9

No Building Necessary

Afterwards [they offered] the regular burnt offering, and [those] for New Moons and for all the appointed feasts of the LORD that were consecrated, and [those] of everyone who willingly offered a freewill offering to the LORD. From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD, although the foundation of the temple of the LORD had not been laid.

Ezra 3:5-6

The presence of the Lord isn’t confined to buildings. Ezra wrote that Israel worshiped God freely and were blessed by Him even though the second temple wasn’t built yet. We have liberty where we worship God, but we do not have liberty in how we worship God. Notice that the people worshiped God through obedience. They recognized the purity of God’s commands and obeyed them by faith. Obedience to the consecrated commands of God, consecrated the people who did them. They trusted that God was holy, did what the Law said, so that their conduct was holy, producing worship that was pleasing to God. This is why God sanctifies us!