Ezra 6:13-22
Joy at the Finished House
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13In response, Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates diligently carried out what King Darius had decreed.
14So the Jewish elders built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo. They finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia.
15And this temple was completed on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
16Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy.
17For the dedication of the house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and a sin offering for all Israel of twelve male goats, one for each tribe of Israel.
18They also appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their groups to the service of God in Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.
19On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles kept the Passover.
20All the priests and Levites had purified themselves and were ceremonially clean. And the Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their priestly brothers, and for themselves.
21The Israelites who had returned from exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to seek the LORD, the God of Israel.
22For seven days they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread with joy, because the LORD had made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to strengthen their hands in the work on the house of the God of Israel.
Berean Standard Bible
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The governor and his associates carry out Darius's decree. The Jewish elders build and prosper through the ministry of Haggai and Zechariah. The temple is completed in Darius's sixth year. Ezra sets the royal decrees within the command of the God of Israel.
Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy.
The celebration includes priests, Levites, and the rest of the exiles. The people who returned are not merely spectators at the end. They offer sacrifices, including twelve male goats as a sin offering for all Israel, one for each tribe. They appoint the priests and Levites to their duties and keep Passover.
The Passover is shared by those who returned and by people who separated themselves from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to seek the LORD. Then they keep seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread with joy, because the LORD made them joyful and strengthened their hands.
The joy is not presented as a personality trait. It is something God gives after a long work of building, waiting, and obeying. Celebration becomes a way to remember who carried them through.
Questions
1 What helped the elders prosper in the work?
AnswerThey prospered through the prophesying of Haggai and Zechariah, and finished according to God's command and the royal decrees.
2 Who celebrated the dedication?
AnswerThe priests, Levites, and the rest of the exiles celebrated the dedication with joy. The celebration belonged to the whole restored community, not only to the builders.
3 What did the people keep on the fourteenth day of the first month?
AnswerThey kept Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month after the priests and Levites had purified themselves. Worship included preparation as well as celebration.
4 Why did they keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread with joy?
AnswerThey kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread with joy because the LORD had made them joyful and had turned the king's heart to strengthen their hands. Their joy recognized God's help through changed circumstances.
What This Means for Us
Finish faithful work with gratitude, not only relief. The temple is completed, dedicated with sacrifice, and filled with joy because God had turned the king's heart and sustained the work through opposition.
Mark what God has carried you through, and invite the people who shared the labor into the celebration. Joy becomes more durable when it remembers its source and when it includes the community rather than treating success as one person's private achievement.
Prayer
Lord, thank you for bringing long work to completion. Make us people who know how to celebrate without forgetting your help. Strengthen our hands for what remains, and give us joy that points back to you. Amen.