Celebrate the joy of making a new start. Even, and especially, a picking-up-the-pieces start.

For centuries, the Israelites sinned against the Lord and refused to repent. As a result, they experienced defeat and exile.

Seventy years later, Cyrus king of Persia issued this decree:

The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them (Ezra 1:2-3).

More than 42,000 of the exiles returned to the land of Judah.

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 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 … 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. Then in accordance with what is written, they celebrated the Festival of Tabernacles with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day (Ezra 3:1-4).

It’s normal to feel fear when tackling something new, especially when people are watching and want us to fail, and especially when we’ve failed in the past. But the people in Ezra’s day knew: Returning to Judah would count for nothing if they did not also return to the Lord with all their hearts. And so they faced down fear, built an altar and surrendered themselves to him.

Feast on the Word

Read all of Ezra 3 to find out what happened after the returned exiles made a new start at Sukkot. Notice that the surrender to God in the seventh month brought even more joy as the people kept pursuing what God had sent them back to do. What else in Ezra 3 stands out to you?

Celebrate the Feast

Has fear ever threatened to keep you from making a new start? Is fear hindering you now from going with God where people may not approve? Will you sit with the fear, feel it and give it to God? Again today, will you present yourself wholly to him? Will you go wherever he leads?

Like those in Ezra who faced down fear: Sing, praise and give thanks to the Lord. Shout aloud to him.

Image © David Ohmer, flickr, Evening Light on Cedar Lake Fountain, CC 2.0

See also

• The intro to this Feast of Tabernacles celebration guide and links to all 8 Days, at Sukkot: The Feast of Joy
• Celebrating God at his appointed times