“Then Jeshua 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.” (Ezra 3:2, NIV)

For seventy years the people had been living in Babylon without a house of worship. Surrounded by the shrines and images of other gods, how hard it must have been to maintain a pure love for Yahweh! At last some had returned to Jerusalem with authority from the king to rebuild their temple. No doubt they were excited to begin the work. But before laying the foundation for the temple, they built an altar to the LORD to sacrifice burnt offerings according to the Law given to Moses. They chose to put worship before work.

As we consider our own time and culture, for two years many were without a place of worship. Isolated by the pandemic, they could not congregate to worship the LORD. And yet, they were surrounded by the gods of this world—power, sex, money, pride, politics, and self-indulgence. As COVID-19 restrictions have eased, and the economy is struggling to return to normalcy, people are returning to work. But have they returned to worship? Online streaming was necessary for many to stay connected with church, but they could only worship God from a distance. There was no real fellowship and sharing of gifts with one another—no mutual connection. Tragically, many have remained in this condition. Like the Jews who opted to remain in Babylon, many are choosing to remain at home “worshiping” while they are on their phones, conversing, and eating breakfast. They are returning to work, but what about worship?

Please don’t misunderstand me. I am thankful for our online streaming of services and the improvements in quality that we have made. When I was sick recently, I was thankful that I could watch from my living room and still feel that I was “in the loop”. We are thankful for the people who join us online who are not able to join us in person. But if we are able to go, then we must not forsake gathering in person with other believers for the purpose of worshiping the LORD.

“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:25, NLT)

The people returning to Jerusalem first built an altar to present burnt offerings to the LORD. These were the sacrifices of consecration where the entire animal was offered. We no longer offer bulls, goats and lambs on the altar. Our offerings are so much more personal.

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1, ESV)

May God help us not to lapse into a skewed sense of priorities, but to make every effort to keep the main thing the main thing. And the main thing is to worship Jesus with our fellow worshipers. It’s more important than any “work” we might do.

“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20, NKJV)