The Attitude of Thanksgiving

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. —- Psalms 95:2

We read of Moses and others lifting up arms and hands in prayer and praise unto the LORD in our Bible. For example when the children of Israel were at the edge of the Red Sea when it was parted by the Almighty, when the Israelites battled the Amalekites with Aaron and Hur uplifting Moses’ hands because he was weary, the prophet in the Book of Habakkuk, Jesus in the Book of Luke and perhaps other places you have read.

In the ancient Hebrew they used pictographs that gave understanding of what is called “concrete” thinking. These pictographs for the word “Thanksgiving” show the picture of a hand and a picture of a door that allows movement in and out of the tent. Combined these mean “hand moves”. The hand is the part of the body that enables man to perform many works.

One of the key tenets in this understanding is confession: In the sense of raising up the hands in thanksgiving, praise, thanks, and confession unto God. Strong’s Concordance of the Bible captures that in word number H8426.

H8426 (Strong) תּוֹדָה

tôdâh
to-daw’

Strong’s thus defines the word thanksgiving as properly an extension of the hand, by implication an avowal, or adoration, meaning specifically a choir of worshippers giving confession, sacrifice of praise, thanksgiving, and offering of thanks publicly.

When we have the true concept of the word we use as “Thanksgiving” then we understand the totality of the word as to be thankful to the Almighty God in heaven in a variety of forms. The definition first guides us to confession of who God is, of our lowliness before him, of our sins against him, of how great he is, of his care and provision for us, of our obligations toward him, and of all he will do for us when we obey his voice.

Sacred Heart of Jesus Statue at Loyola University.

In Joshua 7:19, the Bible says, “And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.”

In Ezra 10:11, the Bible says, “Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.”

This word “confession” as used in both verses above is H8426, meaning to give thanks unto the LORD. The word thanksgiving additionally signifies that we should offer “sacrifices of praise” to him.

In Jeremiah 17:26, we read in the Scriptures, “And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountains, and from the south, bringing burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and meat offerings, and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise, unto the house of the LORD.”

This verse above gives us an idea of what we typically think of as Thanksgiving Day today, where family and friends gather together and bring gifts of praise and thanksgiving as meat and food to share together. That’s indicative of what we think of our forefathers meeting together with the native Indians in early America sharing food with praise and thanksgiving unto the Great I AM.

We again see that in Jeremiah 33:11, where the Bible says, “The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD.”

Praying Hands (Dürer)

This verse shows plainly I think, that the key to getting our country back on proper footing is to get back to an attitude of thanksgiving towards the Almighty. The me first attitude seems to have stolen the gift God has granted us. Note that the verse does not call for a sin offering, or for a trespass offering, rather it reveals a voluntary “sacrifice of praise” offering. This is indicative prophetically of those who are saved by grace and in communion with our Almighty King Jesus Christ through total thanksgiving.

The scriptures indicate that thanksgiving is shown through a variety of outward manifestations, namely: communion at Leviticus 7:12-13, peace offerings at Leviticus 7:15, verbal praises at Psalms 26:7, keeping our word at Psalms 50:14, singing praises unto God at Psalms 69:30, giving testimony of the things God has done for you at Psalms 107:22, telling of the salvation gained from the LORD at Jonah 2:9, and many other places recorded in the Bible.

Interestingly Thanksgiving is what made America the greatest nation on earth. We were a Biblically thankful people. And total Thanksgiving is what will once again make America great. Thanksgiving needs to be everyday, but we must come together corporately to give thanksgiving from time to time. That is the day we give thanks as a nation together.

Salvation is of the LORD. Jonah 2:9

Happy Thanksgiving Day!