How does Ezra 3:6 connect to the theme of obedience in Deuteronomy? Ezra 3:6 at a Glance “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.” Obedience in Deuteronomy: Core Principles • Deuteronomy urges wholehearted obedience that starts immediately, not merely when conditions seem ideal (Deuteronomy 5:32–33; 6:3–6). • Worship must follow God-given patterns: – Offerings at the place the LORD chooses (Deuteronomy 12:5–7, 13–14). – Feasts kept on appointed days (Deuteronomy 16:1, 13, 16). • Obedience brings blessing and preserves covenant relationship (Deuteronomy 28:1–10). Connections You Can Hear in Ezra 3:6 • Same calendar, same call – “First day of the seventh month” aligns with the Feast of Trumpets—a date commanded in Deuteronomy 16 and expounded in Leviticus 23:23–25. • Acting before the foundation – The people did not wait for perfect circumstances; they obeyed promptly, echoing Deuteronomy 5:32 (“Do exactly as the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left”). • Centralized worship – Even in ruins, Jerusalem was “the place the LORD your God will choose” (Deuteronomy 12:5). Bringing sacrifices there showed they accepted God’s chosen location rather than making altars elsewhere. • Covenant renewal mood – Their offerings paralleled the covenant-renewal assemblies Moses envisioned for every generation (Deuteronomy 29:10–15; 31:10–13). Additional Scriptural Echoes • Haggai 1:12—returnees “obeyed the voice of the LORD their God,” confirming the same spirit of ready obedience. • Psalm 119:60—“I hurried without hesitating to keep Your commandments.” Ezra 3:6 is that verse in narrative form. Living the Pattern • Obedience isn’t postponed until life is “fully built.” Act on God’s revealed will today. • Follow His instructions precisely, trusting He blesses the place, time, and manner He appoints. • Let every act of worship be a visible pledge that His covenant commands still shape our priorities. |
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