Thanksgiving in the Bible

Thanksgiving in the Bible

While studying Exodus 34 I found it curious there were 3 feasts that God wants his people to always keep. The first one is in verse 18 and it is Passover and the feast of unleavened bread. This was when the Lord saved them from Egypt and when Jesus died to save everyone. This changed the calendar for God’s people and represents the start of a new life. This is our modern day Easter. Abib is April.

Exodus 34:18 "You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month Abib, for in the month Abib you came out from Egypt.

The second one is the feast of weeks. It is 7 weeks after they left Egypt. It is when they got to Mount Sinai and received the law and God’s spirit to lead them. That is where the tabernacle was established. The modern version of this was Pentecost. Pentecost means 50 days. The disciples received the spirit to lead, teach and guide them 50 days after Christ died in that upper room. They then preached and started our church as we know it.

Exodus 34:22 You shall observe the Feast of Weeks, the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year’s end.

The 3rd one is the one I want to talk about as it is our modern Thanksgiving. As you can see below it is in the seventh month. Seeing how their year started in April that would make October their seventh month. Pretty Close! The most important part is what it was for. It was at the end of their harvest season and was a feast to give thanks to the true bringer of the harvest. It was better known as the feast of booths as explained below. This was so we would always remember we are pilgrims on a journey through a land that is not our final destination. The booths were temporary and mobile so they could easily move when God said to.

Leviticus 23:39Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. 40And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.
41And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.
42Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:
43That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

The following are some verses that show who we should remember we are the foreigners in this world. We should not as easily set our roots in this world as we do.

Hebrews 11:8By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Exodus 6:4 And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.

I think this one says it the best so I highlighted verses 15 and 16.

1 Chronicles 29:13And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name. 14"But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. 15 For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding. 16O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own.

Peter leaves us with our lifelong struggle. To abstain from the selfish desires of this world that war against our soul. Our soul wants what God wants and deep down knows this is a temporary world. When we fill ourselves with temporary lusts and desires our true soul knows it will never be enough to satisfy. Thus the war. It is a war we can’t win either.

1 Peter 2: 11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

I believe we would be more thankful if we truly see ourselves as foreigners in this world. Just travelling through on our way to our promised land of heaven. In Nehemiah they remember and celebrate the feast of booths. This is also one of the revivals in the bible.

Nehemiah 8:1 And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the LORD had commanded Israel. 2So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month.

Now this is a real day of thanksgiving!!

Nehemiah 9:1 Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads. 2 And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. 3 And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the LORD their God.

Focus on all that God had already done. They were giving thanks for this. I can’t find one this they asked for. They were simply thankful for past and present with no regards to the future. I am highlighting all the things that God did for them.

6 "You are the LORD, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; God created all, and you preserve all of them; he protects, and the host of heaven worships you. Notice that the angels worship him for this. 7You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. God changes people. 8 You found his heart faithful before you, God chose him because he saw his heart, and made with him the covenant to give to his offspring the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite. And you have kept your promise, for you are righteous. God promised them a land that would be theirs permanently. This was a reference to heaven. He keeps his promises because he is righteous. Our life on earth is just that long journey the Israelite’s took to get there.

9 "And you saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea, 10 and performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants and all the people of his land, for you knew that they acted arrogantly against our fathers. God knows when you are hurting before you ever say a word, but when his people truly cry out to him he will hear them and he can fix problems we can’t image can be fixed. And you made a name for yourself, as it is to this day. 11 And you divided the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on dry land, and you cast their pursuers into the depths, as a stone into mighty waters. He does these things to show he is the only place to find rescue and safety. Some think it seems harsh sometimes, but remember he knows hearts and we can choose him at any time. 12By a pillar of cloud you led them in the day, and by a pillar of fire in the night to light for them the way in which they should go. He gave us his spirit to lead us. 13 You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven and gave them right rules and true laws, good statutes and commandments, 14 and you made known to them your holy Sabbath and commanded them commandments and statutes and a law by Moses your servant. 15 You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger and brought water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and you told them to go in to possess the land that you had sworn to give them. All of these are things Jesus did for us. He came down, spoke to us, gave us the right rules of acting like him, made known he is the Sabbath and our rest, gave us the bread and water of life. Told us to come and possess this life he freely offers.

All this is amazing!!! God does everything, but look at how we show thanks.

16"But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments. 17They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. After all God does for us we stubbornly refuse to do what he asks. We forget to give thanks for his blessings and miracles. We even go out of our way to find people to lead us back to the slavery we once cried out to be rescued from. We are terrible and foolish people. Now back to more things to thank God for even when we twist all his blessings and his word into whatever we see fit or make us feel good about ourselves. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them. 18Even when they had made for themselves a golden calf and said, 'This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt, and had committed great blasphemies, 19you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way by which they should go. 20 You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst. 21 Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell. This sums up everything to me know. This is God’s definition of me lacking nothing. If I will focus on these and forget all the worldly things I wish God had promised but hasn’t and stop blaming him when I don’t get them I will be much more thankful. James 4:3 tells me that I get angry when I don’t have what we want because we ask for worldly things. He gives us guidance if we will look for it, food and water if we will accept them, clothes that never wore out if we will wear them and health if we will keep walking. That is all he thinks we need to LACK NOTHING. I think I should change me definition a little. How about you?

Keep reading Nehemiah 9. God keeps giving us more and we keep getting worse. He eventually has to start taking away. That should seem familiar right now. Our country and economy will get better when we obey God and are thankful of what he has already given us not what we think we deserve.

Luke10:2 And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road.

Luke 22:35 And he said to them, "When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?" They said, "Nothing." When the disciples were sent out on their journey they were told to take nothing and live on what God provided. No money and one set of clothes and no shoes. After they returned they agreed they lacked nothing.

Ecclesiastes 6:1 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: 2a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil. This is written by the one person that was given every desire of this heart so he could explain this to us. Everything on this plant is useless with the power to enjoy it. That is only granted by God and through our obedience.

7 All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied. I always need more and more because my selfish side can never be satisfied. This is the birthplace of all addictions. We just have to do something more and more and it will never be enough. This is why it enslaves us. I can choose to thank him for what he gives and stop it at any time though. When I am content with him he gives me the peace and joy we are all searching for.

Philippians 4:11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Look at what Jesus explained as blessed in his first sermon. His first lesson was about what it meant to be blessed and I am ashamed to say I do not always feel these are the blessings I strive for.

Matthew 5:1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Our reward is in heaven because this is only temporary. This is the whole lesson of living in booths. They are just a temporary home. We will get our real one later. If I will really and truly believe and live this I will be more thankful every day of my life. We do have to live here for a while so I think shall be my new prayer.

Proverbs 30:7Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: 8Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, 9lest I be full and deny you and say "Who is the LORD?" or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.

Bez

I love you cause Jesus loves us both and there
is absolutely nothing you can do about that!