Loud Levites

 “But many of the priests and Levites and heads of the fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes. Yet many shouted aloud for joy” Ezra 3:12 NKJV

Loudness and living are two adjectives that can reasonably qualify the sacrifices of Levites of the Lord, albeit with apparent misunderstanding of the motives and undertones. The loudness of the Levites here, after the successful laying of the replaced foundation for the temple in Jerusalem, was unanimously treated with uniform quality when assessed from without. Whereas, from the distinctive assessment within, “old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes”. Likewise today, by the mercies of God, believers in Christ are enjoined “that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1). Unfortunately, the loud sacrifices of charisma, material possessions, social skills, and administrative intelligence often do not enable many people to discern the absence of truth, holiness, and righteousness in most offerings on the altar of God. Notwithstanding, living Levites of the Lord are called to be loud with their courage and consecration against conformity with the caprices for corruption and compromise in the world.