Psalm 100 ~ we learned it as children in my school, and had our program where we sang songs about the first American Thanksgiving, and old hymns, like Come Ye Thankful People Come. And there have always traditionally been parades and bands and music. One of my favorite things is to watch the parades. Are the bands and parades appropriate? Well let’s take a look at thanksgiving in the Scriptures~
King David was known to be a song writer and musician from his youth. As a boy he played so well that King Saul chose David to live at the royal home and play just for him. A little like his personal radio. LOL Most of the Psalms are attributed to David as well, and he wrote profusely. In I Chronicles 16:7 it says:
“On that day, David first delivered this Psalm into the hand of Asaph and his brethren, to thank the Lord."
David wrote a song of thanksgiving and delivered it to Asaph and his brothers, Levites, who were responsible for using it in worship. Notice that he hand delivered this song.
Samuel also tells us how David thanked God. This scripture is known as "David's Thanksgiving." II Samuel, chapter 7 ~
“Then King David went in and sat before the LORD; and he said: “Who am I, O Lord GOD? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?” II Samuel 7:18
When David came before God, to thank him, he was in awe of the things God did in his life. But if you read on, He says:
“ 19 And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O Lord GOD; and You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come.”*
David made his thanksgiving a time of perspective. What awes us about God, is a “small thing in (His) sight.” This time of perspective is often interpreted as a solemn occasion. But how did they actually celebrate their thanksgivings?
Nehemiah names those responsible for such occasions in his day -
“Moreover the Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah who led the thanksgiving psalms, he and his brethren.” Nehemiah 12:8
And in verse 27 of that chapter gives us an example of such a celebration:
“Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings and singing, with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps.”
They brought in musicians from all over the land, and struck up the bands :).
Then in verse 31 he tells of making it a public affair, with the leaders of the country in attendance.
“So I brought the leaders of Judah up on the wall, and appointed two large thanksgiving choirs.”
Now, Psalm 100 is something I will probably never forget, although I have to brush up on it from time to time.
“Make a joyful NOISE unto the Lord all ye lands…come before his presence with singing….enter his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with Praise; be thankful unto him, and bless his name….”
Thanksgiving is certainly a time of introspection, and counting our blessings. A time of viewing the mercies and manifestations of God on our lives. A time of praise. It is a time of gaining perspective, and a time of solemn awe. But most of all it was a time of CELEBRATION! Of singing and making noise! But it was one more thing in a psalmist’s eyes. In Psalm 105, this song says:
“ Vs 1. O give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name. Make known his deeds among the people. Vs 2. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wonderous works. Vs 3. Glory ye in his holy name.”
Here the psalmist says to let others know what great things God has done. Talk about it. Then he comes to a curious conclusion. While sharing with others, an interesting thing happens – the commonplace, easy things for God to do in our lives bring Glory to us in his name. We are able to have Glory by sharing his blessings on us. Remember what David said in II Samuel? *“this was a small thing in your sight, and you have spoken of your servant’s house for a great while to come.” He is saying that people remembered the blessings God gave David for a long time afterward, and God made sure that David was talked about until this day! Thanksgiving is a time to realize that God does what he does unbegrudgingly. He doesn’t seek his own Glory, but ours. How curious a thing! Like a father who loves his kids and gives them everything he can to benefit them. He delights when his son makes a touchdown, or his daughter makes her first home run…Parents take pictures of their kids and hang them everywhere. They give them parties at birthdays, and buy books and toys and anything fun. For the glory of their children!
It is a time to see God as a doting father, who wishes the best for us, who would give us great things, just because we are his kids.
In Leviticus 7, the Levites are given instruction on how the thanksgiving offerings are to be made, but it also says:
Vs 15. “The flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day it is offered. He shall not leave any of it until morning.”
They were instructed to eat ‘til it was gone. I would imagine they had to stuff themselves. I am glad we aren't under the law, however. I just plain love leftover thanksgiving food! We can thank refrigeration for that.
Well, I guess we have it about right! Celebrations, parades, music, eat til we are stuffed…telling people what great things God has done for us…
I just wish all the hooplah of our time was really about how God has blessed us. When we celebrate, we need to be sure our children know why we celebrate. Just don’t forget to accept the glory! Know how much God loves to hear us say thank you, and that he will bless us all again and again as the loving father he is, that we may have Glory in his name.
I am particularly thankful for Bible Gateway’s web site that makes finding scriptures to reference an easier task for me. The print in the Bible is just getting too small these days, and the ease of finding things with a simple click on search has been a tremendous blessing to me. I thank God for the people he led to develop that site, and for blessing of being able to study so quickly now. What used to take hours, is much simpler now.
I wish to share a website with you: http://devotions.proverbs31.org/2011/the-treasure-of-thrown-away-food.html It's a precious story of regognizing real blessings. I found it when I discovered the facebook page of an old friend whose husband was in our wedding 42 years ago. We had lost touch, and though I rejoiced at finding this couple, I quickly realized that God had a reason for making them known to me once again. John has Luekemia. Jan, his wife maintains a blog about their praising and blessing the God who is able to allow John to beat it. I will keep that blog personal for now. But,once Jan had friended me, several others whom I had known back then were also finding her site, as God drew us all to join her in prayers for John. I also friended some of them, with such joy to be in touch once more, and have been able to glean from their related blogs and favorite sites. The one I am posting was a particular blessing. God blesses us in such amazing ways. And I am thankful most of all this year, that God has demonstrated again and again that He IS, and He is working in my life, and he draws us to one another - that we may “talk of all his wonderous works.”
Lord I praise and thank you with my whole heart. For absolutely every thing in my life. But mostly, I thank you for YOU. AMEN
