please continue to pray for him, especially that God would send other believing adults in his life who could provide wisdom and support.
COLLEEN DEVEAU- prayers going up for your father, you, and your family as you travel to be by his side.
God is faithful to His promises even though I am unfaithful. I can never be thankful enough for His mercy, grace, and long-suffering.
TINA – thanks for the well wishes.
COLLEN DeVEAU – prayers for safe travels, peace-filled heart and mind, and wisdom for doctors
GWINETH529 – may peace continue to reigh in your heart and in your friends’ and brother’s hearts
KATHY – did Stephen have the lung transplant surgery yet?
CAROLYN – how is your grandson?
In agreement for the prayer for Colleen and her family. May His Name be glorified and praised in their lives and these situations.
@Tina, thank you for the beautiful story of God’s kindness!
Many are mentioning what is said in Scripture about God’s faithfulness and that He keeps promise, and doesn’t fail. I heard much about this yesterday and now today. What hope we can have because of Him. May those that don’t follow Him, be drawn and see His Sovereignty, power, grace, and love, and bow before Him in repentance and reverence and be changed for time and eternity! Amen!
Also, my pastor is going through preaching Red Letter Questions that Jesus asked. Yesterday’s message was about sorry, fear, and anxiety, and the question was: “Who can add one more hour to his life by worrying?” When I read @Gwenyth52’s comment,about facing forward and leaving burdens behind, that reminded me of some of what was said in the message yesterday. He prompted us to come to the altar and give God what we were worried about, but not to stay there at long. Leave it there and go back and worship Him! You can listen if you go to maog.org.
Also, if any of you would, please pray for my friend and his wife. They are supposed to get divorced today. Praying that this won’t go through. Also, Blaze my neighbor that was found to have brain cancer, has surgery today!
Please May God guide the doctor’s and nurses’ hands and minds as they care for him. I’m asking for peace for all through this process and that Blaze would be healed and live to praise Him and tell of His goodness. I’m asking that the family be drawn closer to Jesus through all this and keep seeking Him even after! May God use this for His glory and His purposes! Amen!
Praying for you all today too.a
❤️
Amen
Praying for you all
Morning!!
I was reminded of a time as I read the devotion. Browsing through a Christian book store, I came across some metal made words, in a choice of silver or gold.. Words like Hope, Grace, Love Joy..
I bought the HOPE in silver, as this is my favourite word ever!
The following week, I could not see a JOY in silver, I was told me more stock would arrive the following week.so I bought the LOVE, in silver. Returning the following week, I bought the GRACE, as there still was no sign of a silver JOY. After a couple of visits, and still no JOY each time, only finding the words in gold… I stood looking at the JOY in gold which was much bigger in size to the ones I had in silver…. Guess what…
BUT GOD..
His Heart for me is greater than I can ever imagine, His Grace covers me each day, and He fills me with Hope always.. But the JOY He wanted me to have, was not of the silver variety, no sir-ee, He wanted me to have a ‘larger than any other’ JOY in GOLD, a far better\richer commodity!! I actually sit now, looking at this great JOY, and it fills my heart. I would imagine, the kind of joy felt by the people of Israel.
The joy of the Lord is for sure my strength, my stay, my song, for He is faithful, and His promises are true. And when He says it, then He will do it, as the words of the song goes!
AMEN.
Happy JOY-filled Monday, beautiful ones.. ❤
After doing some research on the years those Persian kings lived, I wonder why the Israelites let their work being stopped in the first place. They returned 338 BC and stopped 2 years later. Then 16 years and some prophecies later they resumed their work, which took them 4 years.
Had they confronted their enemies then, in 336 BC and insisted on the decree of king Cyrus, they could have finished the rebuilding of the temple during his reign.
I wonder if 70 years of captivity had their toll on them so that they weren‘t able to stand up for their rights and withdrew from their mission as soon as any resistance occured?
It‘s a sad story. Had they been more confident, the outcome could have been different. But then again, who are we to judge them? Aren’t we also guilty of little faith and fear of men time and time again? To me this story is a reminder to look onto God‘s promises and not to let fear (of men or circumstances) keep me from doing what I am meant to do.
COLLEEN DEVEAU, I am so very sorry for your troubles and for your daddies… BUT GOD…
Our Heavenly Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name, may YOUR kingdom come Lord God, may YOUR will be done, in this situation. May the family see, Lord, here earth, as in heaven, your hand very much at work. Lord, give COLLEEN and family this day, your Word to sooth their hearts, and minds of all the worry they have in this moment and time. Lord God, be with each of them as they travel to see their dear daddy, Lord in your mercy… Hear our collective prayers.. Amen.
Will continue to hold you up in prayer COLLEEN. Safe travels..x
@GWINETH52, Amen & Amen!
Let Your will be DONE***
“And they did so with great joy.” After passing through discouragement, disappointment & despair, the Israelites celebrated a dwelling place for their God among them. The unfailing Promise Keeper. As image bearers, the joy of the Lord is our strength & shield & super power. I’ve mentioned my messy mix of doubts, depression & dis-ease concerning the illness of three close women friends & a brother. But we are talking, texting, Face Timing & soon to have in-person visits. Are they are rid of their maladies; are they immune to pain; are they past lingering uncertainties? Of course not! Yet the shared fight/flight/freeze impulse has dissipated. Continuing to care immensely, but no longer choking on fear. Neither them. Nor me. A welcome sign is improved sleep for everyone! Like the Prophet Ezra, and later the Apostle Paul, bid: God’s people are never abandoned, and are called remember who He is, to face forward & to leave burdens behind. With courage. Within community. To see an earthly temple, and foresee an eternal temple. And to do so with great joy, sister Shes, around the globe. In unison. Amen & Amen!
Thank you so much to everyone who has mentioned me by name (and even those who have not) in prayer. I covet your prayers right now.
My daddy was found near death yesterday (Sunday, 09/10/23) on the floor of his apartment in Florida. He sufferers from multiple sclerosis, among other things. He was found lying on his left side, severely dehydrated. We don’t know how long he lay there before my uncle and the sheriff found him. In an attempt to make this request/story short, the hospital was forced to amputate his left foot to try to save his body from experiencing further damage as he has completely lost feeling and circulation in his left leg from lying there so long. Doctors say they will amputate his left leg above the knee at some point today. He will probably need dialysis and additional treatment for his other conditions as the days go on.
I thank God that my daddy was found, but I cannot help wishing that God had just taken him home. He has been through so much already.
God, I know You love my daddy immeasurably more than I ever could. You know his heart and his love for You. You have never forgotten him or left him alone. Let Your will be fine in his life and the lives affected and surrounding his. I know You know what You are doing, LORD. Help us to trust You in all of this. Please continue to minister hope and peace to us. You have never, ever failed, and You never could. Continue to be close to my daddy. Amen.
My flight is at 5:45 (EST) in this morning out of New York. I have a layover in South Carolina. My younger brothers are coming with me.
Please keep all of us in your prayers.