God Isn’t Finished (Ezra 3:10-13) by Pastor Paul Jacks

Israel returned from exile to a city in ruins. Walls were down, the temple was gone, and nothing resembled what once was. Their first act was not to raise a building but to rebuild the altar—worship before structure. When the temple foundation was finally laid, the people erupted with songs long rooted in Israel’s story: “He is good; his love endures forever.” That refrain anchors the narrative. God’s covenant loyalty—hesed—is not performance-based affection but no-strings-attached faithfulness. It cannot be earned or lost. He remains the LORD—Yahweh—who keeps covenant even when his people fail.

Yet the scene is complex: shouts of joy mingle with weeping. Those who remembered Solomon’s temple grieved the smaller scale and slower progress of the new work. Through the prophet Haggai, God speaks into that discouragement: Be strong; work; do not fear; my Spirit remains among you. The call is not to nostalgia or paralysis but to faithful labor fueled by the certainty of God’s presence. He will finish what he starts. He owns the silver and the gold and knows how to supply what his purposes require.

Then comes the surprise: God promises that the glory of the present house will exceed the former. Historically, the second temple never matched Solomon’s splendor—unless glory is measured differently. In Luke 2, Jesus is carried into the temple, and a faithful man named Simeon recognizes him as God’s salvation. The greater glory is not ornate architecture but the presence of the Son. The point lands with clarity: stop comparing seasons; honor real grief, but move forward. Put your hands to the work God has assigned. Grow deeply in relationship with Jesus, because his presence is the difference. There is no retirement in the kingdom—only changing assignments under the same faithful God. His hesed remains, his Spirit abides, and he is not finished.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Worship first: rebuild the altar. Rebuilding began with the altar, not the walls or the grand façade. Renewal starts where God meets his people—in repentance, gratitude, and obedient sacrifice. Structures matter, but they cannot substitute for surrendered worship. Order matters: worship fuels the work. [01:58]
• 2. Obedience, not novelty, anchors renewal. They praised “as prescribed by David,” signaling a return to God’s revealed will rather than improvising an easier path. Real change flourishes when rooted in Scripture, not in hype or shortcuts. Old obedience can carry fresh power when hearts are yielded. [04:47]
• 3. Hesed: covenant love without strings. God’s love is covenantal, unmerited, and durable—unlike our often transactional affection. You cannot leverage it by success or forfeit it by failure. So don’t hide when you stumble; bring your real self to the One whose loyalty outlasts your worst days. [08:07]
• 4. Stop comparing; be strong and work. Comparison made elders weep while others rejoiced, turning worship into noise. Haggai calls discouraged builders to courage, presence, and action: God is with you; get to work. Faithfulness today is better than nostalgia for yesterday. [14:41]
• 5. The latter glory is Christ Himself. The second temple surpassed the first when Jesus entered it—glory measured not by size but by Presence. True renewal is Christ-centered, not project-centered. Make hosting his presence and growing in relationship with him the aim of every plan. [30:24]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:58] - Altar rebuilt: worship prioritized
• [04:47] - “As prescribed by David”: obedience
• [08:07] - God’s hesed: covenant love explained
• [11:25] - Joy and weeping at the foundation
• [14:41] - Haggai’s charge: be strong and work
• [17:51] - My Spirit remains; do not fear
• [21:18] - Keep moving: God meets a moving target
• [24:37] - Shaking nations; filling the house with glory
• [27:49] - Silver and gold are the Lord’s
• [30:24] - Greater glory: Jesus in the temple
• [33:47] - Make growth in Jesus the priority
• [37:10] - Mourn losses, but move forward
• [40:39] - Closing prayer and commitment

1. When the people came home to ruins, what did they rebuild first, and why was that their first move? [01:58]
2. In Ezra 3:11, what exact line did they sing, and what does that line say about who God is?
3. What did the phrase “as prescribed by David” tell us about how they chose to worship? [04:47]
4. At the foundation, what two sounds rose up at the same time, and how did that mixture affect what people heard from far away? [11:25]

1. If God’s hesed (covenant love) is “no-strings-attached,” how should that change the way a believer comes to God after messing up? [08:07]
2. Why does comparison easily steal courage and turn worship into noise, and what is God calling his people to do instead? [14:41]
3. “Be strong…and work, for I am with you.” What does it mean to take courage from God’s presence more than from how fast the progress looks? [17:51]
4. If the second temple was smaller, in what way could its “glory” be greater? How does the arrival of Jesus in the temple reframe what true glory is? [30:24]

1. Worship first. If “rebuild the altar” comes before rebuilding the walls, what does “altar” look like for you this week—repentance, gratitude, simple obedience? Name one practice you’ll start or renew, and when you’ll do it. [01:58]
2. Obedience over novelty. Where might you be chasing “something new” instead of walking in what Scripture already prescribes? What’s one “old path” (prayer, Sabbath, generosity, reconciliation, serving) you will step back into with fresh heart? [04:47]
3. Hesed changes hiding. When shame hits, where do you tend to run or hide? What would it look like, very practically, to bring your real self to God this week—words you’ll pray, a person you’ll invite to pray with you, a step of confession you’ll take? [08:07]
4. Stop comparing; be strong and work. Where are you comparing “now” to a “then”—in church, family, career, or health? How is that comparison stalling your faithfulness today? What “next small piece of work” will you do this week in light of “I am with you”? [14:41]
5. Move while you wait. If “God hits a moving target,” what is one concrete action you’ll take in the next seven days toward the assignment in front of you? Who will you tell for accountability? [21:18]
6. Trust God’s supply. What resource worry (time, money, skill, people) makes you hesitate to start? Since “the silver and the gold are the Lord’s,” what step of trust will you take before the provision shows up? [27:49]
7. Greater glory is Jesus’ presence. How will you make growing closer to Jesus the main aim, not just finishing projects? Share a simple plan for the next month (Scripture, prayer rhythm, serving, community) and what you hope God shapes in you through it. [33:47]