Thanksgiving

Intro

The very first Thanksgiving happened some time in the fall of 1621, after the arrival of 53 pilgrims on the Mayflower. The Wampanoag Indians invited the pilgrims to a fall festival, celebrating their harvest. The Thanksgiving tradition would go on to happen at different times in ever colony in some form for the next 150 years until just 5 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, George Washington who was, at the time, the commander-in-chief of the colonial armies, gave the First National Thanksgiving Proclamation.

First National Thanksgiving Proclamation

Whereas, it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; Whereas, both the houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me

"to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness!"

Now therefore, I do recommend next, to be devoted by the people of the states to the service of that great and glorious being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be, that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country.

George Washington, 1779.

The actual national holiday that we celebrate today was officially put in place by Abraham Lincoln some time later in 1863.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.

At the heart of this feast is giving thanks to God for his blessings

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to spend today talking about the two main themes, feasting and giving thanks. While we’re currently here at Church coming from a biblical perspective, in the US celebrating an American holiday, the principles we’re celebrating are universal. Every culture and religion in every country has feasts and are thankful to someone for something.

There are certain things that all mankind is drawn to, and when we see some universal desire across every tribe and tongue, we do well to take a pause and question whether that thing could be a hole in the heart of all mankind that can only be filled by God, or is this a way that we bear God’s image and likeness. With feasts especially, we’re talking about a major biblical theme.

Feasts

Leviticus 23

Passover- The Passover Lamb

Unleavened Bread- Israel sojourning in the wilderness

First Fruits- Dependance on God’s provision

Weeks(Pentecost)- Abundance of the harvest

Trumpets- Jewish New Year, reflect and repent

Atonement- God’s Mercy

Tabernacles- Israel’s sojourning in Canaan

All of these feasts share the same theme of remembering God’s blessings and faithfulness

Of all of these feasts, perhaps the most well known by everyone is the passover, because as new testament believers, when we take communion and consider Jesus’ death, we think of the Last Supper, which was itself a Passover meal

We see many examples of Jesus feasting with people, and here, we try to do the same, sharing a meal with one another. Central to the idea of feasting is relationship and community. And in community, sharing in gratitude.

Giving Thanks

These proclamations by early presidents and congress does not make Thanksgiving a holiday unto the Lord. We can see today in the way that Thanksgiving is marketed, that we celebrate our gratitude and contentment by early black Friday shopping as soon as dinner is over.

Thanksgiving may look outwardly like a biblical feast, but at it’s core, it’s a day off where we see family we haven’t seen in a while, and we eat a lot of food. But when our hearts are set on God and our eyes pointed heavenward, we have an opportunity to make Thanksgiving dinner a feast offered unto the Lord. To do that, we need hearts of gratitude. What does it look like, with a raw heart to offer up thanks to the Lord?

1 Chronicles 16:8-36

8-10- make praise public and central

11-13- reflect on God’s goodness and His promises to you

14-22- remember God’s covenant with all of His people and His protection of them

23-27- Let praise flow from an open heart

28-34- Declare the truth and goodness of our God

35-36- Ask the Lord’s deliverance from our sin and bless God!

Lets go around our Thanksgiving table and express gratitudes to one another, and especially to the Lord

"A thankful heart is one of the primary identifying characteristics of a believer. It stands in stark contrast to pride, selfishness, and worry. And it helps fortify the believer's trust in the Lord and reliance of His provision, even in the toughest times. No matter how choppy the seas become, a believer's heart is buoyed by constant praise and gratefulness to the Lord." -John MacArthur