Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as [it is] written in the law of Moses the man of God.
Ver. 2. Then stood up Jeshua] Ministers, of all others, should be most forward and forth putting, ready prest and prepared to every good work, as patterns to the people, who are led more by their eyes than by their ears, &c.
And Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel] These two ever went hand in hand; and hence the work so prospered in their hand. It must needs be so (said Queen Elizabeth once to the Suffolk gentlemen who came to meet her with their ministers by their sides) where the word and the sword go together.
And builded the altar of the God of Israel] Which therefore, in their father Jacob's sense, Genesis 33:20, they might safely have called El, Elohe-Israel, that is, God, the God of Israel, putting the sign for the thing signified. Thus also the ark is called God's face, Psalms 105:4; yea, even God himself, Psalms 132:5 .
As it is written in the law of Moses] This was the rule they wrought by. God requireth to have a reasonable service, Romans 12:1, such as whereof we can render a reason out of his word; he hateth a Samaritan service, John 4:22, and will not endure Popish will-worship. Who requireth these things at their hands, their altars, crucifixes, penances, pilgrimages, &c.? The whole number of the beast is but the number of a man, Revelation 13:18. Men will have it so, and this is the sum of all Popish religion. All their superstructions are human inventions.
Moses, the man of God] The prophet, the lawgiver, a man of much communion with God above any other, Numbers 12:8. One calleth him heaven's chancellor.