We all are celebrating Thanksgiving, but what does it really mean? Today I hope to explain what God’s Word has to say about this. First, the word Thanksgiving in the Hebrew is To-Daw’, H8426 in the Strongs’. And means; Confession, Praise, Thanksgiving. A, give praise to God. B, thanksgiving in songs of liturgical worship, hymn of praise. C, thanksgiving choir or procession or line or company. D, thank-offering, sacrifice of thanksgiving. E, confession. Keeping these in mind, let’s begin today’s lesson in Psalms 26 and verse 6 reads.
Psa.26:6] I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD:
I will come to you O LORD.
Psa.26:7] That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.
To publish is to make known, with the voice of praise. To speak publicly of your awesome works. Let’s go now to Psa.69 and verse 29 reads.
Psa.69:29] But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.
We have Jesus Christ here in the Old Testament, he is our Savior. We come humbled to our LORD.
Psa.69:30] I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.
[31] This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.
Taking away the sacrifices of the Old Testament for the New Testament. Hos.6:6 reads.
Hos.6:6] For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
God desires our love and the knowledge of his word from us more than burnt offerings. Back to Psa.69 and verse 32 reads.
Psa.69:32] The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God.
For this reason, we praise him publicly, that those that become humble and seek God will have life everlasting. Now, let’s go to Psalms 95 and verse 1 reads.
Psa.95:1] O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
We sing our praise to the LORD for Jesus Christ, our Rock, our Savior.
Psa.95:2] Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
Let us come to the LORD as a choir, and sing Psalms. It is very joyful to the Father to hear his children who have come together to praise him. Now let’s go to Psalms 147 and verse 5 reads.
Psa.147:5] Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
[6] The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.
[7] Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:
Singing and praise upon the harp to God greatly pleases him, this is the Liturgical song of praise. Let’s now go to Isaiah 51 and verse 3 reads.
Isa.51:3] For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.
As the voice of melody, our praise for the LORD. And here is the reason for our thankfulness.
Isa.51:4] Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.
Do you have an ear to hear? Jesus is that Light, he is our Rock and our Savior which we just read in the Psalms. Jesus, spoken of often in the Old Testament, he is our reason for giving thanks to the LORD. Now in the book of Jonah we find Jonah still in the belly of the fish was promised by the LORD a great promise. Jonah 2 and verse 9 reads.
Jonah 2:9] But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
God promised us here in Jonah that he would be the Thanksgiving Sacrifice, that he would give us Salvation through Christ Jesus. Now, we can come to the New Testament, Salvation and the price thereof has been paid. Thanksgiving in the Greek is G2169 eucharistia pronounced yoo-khar-is-tee’-ah, and means; gratitude; actually grateful language (to God as an act of worship). 1. Thankfulness. 2. The giving of thanks. Let’s go to 2Cor.4 and verse 14 reads.
2Cor.4:14] Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
[15] For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
Redound means; To come back to him. What he said here was for the Glory of God, through the sacrifice of his Son, would bring many of his children back to him. And for this we sing praises unto him, and confession. Now we go to 2Cor.9 and verse 10 reads.
2Cor.9:10] Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)
Our duty to the LORD is to plant seeds, God’s Word. It is he that ministers the Word to us for us to sow. A pastor provides a pasture for the sheep. This gives you righteousness accounted as good works to the LORD.
2Cor.9:11] Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.
It is our Works that are our thanksgiving to God. And we are blessed here and now for them, and also given white robes in heaven for them. Let’s go to Revelations 7 and verse 9 reads.
Rev.7:9] After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
I want you to see that all races are here in heaven standing before the Lamb of God.
Rev.7:10] And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
Singing praises unto God like a choir.
Rev.7:11] And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
[12] Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
These are the seven Spirits of God. Thanksgiving is number four. For this Thanksgiving we need to be thankful to God that his plan all along was for our Salvation. He paid the price on the cross for you and me and our children to have Life Everlasting. Let’s go to his throne.
Father, we ask that you bless and protect our great nation, and our leaders from the wickedness that is in the world. We love you and thank you for your sacrifice that we may have Salvation through Christ Jesus. and it is in his precious name we ask, Amen.
KJV along with The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance Of The Bible