God’s people had good reason for rejoicing. After all, they had been allowed to return to the Promised Land after 70 years in exile. Moreover, God had blessed them during those difficult years: while only 4,600 people (or perhaps families) had been carried off into exile (Jeremiah 52:28-30), 42,360 people had come back (Ezra 2:64).

Moreover, they had the support of King Cyrus of Persia, who had restored many of the treasures the Babylonians had stolen from the Temple (Ezra 1:7-11). And among those returning was Zerubbabel, the grandson of King Jehoiachin, and thus a direct descendant of King David (Ezra 2:2, 3:2; I Chronicles 3:17-20). They also had among them Jeshua the High Priest, a direct descendant of Zadok, who served at the time of David. God had thus preserved His people, preparing them and their leaders for their return to the land He had promised to their ancestors.

And the people had responded to God’s blessings with obedient worship. After all, the first recorded act of their leaders was to construct an altar to the Lord, so that the prescribed daily and seasonal sacrifices could be offered (Ezra 3:2-5). And finally, the foundation of a new Temple had been laid (Ezra 3:10). It’s no wonder that they rejoiced.

But it’s also no wonder that so many of the people wept at the same time. For no matter how numerous they may have been, they were still a tiny remnant when compared to the millions who had lived in the Land before the Assyrian and Babylonian conquests. And no matter how generous Cyrus might have been, the Jews were still his powerless subjects. And they were surrounded by all sorts of foreigners who were now living in the land God had promised to them alone (Ezra 3:3). And they simply couldn’t imagine that the new Temple would ever be able to approach the glory and splendor of the one Solomon had built. No, if they had good reason for rejoicing, they had good reason for weeping as well.

I wonder if the same thing isn’t often true for us. After all, during that long COVID year we lost lots of loved ones, and many congregations are still waiting for many of their worshippers to return. But the same period of enforced isolation allowed many congregations to broaden their ministries, livestreaming worship services and using interactive software to help Sunday School classes meet. And who knows: being so clearly reminded of our helplessness might just spark the revival of faith in Christ we Americans have needed for over 150 years.

So, should we mourn what is lost? Sure. But let’s also look forward with great anticipation to the blessings that God has in store for us in the future. After all, the Second Temple was in fact more glorious than the First: for Jesus Himself, God with Us, came to visit the Temple whose humble foundations were laid in Ezra chapter 3. So, who knows how God will use our present sufferings to reveal His glory? After all, He is still good, and His mercy really does endure forever.

Ezra 3:10-13 (NASB)

10 Now when the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the LORD according to the directions of King David of Israel.
11 And they sang, praising and giving thanks to the LORD, saying, “For He is good, for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever.” And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the LORD because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.
12 Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy;
13 so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far away.