Ezra 3: Building the Altar
Scripture
Ezra 3:1–6
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, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God.
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. After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings, the New Moon sacrifices and the sacrifices for all the appointed sacred festivals of the Lord, as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the Lord. 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.
Scripture Reflection
When the people of Israel returned from exile, the first thing they rebuilt was not walls, or houses, or even the temple — they rebuilt the altar. Worship came before structure. Sacrifice came before strategy. They reestablished the place of encounter with God at the very center of their communal life, even despite their fear of the peoples around them.
Duncan Campbell, leader of the Hebrides Revival, wrote in his journals that this is God’s pattern in every age: build the altar first. Not just in the sanctuary, but in hearts, homes, churches, and even across whole cities — altars of prayer and worship where God’s fire can fall again.
This is the divine strategy. During the Second Great Awakening in New England, Jonathan Edwards’ Humble Attempt inspired believers to join together in extraordinary prayer — a covenant that sustained revival prayer across denominations for 65 years. Those prayer altars were the seeds of a mighty move of God.
In our day, God is calling us to build these altars again:
in our hearts through consecration and devotion,
in our homes through family worship,
in our churches through corporate intercession,
and in our cities through united prayer movements like the New England Revival Covenant.
Revival will come on the fire of these rebuilt altars. May we have the courage to build, even in a day of fear or opposition, trusting that God will meet us there.
Praying it UP / IN / OUT
UP: Worship God for being worthy of every sacrifice of praise. Honor Him as the One who meets us at the altar with mercy and fire.
IN: Pray for a rebuilt altar in your own heart and in your home — fresh rhythms of worship, confession, and prayer that welcome God’s presence.
OUT: Intercede for the rebuilding of altars across churches and cities in New England — through united prayer, through partnerships like the New England Revival Covenant, through extraordinary agreement — just as Jonathan Edwards envisioned and saw in the Second Great Awakening.
Closing Prayer
Our God, Our Consuming Fire,
We declare you to be worthy of first place in our lives, worthy of our worship, worthy of our whole hearts.
Teach us to rebuild the altar in our hearts, in our homes, in our churches, and across our cities. Give us courage, resolve, and conviction, like the people of Ezra’s day, to prioritize pure worship even in the face of fear, uncertainty, and other claims on our time and attention.
Strengthen our hands and hearts to build the altar. Give us the resolve of David, who vowed not to allow sleep to come to his eyes, until he found a resting place for your presence. Enable us as a people to build and rebuild the altars in our hearts, homes, churches, cities, and in this region - and then do what only you can do - send fire from heaven.
That your Name would be known on earth,
Amen.