The Bible Study Podcast, episode 613.

Today, the Bible Study podcast continues a study of the book of Ezra with chapter 3.

Welcome to the Bible Study podcast.

I'm your host, Chris Christensen.

Well, I don't know if you saved Chapter 2 for a sleep aid.

I am told that my voice can be soothing, and with that chapter, it might just work for you.

But we're on to Chapter 3, where we actually start work on rebuilding the temple.

And it starts like this, rebuilding the altar.

When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people

assembled together as one in Jerusalem.

Then Joshua, son of Josadak and his fellow priests and Zerubabel, son of Sheltiel 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, the man of God.

Despite their fear of the people around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed

burnt offerings on it to the Lord,

both morning and evening sacrifices. Then, in accordance with what is written, they celebrated

the festival of tabernacles with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each

day. After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings, the New Moon

sacrifices, and the sacrifices for all the appointed sacred festivals of the Lord, as well as

those brought as free will offerings to the Lord. On the first day of the seventh month, they began

to offer burnt offerings to the Lord,

though the foundation of the Lord's temple had not yet been laid.

...