A Thankful King

Introduction

Turn to 1 Chronicles 29:6-20.

I love the Thanksgiving season. The retail industry at this point practically skips right to Christmas, but I like to savor this season and enjoy it to its fullest - especially here in PA. I think that living in NC made me appreciate all the more what I get to experience in my home state.

Maybe its because I grew up with a big sugar maple just outside my house in our backyard. The Thanksgiving season meant piles of brightly colored leaves to play in, as well as a sweet smell in the crisp, chilly air.

The Thanksgiving season meant a change of diet, too. Gone were the summer hamburgers and fresh garden salads, but in were cups of hot apple cider fragrant with the aroma of cinnamon. Apples were in season - every variety you could possibly think of. Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce - canned or homemade, corn casserole, green bean casserole, and a hundred other side dishes.

Then, of course, there were the pies. Instead of lemon sponge pies, Grandma made pumpkin pies, coconut cream pies, apple pies, and maybe best of all, mince meat pies.

Altogether, the sights, the smells, and the tastes of this season were and are too good to pass over.

To me, that is the classic American Thanksgiving. However, before us is a text that is all about thanksgiving, albeit in a very different cultural setting.

Message

David is nearing the end of his life and he knows it, but we do not find a hint of sadness in his heart. Rather, we find great joy because David is pouring his final days into his greatest passion and greatest project, which was the temple of God.

In chapter 29 verses 1-5, David tells the people of Israel of the contributions that he made personally towards the construction of the temple. He then issues an appeal or a challenge and asks what they would give. Let’s read how they respond beginning in verse six.

Read 1 Chronicles 29:6-9.

The leaders and the people take David’s challenge to heart and do they deliver.

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166-190 tons of gold

332-375 tons of silver

599-675 tons of brass

3,328-3,750 tons of iron

Verse nine tells us that they rejoiced and so did David - with great joy! This wasn’t an American Thanksgiving celebration, but they sure had a reason to be thankful and to celebrate! The temple was going to look stunning and it was all because they had given willingly!

Read 1 Chronicles 29:10.

David sees everything that they give and he just gets excited! He is so moved that he breaks out into prayer and thanksgiving!

Three principles we can learn from David’s thanksgiving prayer:

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Thank God and rejoice when others give - 1 Chronicles 29:10.

More than anything else, David sees this situation for what it is: an opportunity to thank God for His goodness!

Application: When others give, rejoice! Giving to God is not a competition. It’s a cause for celebration!

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Thank God and recognize that He is the source of all gifts - 1 Chronicles 29:11-13.

Read 1 Chronicles 29:11-13.

David looked at the piles of gold and everything else and he recognized that it was not possible apart from God. These gifts had passed through human hands, but ultimately they came from a Divine giver.

David expresses this idea later in his prayer.

Verse 14 - “all things come of thee…”

Verse 16

James expresses this same thought in James 1:17.

James 1:17 KJV 1900

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Application: When others give, thank them and thank God! Remember that He is the source of all gifts.

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Thank God and humble yourself before Him - 1 Chronicles 29:14-20.

Read 1 Chronicles 29:14-20.

Notice all the ways that David expresses his humility:

Verse 14 - “who am I…?”

Verse 15 - “we are nothing; You are everlasting. We are powerless, but you are all-powerful”

Verse 16 - “Everything that we have given…it’s all yours anyway”

Verse 17 - “You’re the judge of men’s hearts; we’re the ones who are judged.”

Verses 18-19 - a prayer that God would help them to have a given attitude continually

Verse 20 - they bowed their heads and worshipped the LORD.

Application: When others give, let it humble you before a gracious, bountiful God.