First Order of Business

By the seventh month, the Israelites had settled in their towns, and the people gathered together in Jerusalem. Jeshu a son of Jozadak and his brothers the priest along with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his brothers began to build the altar of Israel’s God in order to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses, the man of God. Ezra 3:1-2 HCSB

My wife and I enjoy camping. We have a small 1982 Coleman pop-up camper we have used with our family for twenty years. When camping, the first order of business is to get the pop-up camper set up so we will have a place to sleep. It is important not to be distracted by other needs so we can focus on the main business.

Once the Israelites were settled into their new homes, the first order of business was to build an altar for sacrifices so they could follow the laws of Moses as instructed in Leviticus 1-7. The altar symbolized God’s presence among them and God’s protection. It also indicated God’s purpose for the Israelites – They were to worship and connect with God. The sacrifices indicated that the people realized they had sinned against God and needed to offer a sacrifice to have a right relationship with Him. They also needed God’s guidance and protection.

Challenge: As believers, our main purpose is to seek God and follow His will for our lives so we might bring glory to Him. We no longer are required to offer animal sacrifices, but we are asked to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice each day (Romans 12:1). Our first order of business each day should be to read God’s Word and pray. How well are you taking care of the main purpose for your life?

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