In Ezra, chapter three, verse twelve, although God’s law encouraged worship in an orderly manner, it did not limit worship to a set form or pattern. Some of those who had seen the glory of Solomon’s temple burst into tears, undoubtedly relieved that the shame of its destruction was now gone, while others broke into shouts of joy. Our worship of the Lord should always be flexible enough to allow for spontaneous expressions. God made us different: we should expect variety when His people yield to the Holy Spirit.
The leaders and the other people that had seen the first house remember the old temple had not been destroyed so much as fifty years. Consequently, there would be many who could recall its grandeur and glory. These people, when the foundation of the new house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice. It was “the day of small things,” as in Zechariah four, verse ten. The new house, in comparison with the old one, was “as nothing” in Haggai two, verse three. The difference was perhaps not so much in the dimensions in Ezra six, verse three, but in the size and quality of the foundation-stones as in First Kings five, verse seventeen, the excellence of the masonry, and the like. Solomon had employed the best workers of one of the great Tyrian kings; Zerubbabel had only the arms of his own subjects to depend upon.
Today, when we here of the old temple and new house, we relate to our spiritual side that is suppose to be in connection with God. The old temple
refers to our inner being. We were all born in sin and shaped in it. We allow the flesh to lead and follow the ways of society because we are learning about. Meanwhile the devil deceives us in our thinking that life is the way it suppose to be. However, we all find out in God’s Word that is not how it was at the beginning. Unbelievers become believers through the evidence of the Word of God in faith that it is actually true.
There is eveidence of the chariots of Pharoah in Exodus is deep under water. The Pillar of salt with Lots’ wife and other pieces evident until this day. The inner being we develop as we draw closer to God will manifest living the outer part of ourselves to follow the leading of the inner being. We read God’s Word and continue to grow in the Lord, we discover the truth. This is the foundation of inner outer growth.