Ezra 1-4: Joy Mixed with Sorrow

When Cyrus became king, God touched his heart and he issued the following proclamation:  "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: " 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among you—may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem. offered to let any of the Jewish people that wanted return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple.  Ezra 1:2-3 NIV
 
So the people returned to the cities from which they had been exiled  The whole company numbered 42,360, besides their 7,337 menservants and maidservants; and they also had 200 men and women singers. They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys. - Ezra 2:63-67 NIV

Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord - Ezra 3:3 NIV
Then they began to celebrate all of the feasts that had been ordained by God in memory of all he had done in the past.

Finally, two years after they returned from captivity, it was time to lay the foundation of the temple.  The priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the LORD, as prescribed by David king of Israel.  With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the LORD:  "He is good; his love to Israel endures forever."

And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away. - Ezra 3:11-13 NIV

For those who still held the memory of the grandeur that had been the Temple, it was a bittersweet moment.  But Solomon's temple was in another day and time.  This was now.  This was all they had.  This was going to be the dwelling place for God in the here and now.