Give Thanks

In chapter 15 King David has prepared a place for the Ark of the Covenant or as the scripture words it, “pitched for it a tent.” He established the rules of the transport through the Levites. He accuses them in 1 Chron. 15:13 for not doing it right the first tragic attempt. So they consecrate themselves as Levite priests, David then commanded the Levite Leaders to appoint some fellow Levites as musicians and singers. 1 Chron. 15:17 tells us they chose Heman, Asaph, Ethan and others on instruments. Chenaniah the head of the Levites was in charge of the singing (because he was skillful at it.)

They had trumpeters who went before the ark of God, and started on this processional from the house of Obed-edom to the tent with joy and great rejoicing.

As God helped them on this procession 2 Samuel 6:13 tells us how they knew God was helping. They would go six paces or steps, they would stop and offer a thanksgiving offering. There was dancing, singing, music, and praise offered to God.

Now as best I can tell this was a 24 mile trip, according to google maps this would take about 8 hours regular stride to walk this trip. But they were stopping every six paces and sacrificing - this was a long and intentional praise fest a giving thanks.

Our Psalm tucked away in the Chronicler’s history of this great event gives us a view of what they sang as they celebrated this great event. With King David beginning his Psalm with the words of our text, “GIVE THANKS!”

Every fourth Thursday of November we celebrate a national holiday, unfortunately, our holiday celebrating has turned into more of a gluttonous feast, political arguing, and football. leaving us asking the question - What really is thanksgiving?

David begins this great worship psalm as they are bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. A great worship service and he beings his worship song with the phrase: “Give thanks”

I think the first thing we need to establish is - what does it mean to give thanks?

What is does it mean to give thanks?

The words translated “give thanks” come from a word that means to confess, to praise, thank.

To “Give thanks” means to acknowledge or confess God's character and or works.

This is a public proclamation or declaration (confession) of praise.

To give thanks - is a way of praising God. It’s one of the key “praise words”

Thanksgiving follows praise - when one publicly proclaims, declares, or confesses God’s attributes, characters, or works, he cannot help but be thankful - to “give thanks”

So now that we know what it means to give thanks - why do we give thanks.

Why Give Thanks?

Is it necessary or important to do so?

We give thanks because we are commanded to

David begins his psalm with what is exegetically known as a Hortatory - a fancy term that means it places obligations on the reader or hearer of this words.

So when David says, ‘give thanks’ he is placing an obligation on those who hear or read the command.

We give thanks because our hearts respond in praise

When we read some great act in the Bible our God has done our hearts should respond

When God answers prayer our hearts should respond

When we think about God our hearts should respond

This heart responding according to the definition of King David’d command “GIVE THANKS” flows into a verbal, sometimes demonstrated praise and That’s the why now lets talk about the who -

To Whom do we Give Thanks?

Give thanks to God! -

The language is clear David says in 1 Chron. 16:8 “Give thanks unto the LORD”

Thanks God!!!

This command is echoed later in the psalm 1 Chronicles 16:34 “O give thanks unto the LORD”

And again in the next verse 1 Chronicles 16:35 “And gather us together…that we may GIVE THANKS to thy holy name...”

He goes even further in 1 Chron. 16:29 and says, “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name.”

So not only do we just say “Thanks Lord” we are to give thanks as due the LORD!!! what does that mean? Well I think we do this by giving thanks to God for who he is.

Give thanks to God for who He is

The Psalmist identifies him as “LORD” but in 1 Chron 16:14 he clarifies this, “He is the LORD our God...”

Further in 1 Chron. 16:25-27 He is a “GREAT LORD” that he is “Greatly to be praised” “He is to be feared above all gods”

I love how he inserts “For all the gods of the people are idols: But the LORD made the heavens” David is differentiating between the gods of the world and their ONE TRUE GOD!!!

At least three times the phrase “his name” is used in the worship psalm. Not just worship God as God but even the Name of God Jehovah, Yahweh is worthy of magnifying, of giving thanks, of rejoicing in, of worshipping.

“Worship is the antithesis of self-absorption. Worship is God-absorption. It defeats hopelessness. It makes us hope.”

Terry C. Muck Hill, A. E. (2003). 1 & 2 Chronicles (1 Ch). Zondervan.

But it’s not just giving thanks to God for who He is, it is also giving thanks for what God has done.

Give thanks to God for what He has done

David doesn’t just expect this from others, he does it himself, perhaps to the excess - but with all of his heart - rejoicing over what God is doing and has done.

At least 11 times in this psalm the works or workings of God are referred to and praised and exalted.

They Gave thanks for what God has done.

We too should be giving thanks for what God is doing, what God has done, what God is going to do.

So we know what it is to give thanks, we know to Whom we give thanks, we know why we give Him thanks, but the question remains - who Gives thanks?

Who Gives Thanks -

There is no list of those in the command - David was explicitly talking to the Israelite people, but the Psalmist later exhorts - “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord”

So in reality everyone should give thanks to God. Remembering his works and praising His matchless name.

But I’m not really asking who should give thanks, but rather who does give thanks?

The Living Praise God - those who are alive physically, but definitely those who are alive spiritually

The Living Praise God

The prophet Isaiah 38:19 declares “The living, the living, he shall praise thee..”

We find several times in scripture declaring the dead do not praise the Lord

Where do you fit in today? Are you alive and Praising the Lord or are you dead and forget to thank Him?

Remember in the New Testament when Jesus healed the ten lepers but only one returned to Give Thanks - be that guy!!! Return again and again and again to give thanks.

One of the reasons the judgement of God is put on the gentiles according to Romans 1:21 they “neither were thankful”

in 2 Timothy 3:2 a list of reasons for perilous times was that men would be “unthankful” which is listed before “unholy”

Lets be living and thankful - lets GIVE THANKS -

While certainly those that are alive those that have breath should praise the Lord that means those who are righteous should really praise the Lord.

They should be experts at giving thanks

The Righteous Give Thanks -

Psalm 107:2 commands: Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!!!

Are you redeemed? Do you say so?

Does your Giving Thanks show this?

Are you intentionally living a life that “Gives Thanks” to God

That Gives thanks to God for all He has done?

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