Ezra 3 documents the returned exiles’ effort to rebuild the altar and reinstate proper worship in Jerusalem after their captivity in Babylon. Following King Cyrus’s decree (which he issued in 539 BC), the first wave of Jewish returnees arrived in Jerusalem around 538 BC. In this chapter, the biblical text focuses on the seventh month, when the people gathered as one in Jerusalem to renew their worship of the LORD. Zerubbabel (appointed governor of Judah and a descendant of King David) and Jeshua the priest led the people in erecting the altar so that the regular sacrifices according to the Law of Moses could be offered. “So they set up the altar on its foundation … and they offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD, burnt offerings morning and evening” (Ezra 3:3). By restoring worship, the exiles declared publicly that they belonged to the LORD, despite surrounding dangers and the memories of recent exile.

The chapter highlights the importance of Jerusalem as the center of worship for God’s people. Jerusalem was (and remains) a city situated on the hills of Judah, a strategic high ground that played a significant role in Israel’s history and identity. In reestablishing the altar at its historical site, the exiles not only reclaimed their sacred practices but also laid a symbolic foundation for the community’s restoration. They observed the Feast of Booths (Ezra 3:4), a festival designed to remind Israel of God’s faithfulness during their wilderness wanderings. This celebration looked back on divine deliverance from Egypt, while also pointing ahead to God’s ongoing work of redemption.

After renewing corporate worship, the exiles laid the foundation of the Temple—an act that generated mixed emotions in the community. Younger generations shouted with joy, celebrating the prospect of God’s house rising once more in the land (Ezra 3:12). At the same time, some of the older men, who recalled the glory of Solomon’s Temple, wept with grief at how the new construction seemed less grand. This collective response underscores the bittersweet journey of restoration: the exiles had come home and resumed sacrificial worship, yet full restoration would require time and perseverance.

In the larger context of Scripture, Ezra 3 marks a crucial step in redemptive history. The temple foreshadows the ultimate dwelling of God with His people, fulfilled in the New Testament where Jesus is called the cornerstone (1 Peter 2:6-7). Just as these exiles set the altar on its foundation to begin a new era of worship, believers in Christ honor Him as the foundation of their faith, offering themselves “as a living and holy sacrifice” (Romans 12:1). The rebuilding in Ezra 3, therefore, not only reestablished Israel’s formal worship but also pointed to the greater work God would accomplish through the Messiah, who would expand God’s spiritual temple to encompass all who trust in Him.