The Heart of Thanksgiving

Abraham Lincoln said, ""My dream is of a place and a time where America will once again be seen as the last best hope of earth."

It is admirable of him to have such love and vision for the United States. So many have fought to make that dream a reality.

Thank you to all the Veterans of our armed services. Any grandeur and hope that this country has enjoyed has come about by the brave actions of our Veteran defenders and the grace of our God.

This is a picture of the Mount of Olives in 1973, looking out from Jerusalem’s walled city. During the time of King Solomon's reign, the Mount of Olives pictured here was clearly able to be seen from within the city walls, especially from the high-point view of the temple mount location. With the Temple to one's back, Israel could look out to this mountain, which in Solomon's day was riddled with high places of worship to the gods of Solomon's wives.

Israel was meant to be a nation of hope for the whole world, the best hope. The hope was represented by the temple, which was to represent the place of God's presence with His people and the hope of all nations. Over time, Solomon and the entire nation turned to all the sources of "hope" that the world had to offer outside their walls, rather than keeping their eyes on the true hope that resided within.

Psalm 121, a song of ascents, was a Psalm that spoke of that one and only, true hope. Verse 1 says, "I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from?" Do you get the picture? Does the help come from those high places up on the hill where everything the world has to offer is represented?

The answer from the question in verse 1 is found in the following 3 verses. " My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. Indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night."

At times throughout its history, all Israel would participate in its periodic pilgrimage to Jerusalem for their feasts. They would rehearse these Psalms of Ascent while they traveled and "looked to the hills," to remind them of the one and only true, faithful source of Hope for all the nations.

This Psalm reminds us that hope is not found in what man can create or what the world apart from God can offer, but rather that true hope is found only in, "...the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth."

In contrast to Israel’s history in the Bible, may our nation and all nations not find themselves turning their backs to the true hope that is near. May they not fix all their hope simply on what resides out there on the horizon of what the world has to offer. Rather may they all, as God's created people, look to the LORD as their only faithful source of hope, the One who is near by.

The brave men and women who have served our country in our armed services in times of peace and war are heroes. Their sacrifice has been given to preserve our peace and freedom. Romans 13 reminds us that our Veterans' work is according to God’s own will, for our protection.

Although mankind is not the source of hope, in part our Veterans have been God's tools of hope so that we might live free to worship the God of all hope.

Thank you to all our brave Veterans for inspiring hope and fighting to secure freedom around the world.

Thank you most of all to our LORD, who is the full source of hope, for the present time and for all time.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13).

Where is your hope found?

1 Chron. 16:8 says, “Oh, give thanks to the LORD...” and likewise in Ps. 121:2 “My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.”

Look to the "...LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth."

There have been 7 times the US has ever help national military parades.

The Grand Review of the Armies as Andrew Jackson stepped into office after Lincoln’s assassination in 1865.

The WWI Victory Parades, 1919.

The “At War” parade in NYC as our troops were being sent overseas to fight in WWII, June 13th, 1942.

The WWII Victory parade where 4 million New Yorkers waved at 13,000 of the 82nd Airborne who walked the streets with Sherman tanks, tank destroyers, howitzers, jeeps, armored cars, and anti-tank guns in celebration, 1946.

The Inauguration parade for Dwight D. Eisenhower during the Korean war, Jan. 21, 1953.

The Inauguration parade for John F. Kennedy in keeping with the cold war tradition of showing off military power, 1961.

The Gulf War Victory Celebration, June 8, 1991.

Each time was to honor and admire those who had or were fighting for our security as a nation. It inspired pride for what had been done and hope for our future.

Turn to 1 Chron. 16.

This moment in Israel’s history, found here in 1 Chronicles 16, was not unlike that of our celebrations as a country. It was long before the birth of Solomon and his later rule that would push Israel towards the false hope of the world. Solomon’s father David is now King over Israel, anointed by Samuel at God’s command. The Philistines had just been defeated. Unlike our celebrations for our Veterans, the text here makes it clear that David understood who was to be celebrated for their victory (c.f. 1 Chron. 14:10-12, 15).

This Psalm is in conjunction with David commissioning Asaph and the Levites to add the leading of worship to their list of sacrificial duties for the nation of Israel.

1 Chronicles: An Introduction and Commentary c. The Lord Is King (16:8–36)

The psalm inserted here celebrates in faith that as the ark comes to the centre of Israel’s life, so Yahweh comes (v. 33; or possibly ‘has come’) to his people. A belief in God’s coming to his people is reaffirmed throughout the Old Testament (e.g. Exod. 19:9; 24:11; Isa. 6:1; 59:20).

[1] Martin J. Selman, 1 Chronicles: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 10, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994), 175.

This Psalm was to be Psalm of celebration; a Psalm of Thanksgiving for the One who fought for them, the One who secured their victory, the One who gave them hope for the future on the back of security in the present. It is a Psalm that was intended to rehearse the work of God in the past, to remember what He had done. It is the manifestation of the heart of Thanksgiving itself.

James 1:17 “Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.”

God is at the heart of any reason anyone has to celebrate, which makes Him worthy of all honor and praise.

Read 1 Chron. 16:8-12.

The first phrase sets the stage of Thanksgiving for us, “Oh give thanks to the LORD...”

There are 5 responses to giving thanks, 5 parts of the parade (if you will) that is intended to march in public view to the participation and thanksgiving of the nation for the One who has secured their safety.

Share in 5 Acts of Worship At the Heart of Thanksgiving:

5 Acts of Worship at the Heart of Thanksgiving:**

Call upon God’s name in remembering His deeds (1 Chron. 16:8)

++Sing praises to God in order to proclaim His wonders (1 Chron. 16:9)

++Eulogize God’s name to gladden seeker's hearts (1 Chron. 16:10)

++Investigate continually the strength of God's nature (1 Chron. 16:11)

++Profess the wonder of God’s deeds and judgments (1 Chron. 16:12)

These 5 actions of Public Worship were at the heart of Israel’s Thanksgiving. It was clear from the text that David recognized the source of their hope and security. They were not only to recognize God as the heart of thanksgiving, they were to always — corporately — publically rehearse God as the heart of their thanksgiving as the remember all they had to be thankful for.

Remember...

James 1:17 NASB

Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.

God is at the heart of any reason anyone has to celebrate, which makes Him worthy of all honor and praise.

This Thanksgiving season, may we all remember the LORD as the heart of Thanksgiving as we honor those whom God used and continues to use as His tools for our deliverance.