The Temple Completed and Dedicated
13 Then Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues carried out the decree with all diligence, just as King Darius had sent. 14 And the elders of the Jews [n]were successful in building through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And [o]they finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. 15 This [p]temple was completed [q]on the third day of the month Adar; it was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
16 And the sons of Israel, the priests, the Levites and the rest of the [r]exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. 17 They offered for the dedication of this temple of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel 12 male goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel. 18 Then they appointed the priests to their divisions and the Levites in their orders for the service of God [s]in Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.
The Passover Observed
19 The exiles observed the Passover on the fourteenth of the first month. 20 For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were pure. Then they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, both for their brothers the priests and for themselves. 21 The sons of Israel who returned from exile and all those who had separated themselves from the impurity of the nations of the land to join them, to seek the Lord God of Israel, ate the Passover. 22 And they observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the Lord had caused them to rejoice, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to [t]encourage them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
It must have seemed a daunting task, to rebuild the temple. Solomon had done it with peace on all sides, and great wealth and trade during his reign. But the exiles were still servants of a foreign king, and the work progressed through several reigns with other leaders and peoples opposing the task.
With all of that, God had told the exiles, through the prophets, to rebuild the temple. And so they persevered, and when it was complete, it was a time of great celebration. There are times in our lives that are trying. It can seem like nothing is being accomplished, and the end will never come.
Even then, remember that God is in control. He will see things through, and you will get through to the other side. And when you do, remember that it is God who made it happen. The victory belongs to Him, and we ought to celebrate and give thanks, not unlike what the pilgrims did centuries ago in the “New World”. Stand fast, and trust in God.