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Thanksgiving in a Season of Uncertainty by Sam Nadler |
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In everything give thanks. For
this is God's will for you in Messiah Yeshua.
When our economic and political future is uncertain, clearly we need Thanksgiving - a time when we can give thanks to the One who holds all things securely. We see the principles of this attitude in the offerings laid out in the Hebrew Scriptures. The Todah Offering The thanksgiving offering found in Leviticus 7 was actually called todah, the Hebrew word for 'thanks', and was actually part of the peace offerings. "If he offers it [the peace offerings] by way of thanksgiving, then along with the sacrifice of thanksgiving he shall offer unleavened cakes mixed with oil … of the sacrifice of his thanksgiving peace offerings" (Lev. 7:12,15). It is only when we have true peace with God that we can offer true thanksgiving to God. If we lack a thankful heart before God then perhaps we should see if we have genuine peace with God. This is why Yeshua is also our "peace [offering]" in Ephesians 2:14, "For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one." Both Jews and Gentile are made into one family in God by partaking together in Messiah our peace offering. Indeed, peace with God is the basis for peace with one another. No Leftovers The Scriptures mention three occasions where no leftovers were permitted: 1) The Passover lamb for salvation: "And you shall not leave any of it over until morning, but whatever is left of it until morning, you shall burn with fire" (Ex. 12:10). 2) The manna for their daily bread: "And Moses said to them, 'Let no man leave any of it until morning'" (Ex. 16:19). 3) The thanksgiving offering: "Now as for the flesh of the sacrifice of his thanksgiving peace offerings, it shall be eaten on the day of his offering; he shall not leave any of it over until morning" (Lev. 7:15). There was sense of urgency to be thankful as a testimony to God's faithfulness. Our giving of thanks must not be left over until morning. So often we want to wait to see how things will turn out before we give thanks to God. But this 'wait- and-see' attitude reveals a lack of faith. In the midst of problems, faith testifies that "we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, who are called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28). This is why the New Covenant teaches, "in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Messiah Yeshua" (1 Thess. 5:18). Do not wait to see how things will turn out, instead, give thanks to God now! Thanksgiving is a sacrifice of faith that reflects trust in God's sovereign will. In fact, those who left over the todah (offering) for a later time committed a sin, and were not accepted before God (Lev. 7:18).
A Freewill Faith Our Thanks To You Even with a decrease in 401Ks and job losses, in light of the peace we have with God through the sacrificial gift of Messiah for our sins, how can we not give thanks to God? "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" (2 Cor. 9:15). One way we can give thanks to God is by sharing His love with people who do not have His peace. As we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and for peace in the Middle East, let's remember that for peace between Israeli and Palestinian there must first be peace with God through the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Therefore, let us give thanks to God for making us His children and one family in Messiah. "We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord..." (1 Thess. 1:2,3). We are thankful to you and for you, as together we are reaching out to Jewish people around the world. There is no better time than this Thanksgiving season to express our deepest appreciation to you. Todah rabah - Thank you very much!Y |
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